Finding Basel Week balance can be tricky: You want to see great art, but you also don't want to take yourself too seriously. Aqua Art Miami lets you do both. Among the galleries showing at South Beach's Aqua Hotel in 2017 was an exhibit curated by the Consulate General of Canada, which showed off some of our northern neighbors' most impressive work. But visitors also witnessed quirkier stuff such as live tattooing by renowned tattoo artist Thea Duskin, and a 16-foot-tall golden bust of a female monkey by artist Laura Kimpton, who earned her fame at Burning Man. Aqua also offers some of the cheapest drinks you'll find at a South Beach fair, running a daily two-for-one happy hour — a welcome reprieve from the prohibitively priced Ruinart bubbles at the convention center. + View article here

Yep, you read correctly, Bmore Art really digs Aqua Art Miami, and multi-dimensionalist Joan Cox delivered a praise-laden piece to prove it.

Of all the great good praise though, we here at Art Miami Fairs are most partial to this great good tidbit:

Walking through Aqua feels like hanging out at your best friend’s art opening. It is teeming with people you don’t know yet but want to meet and by the end of your walk through all 50+ rooms/galleries you have certainly made a few new friends.

Thanks much Joan Cox and Bmore Art! And Thanks Too to C Emerson Fine Arts for bringing the piece to our attention!

Claire Shegog, "Busby's Fiorucci" Aureus Contemporary, Providence

Getty Images'Aaron Davidson (below) & JP Yim (above) found a lot to be shot at the VIP Opening of Aqua Art Miami 2015...

The entire scene of scenes can be gleaned right here.

Tim Conlon

CN #14, 2015

7″ x 24″ x 5″

Spray paint, paint marker

Courtesy of J Fergeson Gallery, Farmville VA

Caitlin Karolczak (1984)

Petal

Oil on Canvas, 36" diameter

Courtesy of The Signature Shop, Atlanta

Jean Joseph Jean Baptiste

Zange

Courtesy of Haiti Friends, Pittsburgh PA

Born in 1967 and raised in Croix-des-Bouquets, Baptiste's mother had a vision that he had been chosen by Erzulie and Papa Loko, and so he began threading their images in to his artwork. His work can be found all over the world.

Brian Willmont

Sweaty Dawn, 2014

Acrylic on panel, 18 x 24 in.

Courtesy of Victori + Mo, New York

Mauricio Vergara (Argentina)

Ya Te Olvide, 2015

oil on canvas

35" x 38"

Courtesy of Emerson Fine Arts, St Petersburg Florida

Vonn Sumner

Totem

watercolor on paper, 13" x 11"

Courtesy of Morton Fine Art, Washington DC

Helmut Ditsch

Point Of No Return II, 2005

150 x 240 cm

Oil on Canvas

Courtesy of The ArtFactory Club, Vienna/Vaduz

Of course, Art Miami and CONTEXT weren't the only members of the Art Miami Family of Fairs to set records in attendance and sales during Miami Art Week 2014...

Why? Because Aqua Art Miami happens concomitant with both. That's why. And, as ArtFix Daily so faithfully reports, Aqua's 10th Anniversary set some pretty hefty records of its own.

Read all about it right here.

Aqua's 10th Anniversary Edition generated all kinds of accolades, among the most recent came from Hyperallergic (Kate Sierzputowski's "A Casual Approach"), OregonLive (Janet Eastman's citing the Pacific Northwest) and Artnet (Sarah Cascone's "A Friendlier Kinder Take on the Art Fair").

Meriting mention among the trio of pleased features was a veritable catalog of Aqua exhibitors, includingElizabeth Leach Gallery, Shulamit Gallery, Industry Gallery, ArtSlant, Coagula Curatorial, Whitespace Gallety, Good Luck Gallery, Toomey Tourell, Mayer Fine Art, Space 776, Elisa Contemporary Aty, Antonio Colombo, Victori Contemporary, Autobody Fine Art and Morton Fine Art.

In other words, Aqua got a three-pack of coverage that was compoundingly complimentary. Thanks everyone!

(Pictured Jim Payne courtesy Coagula Curatorial)

Miami New Times gets Miami's own John Hood to go up against the one-and-only Karen Finley before she paints folks inside out at Aqua Art Fair...

Get with the what's what right here.

(Photo courtesy Timothy Greenfield-Sanders; Karen Finley at Aqua courtesy Coagula Curatorial)

Greg Slick (Jersey City, NJ 1961)

Crannog, 2014

acrylic on wood panel, 35 3/4 x 47 3/4 in

Courtesy Matteawan Gallery, Beacon NY

Fred Tieken

Sanctuary, 2014

acrylic on canvas 36" x 48"

Courtesy Perihelion Arts, Phoenix AZ

Ion Yamazaki

30 Days of Barefoot (2013)

Inkjet prints mounted on foam board

22' wide / 10" tall

Courtesy of Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design, Georgia State University

30 Days of Barefoot documents the Yamazaki’s daily, barefoot walks throughout downtown Atlanta. Yamazaki uses his own feet to capture and document the residual traces of the individual lives and activities of the city. The visible emergence and re-healing of blisters on his feet over the duration of the performance indicate both the vulnerability and strength of the Yamazaki’s body when subjected to the public urban space.

Benjamin Sack

Will to Pleasure

ink on paper 25.5" x 19.5"

Courtesy Ghostprint Gallery, Richmond VA

Ben Sack creates imaginary cityscapes of extraordinary complexity and detail, filled with myriads of miniature and sometimes recognizable buildings. His technical skill is matched by his vision :

“I've always been fascinated by "the big picture." The grand idea of sublimity. All the artists who I admire have in their careers been able to capture this idea. An artist is one who creates worlds, for me I'm after the world of the sublime.”

Clint Imboden

Dug #1 through 7

cast polyester resin and found shovel

Courtesy Autobody Fine Art, Alameda CA

Dale Thompson (Toronto)

your apathy kill me

acriylic on birch

24" x 48"

2008-2014

Courtesy AWOL Gallery, Toronto

Dominique Labauvie (Strasbourg, France 1948)

"Fractals 1" (2014)

22 x 30 inches

Charcoal and pastel on sommerset paper

Courtesy Mindy Solomon Gallery, Miami

Artist Biography: Before leaving Strasbourg in 1968, Dominique Labauvie studied Art History with Roland Recht and Louis Grodecki, then continued his formation in sculpture in Paris. He had his first one-man show at the Gallery Bernard Jordan, Paris (catalogue) in 1985 and in 1986 receives the Villa Medecis Hors les Murs (catalogue) and spends one year in Germany. In 1989 he has a sold out solo exhibit at the FIAC with the Gallery Maeght. 1997 brings him a commission by the city of Paris of a monumental cast iron sculpture Horizons Suspendus, which is installed on the Quai de Seine. Labauvie is the recipient of the prestigious Grant from The Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation in 2009 and in 2010 the new Tampa Museum of Art gives him a solo exhibition of recent and commissioned works entitled Musical Lines in My Hand (catalogue).

Andi Arnovitz

Nuclear Tehran: Fordow’s Underground Evil (2014)

Mixed media on paper 32 x 32 inches

Courtesy Shulamit Gallery, Venice CA

Michael Sanzone (New Haven, CT 1977)

Whisky cask

48 x 48 inches (122 x 122 cm)

Courtesy Kathryn Miriam Contemporary, Greenwich CT

The works included in Sanzone's 'Distillery Series' began during his time spent as an Artist in Residence at the Glenfiddich Distillery. Inspired by the journey of wood used to make the casks, some over fifty years old, Sanzone became increasingly fascinated by the subsistence of each piece. The barrels were built from Spanish or American oak, transported to Scotland, and then filled, used, thrown away, found and finally resurrected. The works in this this series not only convey the narrative of this journey, but also act as Sanzone's memento of a time and place. The distinct colors and shapes of each piece, united with the damp scent of whisky soaked wood, lends to a sensory experience that is the Scottish Landscape from the artist's viewpoint.

Artist Biography: Michael Sanzone was born in 1977 and grew up just steps outside the Stony Creek Quarry in Branford, Connecticut. In this rural and blue-collar New England community, Sanzone spent his childhood working in his family's Millwork business. After graduating from the School of Visual Arts in NYC, Sanzone combined his fine art training with his knowledge of woodworking, the result of which can be seen in his sculptural paintings that the artist refers to as ‘Wood Constructions.’ He often creates unique wood frames or handcrafted boxes to hold artwork, enabling pieces to spin and encouraging the viewer to interact. Works in his 'Distillery Series,' created from whisky casks salvaged from the Glenfiddich Distillery in Scotland, are some of his most popular works, and began during his time as an Artist in Residence at the distillery located in the Scottish Highlands.

Michael’s work is in public collections including a recent acquisition by Rubicon Technology Partners and previous installations include the Truffles Building, Tribeca, and large-scale commissions at the NYC and Scotland headquarters of William Grant & Sons, Ltd. makers of such top spirits as Glenfiddich and Hendrick’s. Private collectors include Grant Gordon and Lloyd Gordon, owners of William Grant & Sons, Ltd.; Dante Di Loreto, Executive Producer of the television show Glee; Bryan Rafanelli of Rafanelli Events; and Heather Greene, leading whiskey expert and author of Whiskey Distilled. Sanzone’s work is represented by Kathryn Miriam Contemporary and on view at Cafiero Select, NYC and Art & Soul Gallery, Boulder, CO.

The laudable folks at The Leader cited Corning's Exhibit A debut showing at Aqua Art Miami, and you can read all about it right here.

(Pictured: Jeremy Holmes"Atmosphere #133" (2014) White ash, metal base 27 x 17 x 15" inches Courtesy Exhibit A)

Mari Kim Chanel4 (2013) Ultra chrome ink printed on canvas 100 cm x 80 cm Courtesy EJMQ, Seoul

Art Miami Director Nick Korniloff, who helms a family of Fairs which of course includes CONTEXT and now Aqua, comes keen for Heike Dempster at MiamiArtZine; if possible adding even more anticipation to what promises to be the most spectacular Art Week Miami has ever seen! (Photo courtesy Biz Journals)

Kevin Berlin Fuck You (Camel Blue) oil on canvas, 45" x 60", 2012 Provenance: USA Literature: "FOR WHICH IT STANDS, Americana in Contemporary Art," CURATED BY Carla Sakamoto, The Curated Collection, Farameh Media. 34.3 x 24.8 cm / 13.5 x 9.75 inches 400 pp. hardcover Over 200 color photos ISBN 978-0-9840-3411-6 Exhibitions : "UNCENSORED," new works by Kevin Berlin, Mark Miller Gallery, AQUA Art Miami, 2013. Courtesy Mark Miller Gallery, New York

Eric Finzi Self Portrait as a Venetian Gentleman 48 x 39, 2012, epoxy resin, mixed media on wood Artist Biography : Eric Finzi was born and raised in New York City. His art career started at age ten after his art teacher accused him of cheating on a book cover project. She believed he must have stenciled a copy of the Egyptian mummy he drew free hand. To convince her, he created a new cover in a different size. His parents decided then to get him private lessons in oil painting. When Finzi turned 13, he received a scholarship to a life painting class at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. By the age of 15 he was studying with Harvey Dinnerstein at the Arts Student League in New York City. Finzi then received another scholarship to Greenwich House School of Pottery in New York. At age 16, Finzi taught ceramics at Cornwall Summer Workshop in Connecticut and started college in the fall at the University of Pennsylvania where he studied biology and fine arts. Finzi began taking evening classes at the Art Students League under the tutelage of Vincent Malta and Raphael Soyer. After receiving his PhD on yeast mitochondrial protein synthesis in the fall, he enrolled full-time in the Art Students League with artist Knox Martin. Finzi then moved to Montpellier, France to paint. He moved back to America to finish his medical studies and began a full time position as a Laboratory Fellow at the National Cancer Institute. Shortly thereafter, he started a weekend sculpture class at the Corcoran in Washington, DC. Finzi’s art career got its next boost when he was kicked out of the research laboratory at the National Cancer Institute for spending too much of his free time making art. He left the lab to start his residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital in the Dermatology department. After completing his residency in 1991, he began pursuing a mixture of painting, sculpture and dermatology. In 2003, Finzi began exhibiting his unique epoxy resin paintings in New York. Since then he has had solo exhibitions in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Baltimore, Washington, DC, and Cologne, Germany. Finzi's work was recently selected for Issue #100 of New American Paintings. Sloan Fine Art will exhibit his work at the Scope Art Fair, Art Basel Miami, 2012. His book, “Face of Emotion: How Botox Affects Moods and Relationships,” will be published by Palgrave-MacMillan in January, 2013. Courtesy Perihelion Arts, Phoenix AZ

Jonathan Langfield (Fall River, Mass. Feb. 1987) There Once Was a Man From Nantucket Oil on canvas 72 x 72 in. 2013 Courtesy JAG Modern Art, Philadelphia

Kasumi Woman In White Perpetually Turning 23" Monitor Triptych, perpetually looping gif Kasumi, a 2011 Guggenheim Fellow, is an artist working primarily in film. Kasumi has won global acclaim for her experimental films and video performance pieces, receiving, among other awards, the 2010 Vimeo Remix Award, the Thomas Edison Black Maria Film Festival Director’s and Program Staff Citation, the Sapporo International Short Film Festival 1st prize in Experimental film, the Adriano Asti Award, and the Chicago IFP Best Experimental Film award. Kasumi has performed and held large solo installations in settings including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Württembergischen Kunstverein Stuttgart, the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Chroma Festival de Arte Audiovisual and has collaborated with artists as diverse as Grandmaster Flash, DJ Spooky, Modeselektor, the New York Philharmonic, members of the Cleveland Orchestra, the American Composers Orchestra, and the creators of Comedy Central's Adult Swim. Courtesy Gallery at Gray's, Cleveland OH

Tim Biskup Doom Loop #24 2012 acrylic on paper 12x16 inches

Courtesy Antonio Colombo Gallery, Milan

David Lyle Midlife Crisis 2013 Oil on panel, 28 x 36 in / 71.1 x 91.4 cm Courtesy of Lyons Wier Music & Audiophile Plus, New York

Tomas Vu Dark Side of The Moon Mixed media on mylar, mounted on silver panel, encased in plexi frame Provenance: The Artist Courtesy LOOC ART, Southampton NY

Paul Robert Turner Beneath a Shadow, Under a Doubt oil and paper on panel 42” x 52”, 2012 Courtesy of AWOL Gallery, Toronto

Alejandro Salazar Head with Flower Courtesy of Gallery 300, Santa Rosa CA

Lisa Liedgren Untitled Orange "Bounce with me/Artforum" series, 2011 gouache on paper, 15 x 23 inches Courtesy Prole Drift, Seattle

10" x 16" mixed media on canvas

Susan Jamison Curious Walk egg tempera on panel, 72 x 44" Courtesy j fergeson gallery, Farmville VA

Marcelo Suaznabar (Oruro, Bolivia 1970)

Art Media Agency provides some advance Miami Art Week hype on Aqua and CONTEXT, the latest additions to the Art Miami family of Fairs.