Art Basel -- you know, the one that's actually in Basel, Switzerland -- kicked off this week with all the usual fanfare: the parties, the big dealers, the major sales. One 1980s work by Andy Warhol sold for $30 million. Everything seems to be running smoothly over there.
Meanwhile, in Miami, one of the city's most respected arts organizations is messily imploding. The dispute between the Museum of Contemporary Art has embarrassingly escalated in recent weeks, making Miami look like the Goofus to Basel's Gallant. And just when it seemed like mediation between the two parties was getting somewhere, lawyers stepped in to insist that no settlements have been decided. Great.
Plenty of people point to the MOCA meltdown as evidence that "Miami can't have nice things." But that, at least, isn't true. Here's proof: ten perfectly nice things (or nine if you're nostalgic enough for the '90s to get excited about Boyz II Men) you can do this weekend to take your mind off of our latest cringe-worthy culture war.
Friday
- Jim Breuer: He's gone from Half Baked to heavy metal, and now he's coming to Magic City Casino.
- Irie Weekend: DJ Irie predicts LeBron will stay with the Miami Heat next season. That's reason enough to support his charity weekend. (And, uh, also because it's for charity.)
- Fete de la Musique: The global holiday falls on Saturday, but Big Night in Little Haiti isn't letting that stop them from celebrating a day early.
Saturday
- Bookleggers and Pillar Point: A book trade, a beer swap, a soul party, and the musical stylings of Pillar Point, all in one place. (Gramps, specifically.)
- Miami Rail Launch Party: Celebrate the summer issue of Miami's quarterly arts review at Gallery Diet, followed by an afterparty at Gramps, because apparently everything is happening at Gramps these days.
- Redland Summer Fruit Festival: Freaky and fruity, just not in the way those words are usually applied to Miami.
- Sole Swappin': We dare you to attend in flip-flops.
- Boyz II Men: It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday. Luckily, Boyz II Men is still around, so you don't have to.
- Titanfall Tournament: Stand by for free stuff and epic gamer battles.
Sunday
- Pancake Party: Art has never been so nommable.
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