Over the past decade, Art Basel Miami Beach has helped establish the city as a global mecca for a marauding mob of artists, curators, art collectors, dealers and rabid enthusiasts. A de facto sister event of the decades-old art fair in Switzerland, Miami Beach’s version — held Dec. 6-9 this year — is centered around the The Art Basel collection at Miami Beach Convention Center, which features pieces from the most prestigious international galleries. Just as crucial are the dozens of international indie artists who set up shop in massive tents around Wynwood Art District and in the posh hotels lining South Beach.

   Art Basel Miami Beach has an undeniable appeal for Northeast Florida art lovers, due to its grandeur and its proximity. After just a few hours in a car, one can be gazing in person upon contemporary art collections on loan from Beijing to Berlin and Brooklyn to Brazil. It’s more than just an opportunity to view great art, it’s an annual gathering of the tribes.

   Nick Wagner, owner-artist of Black Hive Tattoo and husband of artist-writer Madeline Peck, instantly connected to the universal language of creativity at Art Basel Miami. “This was my wife’s third year going and my first time,” he says. “It was overwhelming.” Wagner found the experience similar to a visit he and Peck took to the Louvre five years ago. “There is a point of visual overload. You can look at as much art as you want, but you can’t absorb it all. I ran into a lot of things I’d been exposed to, but not seen in person. That personal experience can change your perspective.”

   Feedback from the Northeast Florida artists who attended this year’s event is as diverse as their respective media, yet all shared a common goal to not merely network, but investigate and celebrate their international peers’ latest activities. Artist Christina Foard has made the trip downstate for the last couple of shows, motivated as both a fan and a practitioner.

   “I’m definitely here to check out the current wave of global ideas and to see if anything I’m doing leads into the same language that someone else may be doing,” says Foard. “It’s a great way to see what the top galleries around the globe are presenting as contemporary art and stimulate ideas in my head.” Repeat customer Steve Williams of Florida Mining Gallery was keeping an eye out for artwork for his personal collection as well as promoting his own endeavors. “I’m networking for my gallery,” Williams tells Folio Weekly, “while also trying to meet people that would want to represent my work.” The husband-and-wife arts team of Tony Rodrigues and Wendy Lovejoy opted for a more guerilla approach, promoting their Tact Apparel clothing line by leaving stickers and totes at the Rubell Family Collection in Wynwood and at various art hot spots throughout the beach. “We did some scouting around and put our work in the hands of gallery owners and art fair organizers,” Rodrigues explains. Sculptor Dolf James was once again enthralled by what is presented at the show, as well as the vast diversity of a global arts gathering that attracts 40,000 people annually. “I think you get a snapshot of what’s going on all over the world. It’s a very valuable experience and I don’t how else you’d be able to do it in a four-day period of time.”

   Northeast Florida artists Mark George and Shaun Thurston were formally invited, showing their work in the Wynwood district this year. In 2010, post-pop artist George was part of the Aqua Art Miami contemporary art fair at South Beach. This year, the Harold Golen Gallery on Northwest Second Avenue featured a seascape by George. Fantasist illustrator and Krylon-craftsman Thurston had four paintings on display at The Art Basel Collective, a satellite exhibit showcased at the Kohn Compound that featured 11 artists, whose works ranged in style from photography to graffiti. Street artists from all over the world were also represented, tagging their own colorfully cryptic signatures and images on the city’s walls. And some of the best in Northeast Florida were in the mix, gleaning from Art Basel even as they give back to it. For Dolf James, the annual event offers a memorable glimpse of the artistic times.

   “It’s what the art world thinks art is right now,” he says.

Jay Peele

themail@folioweekly.com