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Miami's Art Boom

Name: Miami's Art Boom
Author: Elisa Turner
ISBN: 9780813081212

From Local Vision to International Presence

by Elisa Turner

Published by: University Press of Florida

In Miami’s Art Boom, art critic Elisa Turner captures the evolution of Miami’s visual arts community before and after the inaugural Art Basel Miami Beach, revealing how local artists, galleries, and museums transformed the city into a hub of global artistic exchange.

342 Pages7.25 × 9.0040 color illus., index

Paperback
9780813081212
Published: October 28, 2025

$26.95

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9780813075051
Published: October 28, 2025

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Table of Contents

Discover how Miami’s local art community transformed the city into a hub of global artistic exchange

Florida Book Awards, Gold Medal for Visual Arts

Step into the vibrant heartbeat of Miami’s art scene during a transformative period in Miami’s Art Boom. Award-winning art critic Elisa Turner presents over 100 of her best profiles, reviews, and stories to capture the evolution of Miami’s visual arts community before and after the inaugural Art Basel Miami Beach in 2002. This book reveals how a constellation of visionary artists, curators, galleries, and museums ignited a cultural revolution that propelled the region onto the international stage.

Through four chronological sections and a richly contextualizing introduction, readers are invited to witness a pivotal era when creative pioneers like José Bedia, Carlos Betancourt, María Brito, Gary L. Moore, Eugenia Vargas-Pereira, Edouard Duval-Carrié, María Martínez-Cañas, and many others redefined artistic boundaries. Their individual stories are artfully interwoven with the broader narrative of a community energized by cross-cultural exchange. As Miami transformed into a flourishing hub of global artistry amid burgeoning support from state and private funders, the groundwork was laid for Art Basel Miami Beach, a landmark event whose explosive impact continues to reverberate.

Miami’s Art Boom is more than a history—it is a vibrant cultural artifact that not only defies myths about Miami’s artistic roots but also celebrates the spirit of innovation and diversity. This detailed, lively collection is an essential read for art students and scholars, professionals, and anyone passionate about the power of creativity. Embrace the story of Miami’s rise from the foundational work of local visionaries to the exhilarating exchange of the international art world and experience an inspirational journey.

“Miami’s Art Boom takes art as the vantage point from which to examine the growth of a city. . . . [It is] an exploration of art as the cornerstone to growth.”—From the foreword by Franklin Sirmans, director of Pérez Art Museum Miami
“Elisa Turner paints a vivid portrait of a city transformed by creativity and resilience. Turner shows that Miami’s unique artistic identity is a rich tapestry woven together from many different threads, including contributions from Latin American and African American artists. A distinguished art critic, she captures the essence of a community that rose from local roots to international acclaim, driven by passion and diversity.”—Richard Blanco, 2013 Presidential Inaugural Poet, Former Poet Laureate of Miami Dade County
“A captivating account of Miami’s arts community. Turner recounts the many artists, writers, collectors, foundations, galleries, museums, and not-for-profit art spaces that laid the groundwork for one of the most exciting and globally focused arts communities in the United States.”—Jeremy Mikolaczak, Sybil Harrington Director and CEO, Phoenix Art Museum
“Turner debunks the belief that Miami became a center for the arts with the arrival of Art Basel. Before then, artists, private and public cultural institutions, and individuals interested in the visual arts had been forging an important network that laid the groundwork for the boom that has subsequently developed. This book is a stand-out work in South Florida’s art history and a great addition to the broader history of the visual arts in the Americas.”—Francine Birbragher-Rozencwaig, founding editor, ArtNexus
“It is time for the art history of Miami to be told and in this book we get to experience firsthand the epic rise of the city as a global arts mecca. This text is a must-read for those curious about the character of Miami’s art scene, the ways it was cultivated, and how it helped fuel the transformation of the city itself.”—Erica Moiah James, University of Miami

Foreword by Franklin Sirmans

Introduction: Tapping Local Tenor and Pulse of the Moment

Part I. Setting the Stage, 1987–1997

Arturo Rodriguez: Spirit of Exile Shines in Painting for Pope

Robert Huff at Gloria Luria Gallery

María Brito: She Sculpts Out of Memories

Is Black History Month Effective?

Barbara Gillman Gallery: Artists Survey Scene

Carlos Maciá: Remarkable Books Reflect Artist’s Rich Journey

Carol Brown: New Work Intriguing

Bacardi Gallery: Griots of South Florida

Does “Latin Artist” Label Enhance or Hinder Careers?

African Heritage Cultural Arts Center Gallery: Diverse Styles Mark Exhibit

Carlos Betancourt: Miami Beach Artist’s “Splintered Vision” at Core of Fracturism

Ground Level: Transforming Trash into Objets d’Art

Center of Contemporary Art: Art + Architecture Reflects Miami’s Glorious Coming of Age

Lynne Golob Gelfman: Reach Out and Touch Artist’s Creations, Visitors Don Gloves to Feel Changes in Layers and Texture

Sebastian Spreng: Writing and Painting about Chamber Music, Argentine Artist Bound Only by Wheelchair

Miami-Dade County Main Library: The Politics of Boats at Dade Library Shows Highlight Fears and Dreams

Barbara Neijna: New Work Shaped by Ancient Florida

Museum of Contemporary Art: Thoroughly Modern MOCA Cutting-Edge Institution Comes of Age with a Splash

César Trasobares: A Tryst with Chairs at Ambrosino Gallery

Center for the Fine Arts: True Vodou Far from the Silly Misconceptions, Haiti’s Vibrant Folk Religion Enriches Its Art with Spirituality

Center for the Fine Arts: Celebratory Exhibition of Sacred Arts Takes Voodoo Out of Vodou

Rubén Torres Llorca: The Start of a Beautiful Friendship

Eduardo del Valle and Mirta Gómez: Maya Hut Exhibit Preserves 2,000-Year Tradition

Mira Lehr’s Water World Reflects Beauty, Despair

Sheila Elias’s Secret Gardens Explode with Colors and Textures at the Lowe

Carlos Alfonzo: Exhibit a Moving Tribute to Talent Cut Short

Part II. Visually on the Verge, 1998–2000

Lydia Rubio: Exhibit’s Voices Speak of Perils of Exile Journey

Touched by AIDS Honors Pivotal Figures of Miami’s Art Scene

Florida Center for Photography: Three Exile Voices Remember Details from the Voyage

Bakehouse: 10 Years Old and at a Turning Point

Julio Larraz: Diary of a Soul Travels through Tradition

Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale: Trio of Exhibits Taps South Florida’s Cultural Mosaic

Florencio Gelabert: Exhibits Transmogrify Natural Images

Antoni Miralda: Tongue in Chic in His Food, Tradition

Visually on the Verge: With Tropical Clichés Safely in the Past, Could South Florida’s Art Future Be Something Great?

José Bedia Explores Links between Cuban and African Art

Tami Katz-Freiman: Curator Defines Cuban-Israeli Link

William Maguire: Night Vision Inspires Photographer’s Work, Array of Snapshots on Display

Miami-Dade Main Library: Silly/Sad Photos Disarming—but Shoes Have Sass

Walter Darby Bannard and Carlos Alves: Mixed Media, Cracked Crocks, and Puddles of Color

Michael Carlebach: A Labor of Love Recalls the Way We Were

Charo Oquet: Soulful Journey Leads to Gallery

Historical Museum of Southern Florida: Cultural Legacies of South Florida and Caribbean History Are Served Well in Ambitious Exhibit

Pre-Basel Group Show, Dennis Scholl Calls This a Defining Moment for Miami: Artists Bond in Doomed Building

Miami-Dade Main Library: Past, Present, and Future, as Seen by Cultivated Curator and Artists

MIA Gallery, J. Tomás López: Fly over to Airport for Sea of Imagery in Digital Collages

Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art, David Novros, and Robert Huff: Two Wrongs and One Right among Local Arts Changes

Michael Richards: Grounded Dreams at Ambrosino Gallery

Purvis Young: Forever Young

Growth Spurts, Growing Pains, and Flocks of Kitsch—What’s Next?

Ramón Cernuda: Art Critic

Edouard Duval-Carrié: Wall of Vodou

A+ Resources, Diaspora Vibe: Local Galleries Showcase Diverse Caribbean Artists

Kimberly Green: Family Wealth Brought Social Obligations

Mario Algaze: Cuba Proved the Missing Link in My Career, Photographer Says

All Seems Promising for South Florida Edition of World’s Top Art Fair

Part III. Miami: “A Lot of Freedom to Experiment,” 2001–2004

Miami Arts Project: River Dance

Pablo Cano: Puppet Master

Museum of Contemporary Art: Young Artists Find a Temporary Home at The House at MOCA

Glexis Novoa, Naomi Fisher: Flowers, Pay Phones Make for a Compelling Art Pairing

Bass Museum of Art: Global Perspective

Basel Leaving Imprint on Mix of New Events

Gavin Perry and Beatriz Monteavaro: Profiles in Collecting

María Martínez-Cañas: Identity Crisis

Cutting-Edge Art Will Leave You Flarbbergasted

Robert Chambers: Sculpting a Moment

Miami Collectors Commission Art

Bhakti Baxter: A Portrait of Nature’s Elegance and Intricacy

Teresita Fernández: A Natural Woman

Bunny Yeager: ’50s Photos Capture Beauty and the Beach

Cundo Bermúdez: A Life in Color

Roberto Behar and Rosario Marquardt: Card Sharks

Eugenia Vargas: A Dream Made Real

Rocket Projects: Out of This World

Eugenia Vargas: Slice of Latin American Spirit Spices Up Jaded Venice Crowd

Luis Gispert: These Cheerleaders Root for Their Own Team

Jim Couper, Bill Burke: Of Land and Sky

Kerry Stuart Coppin: Diaspora and Destiny

Art and Culture Center/Hollywood: Bringing Electronic Art to Light

Miami Art Central: New Space—and Its Artists—Has a Lot of Potential

Patricia Van Dalen: Seeing’s Not Believing at Fairchild Field

Amazing Journey: Naomi Fisher, Hernan Bas Connect in Life and Art

Way Outside the Galleries

Michele Oka Doner: Nature’s Stunning Beauty Is Her Wand

Mark Handforth and Dara Friedman

Creating Public Treasures

Miami-Dade County Main Library: The Colors of Haiti

Karen Rifas at Steinbaum, Ralph Provisero at Dorsch: Sculptors Give New Shape to Old Materials

End of an Era: The House Artists Gather before the Wrecking Ball Hits

Part IV. Global Art Locally, 2005–2007

Global Art Locally: Rubells Collect 10 Miami Artists

Barbara Young: Art Mobile Librarian Hits the Road

Teresa Diehl: Exploring Allure, Gray Areas of Fleeting Childhood Memory

Museum of Contemporary Art: Made in Miami

Nam June Paik: Video Artist Found Refuge in South Florida

With 65 Artists, the Bakehouse Is Cooking

Clyde Butcher: Lensman’s Lyrical Trip in Cuban Countryside

Glexis Novoa: Drawing on Architecture

Antoni Miralda: Tasty Exhibit a Delightful Mix of Food and Culture

José Carlos Diaz, Claire Breukel, Carolina García: Young at Art

Félix González-Torres: A Posthumous Honor for Cuban-Born Artist

Howard Farber: The Eye of the Collector

Fredric Snitzer Gallery: Made in Miami

Bernice Steinbaum Gallery, Centro Cultural Español: Two Exhibitions Focus on the Feminist Mystique

Richard Blanco and John Bailly: Poetry and Painting Combine for a Beautiful Show

Conclusion: Art Bearing a Miami Postmark

Acknowledgments

Index

Q&A with Elisa Turner, Author of Miami’s Art Boom

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