Here’s what the local experts recommend for Art Week Miami 2022

What gets the experts revved? We asked South Florida museum directors what they’re most looking forward to this season. Here’s what they said:

Franklin Sirmans

Director, Pérez Art Museum Miami

Didier William is one of the most exciting artists working today and his first major solo show is opening at Museum of Contemporary Art-North Miami. Raised in North Miami, he did a Master of Fine Arts at Yale and a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. He’s also a brilliant, innovative painter with his own unique style and we all need to know the work better. Thanks to [Miami’s] own Dr. Erica Moiah James who organized the show, we will!

Bonnie Clearwater

Executive Director, NSU Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale

I’m excited about the live performance of South African artist William Kentridge’s production of “The Head and the Load” at the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts December 1-3. Kentridge will be in town for this production. NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale is participating in the outreach by presenting Kentridge’s film installation “Ursonate.” This is a great moment for Kentridge, whose retrospective opens at The Broad in LA Nov. 12. I’m also looking forward to celebrating Art Basel Miami Beach’s 20th Anniversary and reflecting how much it impacted not only Miami but the circulation of art worldwide.

Jordana Pomeroy

Director, Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum at Florida International University

After I shake the sand from my shoes, I’m going to head directly to see Angela Fraleigh’s installation for the VIP Lounge of Untitled Art 2022. I’ve been following her work for some time because I’m interested in her practice centering on gender, sexuality, and power dynamics. She’s also doing a podcast titled “Reproductive Rights, Art History, and Witchcraft,” and wherever that goes I want to be on the journey.

Alex Gartenfeld

Artistic Director, Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami

This year, one of my highlights for Miami Art Week is the unveiling of Miami Worldcenter’s public art program in Downtown. I’m especially excited that large-scale works by some of my favorite artists Nina Chanel Abney (whose new show will also be on view at ICA Miami!) and Viktor El Saieh — will be on view year-round, 24 hours a day.

Jill Deupi

Director and Chief Curator, Lowe Art Museum

I am very excited about Hampton Art Lovers + the Historic Ward Rooming House’s presentation of “Charles White: Move on Up.” More than a complement to the Lowe’s “Charles White: A Little Higher” exhibition, it is a fascinating look at the artist’s circle of friends and acquaintances, which helps to both broaden and deepen our understanding of this important artist.

Chana Budgazad Sheldon

Executive Director, Museum of Contemporary Art - North Miami

I’m excited about Raúl de Nieves at Nina Johnson gallery. In 2020 MOCA mounted an extensive survey of de Nieves’ work, so I’m excited to see what he’s been up to since. Over on the beach, the artist duo FriendsWithYou are erecting a 50-foot-tall public sculpture titled “Starchild” that will greet guests on their way to the Convention Center. I’ve been following them since MOCA exhibited their “Cloud City” at the Goldman Warehouse, back during Basel 2005! As far as fairs, I’m a big fan of Katia Rosenthal, so am looking forward to seeing her booth at the NADA art fair.

Silvia Karman Cubiñá

Executive Director/Chief Curator, The Bass

I am looking forward to William Kentridge’s “The Head & The Load “ at The Arsht Center’s Ballet Opera House. Kentridge’s combination of music, dance, film projections, sculptures and shadow play, while inviting the audience onstage as part of an immersive experience, is both exciting and visionary.

Elvis Fuentes

Executive Director, Coral Gables Museum

That’s a difficult task! If I must choose, I would recommend the solo exhibition of “Jennifer Basile: Lasting Impressions: A Cessation of Existence” at LnS Gallery. The sheer scale of Basile’s prints is breathtaking; it turns them into an immersive experience for the viewer. You find yourself inside the Everglades’ astonishing landscapes. Yet they are dramatically rendered in black and white. Another strong candidate would be “Carlos Estevez: The Life of Meanings” at Pan American Art Projects.