If all you do during Art Basel Miami Beach is stick to the big fairs, you might as well call it a day and go back home.
Seriously. Some of the best contemporary art we've seen during Art Basel has been away from the convention center and tents.
Local galleries feature both homegrown and international talent, including a mix of well-established artists and those on the cusp of greatness. And wouldn't you rather have bragging rights that you saw so-and-so before they were big? (Basel is just one big bragging Olympics. Step your game up!)
That being said, there are way too may galleries to possibly feature them all. But we've picked out some of the best shows that coincide with Art Basel Miami Beach, some of which are already exhibiting right now -- because it's never too early to start Basel-ing.
See also: Art Basel Miami Beach 2014 Fairs Guide
Design District and Upper Eastside
Kris Knight, "Smell the Magic." December 1-15. Spinello Projects Pop-Up, 95 NE 40th St., Miami; 786-271-4223; spinelloprojects.com.
Tim Okamura, "Love, Strength, and Soul." November 22-January 10. Yeelen Gallery, 294 NW 54th St., Miami; 954-235-4758; yeelenart.com.
Daniel Arsham, "Welcome to the Future." November 15-January. Locust Projects, 3852 North Miami Ave., Miami; 305-576-8570; locustprojects.org.
"Art on the Move," Ron Terada curated by Dominic Molon. Locust Projects, 3852 North Miami Ave., Miami; 305-576-8570; locustprojects.org.
Egan Frantz, "Monday and Friday, Tuesday and Friday, Wednesday and Friday, Thursday and Friday, Friday and Friday." November 22-January 17. Michael Jon Gallery, 255 NE 69th St., Miami; 305-521-8520; michaeljongallery.com.
"Re-al-ized." November 23-December 21. Carol Jazzar Contemporary Art, 158 NW 91st St., Miami; 305-490-6906; cjazzart.com.
"Luxury Face." Ida Eritsland, Geir Haraldseth, and Agatha Wara in collaboration with Bjørnar Pedersen. December 1-January 10. Guccivuitton, 8375 NE Second Ave., Miami; guccivuitton.net.
Robert Curran, "Anthology of 20 Years of Photography From Five Different Continents." Robert Curran Gallery, 74 NE 40th St., Miami; robertcurranphoto.com.
Downtown and Overtown
"International Friendship Exhibition." Autumn Casey, Jim Drain, Gavin Perry, Asif Farooq, Magnus Sodamin, Cole Sternberg, Cody Hudson, and Michael Vasquez. December 1-January 30. Primary Projects, 151 NE 7th St., Miami; thisisprimary.com.
Fabian Peña, "Death of a Printed Story." November 28-December 20. Dimensions Variable, 100 NE 11th St., Miami; 305-607-5527; dimensionsvariable.net.
Purvis Young, "A Man Among the People: A Purvis Homecoming." December 4-March. The Historic Lyric Theater, 819 NW Second Ave., Miami; 786-708-4610; theblackarchives.org.
"The Avant-Garde and Latin-American Photography: The Poetics and Discourse of the Modern Gaze." November 15-December 19. Centro Cultural Español, 1490 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-448-9677; ccemiami.org.
"Panting." Gina Beavers, Aaron Bobrow, Van Hanos, Sadie Laska, Dean Levin, Jeff Tranchell, and Jeff Zilm. Organized by John Connelly. December 5. Fredric Snitzer Gallery, 1540 NE Miami Ct., Miami; 305-448-8976; snitzer.com.
Miami Beach
Jose Lerma, "Guaynabichean Odyssey." December 1-Janaury 31. David Castillo Gallery, 420 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach; 305-573-8110; davidcastillogallery.com.
"Auto Body." María José Arjona, Naomi Fisher, Paloma Izquierdo, Dana Levy, Alex McQuilkin, Nontsikelelo Mutiti, Naama Tsabar, Agustina Woodgate, Antonia Wright, and more. December 4-7 Giant Motors, 1750 Bay Road, Miami Beach; autobody-movement.com.
Wynwood and Edgewater
James Kennedy, "Morphosis." November 14-December 26. Mindy Solomon Gallery, 172 NW 24th St., Miami; 786-953-6917; mindysolomon.com.
Marcela Moujan, "Paradise Is Where You Are Right Now." December 2-January 17. Vice Gallery, 47 NE 25th St., Miami; 305-898-6109; vicegallery.com.
Art | History Mural Project Pop-Up. December 1-7. 5 NW 36th Street, Miami; free with RSVP to [email protected]; arthistory2014.com.
"Welcome to the Jungle." November 14-January 2. Pan American Art Projects, 2450 NW Second Ave., Miami; 305-573-2400; panamericanart.com.
"4409.72 miles 9125 days: 25 Years of Art Discourse from Buenos Aires to Miami." November 21-January 31. Diana Lowenstein Fine Arts, 2043 N. Miami Ave., Miami; 305-576-1804; dianalowensteingallery.com.
Sebastiao Salgado, "Genesis." November 6-January 10. Dina Mitrani Gallery, 2620 NW Second Ave., Miami; 786-486-7248; dinamitranigallery.com.
Yuri Tuma, "Departure." November 6-January. Butter Gallery, 2930 NW Seventh Ave., Miami; 305-303-6254; buttergallery.com.
David Hayes, "Maquettes + Studies." November 7-February 28. m+vART, 2750 NW Third Ave. Suite 11, Miami; 786-431-1186; mvart.co.
Mauro Giaconi, "Revolt (Revuelta)." December 1-February 13. Dot Fiftyone, 187 NW 27th St., Miami; 305-573-9994; dotfiftyone.com.
Brandon Opalka and Hugo Montoyo, "Back on Earth." December 1-January 31. Regina Rex, "Cemeterium." December 1-7. Emerson Dorsch Gallery, 151 NW 24th St., Miami; 305-576-1278; dorschgallery.com.
Pablo Lehmann, "The Scribe's House." November 8-December 27. Now Contemporary Art, 175 NW 25th St., Miami; 305-571-8131; nowcontemporaryart.com.
"Masters." Gary Nader Art Centre, 62 NE 27th Street, Miami; 305-576-0256; garynader.com.
Jorge Blanco, "The Joy of Living." November 25-December 31. O. Ascanio Gallery, 2600 NW Second Ave., Miami; 305-571-9036; oascaniogallery.com.
Rochelle Feinstein, "I'm With Her." November 28-December 27. Gallery Diet,174 NW 23rd St., Miami; 305-571-2288; gallerydiet.com.
"Perspectives." Chuck Close, Keith Haring, Roy Lichtenstein, Barbara Kruger, James Rosenquist, Andy Warhol, Nick Gentry, Anthony Lister, RYCA, David Walker, and more. Robert Fontaine Gallery, 2349 NW Second Ave., Miami; 305-397-8530; robertfontainegallery.com.
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