Another Basel Come and Gone

It's always exciting to spend time in Miami when the art world converges for Art Basel. Miami's Midtown Arts District was my destination this go-round. The gentrified downtown niche between the Design District and Wynwood is alive with eateries, residences and tree-filled parks. First, lunch at the newly opened Cheese Course on NE 1st Ave., is an artisanal farmstead cheese lover's dream. I chose a classic aged cheddar melt with sundried tomato pesto. Yum. I headed next to the satellite fair, Art Miami (art-miami.com), now in its 20^th year, where new owner and show director Nick Korniloff was ebullient. Collectors were at it, developing artists' reputations for $85-thousand and up. A chat with iconic Bernice Steinbaum of Miami's Steinbaum Gallery (whose petite stature is disarming since she has such a booming presence) was as delightful as the works she displayed, including lithographs by a Chinese-born artist and fantastic chandeliers. Curious, I checked out Graffiti Gone Global by SushiSamba (graffitigoneglobal.blogspot.com) in a 4,000 square-foot warehouse-esque venue. Curated by photographers James and Karla Murray, this first-ever compilation was fascinating, edgy and really fun with street artists doing their thing right before your eyes.