by Jeffrey Carlson

Led by Art Basel, drawing upwards of 70,000 visitors, and alongside a handful of critically acclaimed smaller fairs, Miami Art Week has a lot to see — too much, in fact. That is, unless you have the inside scoop.

Each year in early December the center of the art world shifts to sunny Miami: Ten major art fairs and countless gallery exhibitions opening this weekend and continuing through December 4, 2016 will make this the place to be for serious and casual collectors. With the help of Fine Art Connoisseur regional sales manager Violeta de la Serna, a Miami native and herself an art and design collector, we have compiled a list of helpful points for navigating the hullabaloo that is Miami Art Week.

1. Have a plan for getting around. With a lot of drivers on the road and significant construction underway, traffic in Miami can be hazardous even aside from the 500,000 excitable art lovers who arrive in early December. Each major fair has a complimentary shuttle bus schedule that connects related fairs as well as some major hotels. There are also VIP-service private cars (nice ones, like Audi, Fiat, and BMW) available. The now widely popular Uber ride service will also be another good option for attendees.

2. Pick and choose. Like any great encyclopedic museum, Miami Art Week has too much to take in all at once. Unlike great museums, though, most would agree that there are portions of this massive event that can be missed without regret. Every attendee should look at the profile for each fair and assess how well its general aesthetic aligns with their own. The Big 10 (Art Basel, Art Miami and its sister fair Context, SCOPE, DesignMiami, Red Dot, NADA, Ink, PULSE, SELECT) are a good place to start, but what else will you prioritize?

3. Abide by art fair etiquette. Miami Art Week is a destination for many a serious art lover and collector — as well as many who attend just for the spectacle. In the past, the viewing experience at the fair has left something to be desired, with earnest admirers stuck in line behind teeming masses. For the sake of all, those who attend should act respectfully, limiting time standing in front of artworks, allowing others a chance at the best viewing points, refraining from monopolizing a gallery representative’s time, and keeping voices at a reasonable level to allow others an impactful experience with the art on display. And of course: Never use flash photography or touch the art.

4. You’re important, but so are lots of other folks. A VIP showing can be just as crowded and difficult for art viewing as a normal show day. Even if you’ve merited an invitation to a VIP night, be prepared to wait your turn for a decent look at the art. On the bright side, it’s a chance to cultivate patience and courtesy.

5. Explore Wynwood. Across Biscayne Bay from South Beach and the Art Basel buzz, Wynwood is a vibrant neighborhood that features respected exhibitors and some alternative art-viewing spaces like Wynwood Walls, a “street museum” of edgy urban murals. Foodies, you will have plenty to feast on here, but you’d best make reservations (or be prepared to charm your host/hostess).

6. When something strikes you, act on it. The wide range of quality exhibitors who gather at the fair tends to draw collectors out of their normally conservative shells, inciting a “feeding frenzy” on the best pieces. “Last year I lost two works of art by mere minutes,” says de la Serna. Her advice? Peruse the offerings online beforehand, and have a mind for what you’re seriously interested in acquiring. Never fully commit before seeing and considering a work face-to-face, but if its presence on the wall or pedestal still captivates you, act quickly. Be willing and ready to put down a deposit on preview night, and don’t be afraid to negotiate the terms of the deposit or the full acquisition price. Finally: Take risks! Invest in emerging artists and works that speak profoundly to you.

This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.

Works by many of America’s most notable and iconic artists highlight a major sale at Freeman’s in Philadelphia on December 4. Get the inside scoop here!

A carefully curated selection of fresh-to-market American paintings, drawings, and sculptures heads to the auction block via Freeman’s on December 4 as part of the institution’s “American Art & Pennsylvania Impressionists” sale. Many of the artworks come from private collections and estates and are making their auction debut.

Included in the sale are some of the most prized artists in American history, including Western master Frederic Remington along with N.C. and Andrew Wyeth, Edward Willis Redfield, and Fern Isabel Coppedge. Other artist highlights include Jessie Willcox Smith, Elizabeth Shippen Green, Thomas Hart Benton, James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Childe Hassam, Grant Wood, Thomas Moran, and Arthur Meltzer.

To view the full catalogue and to learn more, visit Freeman’s.

This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.

When we hear the words “Golden Age,” our ears perk, and yours should, too. Featuring a stunning array of Flemish paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries, this gallery in Geneva, Switzerland, is a major destination for art collectors and connoisseurs this winter. What’s the buzz?

De Jonckheere has a long-established international reputation as master paintings specialists, and they’re pleased to present a blockbuster exhibition showcasing the gallery’s latest acquisitions from some of the biggest names in the Flemish art history pantheon. The exhibition is also a celebration of the gallery’s 40th anniversary, and it will also be opening a new location in front of the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco in May 2017. Along with Geneva, the gallery also has a location in Paris, France.

Via the gallery press release, “For this exhibition, De Jonckheere brings together the latest acquisitions of the gallery: an ensemble of unseen works created by the followers and emulators of the painter Hieronymus Bosch among which include the Master of Half-Lengths, Corneille de Lyon, Jan Mandijn, the Master of Holy Blood, Lucas Cranach the younger, Pieter Huys, Maerten Van Cleve, Hans Bol, Pieter Brueghel the younger, Jan Brueghel the elder, Abel Grimmer, Frans Francken the younger, Gijsbrechts Leytens, Isaac Soreau, David Teniers, Jan Van Kessel the elder and Francesco Guardi.”

“The Golden Age: Recent Acquisitions” opened on November 30 and will remain on view at the gallery’s Geneva location through January 27, 2017. To learn more, visit De Jonckheere Gallery.

This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.

People-watching can be entertaining and fun, especially at a museum like the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. See what plein air painter Curtis Gander saw — and captured — at the renowned museum during this unique solo exhibition.

A unique series of miniature paintings by Minnesota painter Curtis Gander is on view at Minneapolis’ Douglas Flanders & Associates. The fascinating series features paintings that show people viewing works of art at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The artist writes, “Painting miniatures was a new endeavor — I felt the small scale lent itself to the intimate nature of this series. The MIA miniatures are all based on candid photos that I took during various visits to the museum. I have always enjoyed visiting the MIA and enjoy photography, so the series was a natural outcome of my interests.”

“Viewing the Viewer” is currently on view and will show through December 4. To learn more, visit Douglas Flanders & Associates.

This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.

Some critics have called Dulwich Picture Gallery’s current exhibition of landscapes by Andriaen van de Velde a “quiet and delightful rediscovery.” See what has the UK art world buzzing in this featured video.

To learn more, visit Dulwich Picture Gallery.

This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.

The long wait is just about over, and renowned artist Robert Zeller can barely wait to release his contemporary guide to figure drawing, painting, and composition. When does it hit the shelves?

Fine Art Connoisseur’s Editor-in-Chief, Peter Trippi, perhaps said it best when he described Robert Zeller’s forthcoming book The Figurative Artist’s Handbook as “a milestone.” Continuing, Trippi said, “Obviously a labor of love, it also marks the opening of the next chapter in the rebirth of figuration in America today.”

How exciting! And the wait is almost over. Hitting the shelves in March 2017, Zeller’s contemporary guide to figure drawing, painting, and composition is being met with great anticipation. Via the artist’s webpage: “At a time when renewed interest in figurative art is surging throughout the art world, author Robert Zeller and the Monacelli Press present The Figurative Artist’s Handbook—the first comprehensive guide to figure drawing, painting and composition to appear in decades.

“Illustrated with Zeller’s own exquisite drawings and paintings as well as works by nearly 100 historical and contemporary figurative art masters, the book includes some of the finest figurative art of the past and the present day. Some of those included are Michelangelo, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Peter Paul Rubens, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Gustav Klimt, Edward Hopper, Andrew Loomis, Andrew Wyeth, Lucian Freud, Odd Nerdrum, Eric Fischl, Bo Bartlett, Steven Assael, John Currin, and many others.

“Original and thoroughly modern in approach, Zeller’s method of teaching synthesizes three styles of figure-drawing long thought to be at odds with each other. All three methods underlie contemporary fine-arts practice and education. Zeller combines them into one system to offer a cohesive and complete understanding of the human figure.

“Covering all the basics as well as many advanced techniques, The Figurative Artist’s Handbook is aimed at both students and experienced artists. A practical, how-to guide, it provides in-depth step-by-step instruction and—rare among figure-drawing books—features sections on composition, portraiture, studio practice, and painting.

“Chapters on creativity and on using a sketchbook help readers hone their artistic vision and evolve ideas from the initial inspiration to the fully developed work. Also included is an extensive section highlighting the great movements in figurative art throughout history—from ancient Egypt and Greece to the present.”

To learn more, visit Robert Zeller.

This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.

The Missouri Watercolor Society will mount a holiday exhibition this month featuring over 150 stunning watercolors that are ideal gifts for your family collector.

Featuring a number of outstanding watercolors, the Missouri Watercolor Society will host its biggest exhibition of the year in St. Louis at the 1900 Park Gallery this month. In addition to the over 150 works by national and internationally reputable artists, an awards ceremony will be hosted on Sunday, December 4 between 2 and 4 p.m.

Among the notable artists included in the show is renowned watercolorist Daven Anderson, whose remarkable career has spanned several decades. Also on view will be works by Charlotte Huntley, Ann Pember, Diane Schmidt, Terry Lay, Ryan Fox, Jerry Bowman, Mary Spellings, Jan Ross, Dean Mitchell, and April Rimpo.

To learn more, visit The Missouri Watercolor Society.

This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.

In this occasional series, Fine Art Today delves into the world of portraiture, highlighting historical and contemporary examples of superb quality and skill. This week: Emanuela De Musis, “Miss Rachel.”

The Art Renewal Center’s annual salon is one of the world’s most prestigious representational art competitions. Needless to say, the number of applicants and quality of their works makes entry to — and winning — the salon a monumental achievement. This week’s feature portrait was the 2016 winner in the portraiture category, as announced just a few weeks ago. In fact, Boston-born artist Emanuela De Musis took home both first and second place in the portraiture category, though we take this moment to highlight the powerful first place winner, “Miss Rachel.”

An intense visage greets the viewer in “Miss Rachel,” the sitter’s posture and gaze emanating confidence, power, and grace. Imaged in three-quarter view, the female subject is illuminated by a single light source directly over her head and outside the picture frame. The dramatic tenebrism and theatrical contrast on the figure allow her form to project and lift from the blackened background. Particularly noteworthy is the beautiful blouse worn by the sitter. The cool-white color of the garment allows the warmth of “Rachel’s” skin more attention and, in addition, highlights the brilliant flash of red seen in her lips.

To learn more, visit Emanuela De Musis.

This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.

Booth Gallery in New York is currently hosting a hauntingly beautiful group exhibition this season featuring one of the biggest names in the art world today.

Curated by art critic Donald Kuspit and gallery director Casey Gleghorn, Booth Gallery’s current exhibition “Sensuous & Pensive: At Odds & Overlapping” is a visual feast and conceptual journey through contemporary and imaginative realism. Featuring works by nine artists — some represented by one work, others by multiples — “the exhibition takes a fresh look at the ‘conceptual’ label in contemporary art,” the gallery suggests. “The collection of works is a varied perceptual feast. Visitors are invited to contemplate both the pure visual experience (sensuous) versus the intellectual experience (pensive) elicited by each piece. What is revealed is that the exhibited works convincingly activate both categories of perception.”

Among the artists included in the show is kitsch master Odd Nerdrum, along with Mike Cockrill, Neverly Fishman, Alberto DiFabo, Chad Wys, Lynn Stern, Marjorie Grigonis, Maynard Monrow, and Joseph Beuys.

“Sensuous & Pensive: At Odds & Overlapping” opened on November 18 and will continue through January 14. To learn more, visit Booth Gallery.

This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.