Appearances can be deceiving, especially in Miami. The brand-new Benz that sideswiped you on I-95 is a lease. The woman wearing designer clothes put it all on credit, and the dude with the Rolex bragging about his South Beach pad rents an efficiency in Doral.
The same can’t be said of the art scene, fortunately. Even after the glitz and glamor of Miami Art Week has passed, there’s still plenty of substantial, interesting art to be seen throughout the city all year. That’s why New Times is launching a new column dedicated to monthly missives about what’s going on and coming up in the art world in Miami, telling you where to go and what to see — and maybe, on occasion, what to avoid.
January is the perfect starting place for those looking to investigate the art scene. The city is still in the hazy afterglow of Art Basel, so the volume of exhibitions is neither too light nor excessive.
All listed events are free to attend unless otherwise noted.
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Linda Lopez, Laundry Pile Ombre Dust Furry, 2023
Mindy Solomon and the artist’s photo
A Trio of Shows at Mindy Solomon
Following up on a group show in December, a space-age furniture presentation at Design Miami/, and participation in the Historic Hampton House’s “Gimme Shelter” exhibition, Mindy Solomon’s first opening of the year features four artists across three shows. “Dust” features Linda Lopez’s pastel-colored sculptures of “dust furries,” while “Strange Matter,” a joint show by ceramicists Brian Rochefort and Kiyoshi Kaneshiro, features glossy, fluorescent-colored material poured over earthenware. Finally, painter Sean McGaughey presents a series of paintings inspired by abstract expressionism and the artist’s Nichiren Buddhist religious practice in “Good Grief.” On view Friday, January 12, through Saturday, February 17, at Mindy Solomon, 848 NW 22nd St., Miami; 786-953-6917; mindysolomon.com.
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Laurie Simmons, Brothers/Horizon, 1979
Laurie Simmons and Andrew Reed Gallery photo
“Laurie Simmons: Cowboys & Color Interiors” at Andrew Reed
Miami-born-and-raised dealer Andrew Reed opened his Allapattah gallery late last year and has already hosted two shows, including a presentation of floral paintings by Kate Bickmore, some partially inspired by plants found at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. The gallery’s next show comes from conceptual photographer Laurie Simmons, who uses miniature figurines to address themes of gender constructs and stereotypes in a series dating back to the 1970s and ’80s. On view Friday, January 12, through Saturday, February 10, at Andrew Reed, 800 NW 22nd St., Miami; andrewreedgallery.com.
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Maria Sulymenko, Untitled, 2023
The artist and Voloshyn Gallery photo
“Maria Sulymenko: Insomnia” at Voloshyn Gallery
Hailing from Kyiv, Voloshyn Gallery had been holding down a temporary exhibition in Miami when war broke out at home. It opened a permanent space in the city late last year in the buzzy Allapattah arts corridor on NW 22nd Street. After a pair of group shows, the gallery is setting its first solo presentation from countrywoman Maria Sulymenko. Over a series of watercolor paintings, the artist depicts stark interior and exterior scenes populated by figures dwarfed by their alienating surroundings. On view Friday, January 12, through Thursday, February 15, at Voloshyn Gallery, 802 NW 22nd St., Miami; 786-461-5800; voloshyngallery.art.
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Annika Cheng, 飲茶 Yum Cha, 2022-23
The artist and the Collective 62 photo
“The Dinner Party” at the Collective 62
A group of artists is having dinner at the Collective 62 studio complex and art space in Liberty City just west of I-95. The group show “The Dinner Party” features artwork inspired by the universal language of food and the ways it finds expression throughout different cultures. The opening on Saturday, January 13, will feature a Champagne tower toast from artist Kitty Rauth, who crafted flutes made of sugar. Return on Sunday, January 14, to check out a crocheting workshop led by artist Annika Cheng, whose soft sculptures are based on the tradition of making dumplings found in Chinese households. Opening 6 p.m. Saturday, January 13, at the Collective 62, NW 62nd St., Miami; instagram.com/thecollective62.
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Dan Flanagan, The Last Breath That’s True, 2023
Artist and Jupiter Contemporary photo
“Dan Flanagan: The Last Generation” at Jupiter Contemporary
Normandy Shores-based gallery Jupiter Contemporary had a busy Art Week. In addition to showing paintings and photos from legendary musician George Clinton and manning a booth at Untitled, it participated in the Historic Hampton House’s show “Gimme Shelter,” one of New Times‘ favorite shows of 2023. It’s following up with a show by Wisconsin-born, Brooklyn-based painter Dan Flanagan, featuring seven new works by the artist. Inspired by the graffiti of his adopted home, Flanagan’s colorful abstract canvases feature wild lines and chaotic scrawls overlaid atop patchy fields of color and unprimed canvas. On view Sunday, January 14, through Saturday, February 10, at Jupiter Contemporary, 1217 71st St., Miami Beach; 786-238-7299; jupitercontemporary.com.
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Madeline Donahue, Red Studio, 2023
Nina Johnson and the artist’s photo
“Madeline Donahue: Present Tense” at Nina Johnson
Nina Johnson’s latest exhibition features drawings from New York-based artist Madeline Donahue, who responds to her experiences with childcare, family, and the female body in the wake of motherhood in a series of graceful drawings and paintings. Vibrant colors recur throughout the show, especially the pinks of flesh and the reds of Donahue’s home. She even offers a take on Matisse’s famous “Red Studio,” but unlike the French artist’s artwork-filled space, Donahue’s features the artist at work alongside her children and pets. On view Thursday, January 18, through Saturday, February 17, at Nina Johnson, 6315 NW Second Ave., Miami; 305-571-2288; ninajohnson.com.
“Maru Ulivi: Quédate Conmigo” at the CAMP Gallery
Following a show featuring responses to Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, the CAMP Gallery, which takes up a space across the street from the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami, will present a show from multidisciplinary artist Maru Ulivi. Curated by Karina Madonni, the show pairs photographs with woven works in crochet, macrame, and basketry from the Venezuelan artist. Opening 6:30 p.m. Thursday, January 18, at the CAMP Gallery, 791-793 NE 125th St., North Miami; 786-953-8807; thecampgallery.com.
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A painting by Gabe Alcala, featured in his exhibition “Look Out of Any Window” at Dále Zine
Dále Zine and the artist’s photo
“Gabe Alcala: Look Out of Any Window” at Dále Zine
A true Florida Man, Gabe Alcala, is inaugurating the new space for bookstore/art gallery Dále Zine in the Design District. Among other projects for clients like Element Skateboards and the indie rock musician Angel Olsen, the artist’s clever, ’70s-inspired, matte-outline illustrations earned him a job designing A24’s guidebook Florida!, a compendium of local culture, legends, and lore about the Sunshine State. Look for similarly irreverent subject matter at his latest show. Opening 6 p.m. Thursday, January 25, at Dále Zine 50 NE 40th St., Miami; dalezineshop.com.
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David LaChapelle, Travis Scott: Tears, Los Angeles, 2020
Visu Contemporary photo
“David LaChapelle: Happy Together” at Visu Contemporary
Lurid, gaudy, and campy is what Miami adores, which makes the city a perfect setting for David LaChappelle’s latest exhibition. Visu Contemporary in Miami Beach is presenting a survey of the celebrity photographer — and occasional photographer of celebrities — alongside new work. LaChapelle, who gained acclaim for his sensationally over-the-top photographic style, is famed for his work in advertising and media, having shot the likes of Lady Gaga, Naomi Campbell, Amanda Lepore, and other glamorous figures for Vogue, Rolling Stone, and other clients. On view Friday, January 26, through Saturday, March 2, at Visu Contemporary, 2160 Park Avenue, Miami Beach; visugallery.com. Admission is free with RSVP via eventbrite.com.