Photo by Chi Lam/Rubell Museum
Audio By Carbonatix
Should you be willing to brave the traffic, crowds, and gimmicks that come with Miami Art Week, there is some actual art to see around town over the next few days. Some of it is even sticking around for a bit after the chaos, in case you don’t want to brave the traffic and the crowds and so on. Here, in chronological order by opening, are our picks for the best art shows to see during Miami Art Week and throughout December. Unless otherwise noted, events are free to attend and open to the public.
“That Which Frightens Us” at Primary
Featuring four artists from local studio complex Tunnel, Primary’s group show, “That Which Frightens Us,” digs into the subterranean space’s dark atmosphere for a show that probes “the all-different” — the unknowable things that human beings can scarcely comprehend. With work by David Correa, Genesis Moreno, Richard Moreno, and Luna Palazzolo-Daboul, it’s a surefire antidote for the earthly delights of Art Basel. The show opens Saturday, November 29, and runs through Saturday, January 17. Primary, 7410 NW Miami Ct., Miami; thisisprimary.com.
Aneta Grzeszykowska at Voloshyn
Always a source of interesting and unconventional art in December and throughout the year, Voloshyn will invite Polish artist Aneta Grzeszykowska for a solo show at its Allapattah gallery during Miami Art Week. The artworks in “Disorder” involve Grzeszykowska’s use of a realistic latex mask of her own face, addressing themes of identity, aging, and hierarchies within the household as she uses it to engage with family members and pets. The show opens Sunday, November 30, and runs through Saturday, January 10. Voloshyn Gallery, 802 NW 22nd St., Miami; 305-400-8525; voloshyngallery.art.
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Susan Kim Alvarez/KDR Gallery photo
Susan Kim Alvarez at KDR
This is it. This is the best show during Art Basel. Why do I say that? Because it’s the title! Local painter Susan Kim Alvarez has named her show at Allapattah’s KDR Gallery “The Best Show During Art Basel,” and you know what? I’m not going to argue with that. Self-proclaimed superlatives aside, Alvarez is one of the most interesting rising painters in the area, with a cartoonish, maximalist style that’s nothing if not arresting. The show opens Sunday, November 30, and runs through Saturday, January 10. KDR, 790 NW 22nd St., Miami; 305-392-0416; kdr305.com.
New Exhibitions at Rubell Museum
The Rubell Museum debuts its annual rehang on Monday, December 1, leading with a seven-gallery exhibition for UK artist Thomas Houseago, the institution’s first-ever single-artist survey. The slate also includes work from the museum’s 2025 artist in residence, Joanna van Son, commissioned work from Korean-American artist Seung Ah Paik, and solo presentations from Lorenzo Amos, Joseph Geagan, Rita Letendre, Yu Nishimura, and Ser Serpas. Familiar mainstays of the Rubell Family Collection from Jean-Michel Basquiat, Yayoi Kusama, Keith Haring, and others will also be on view. Rubell Museum Miami, 1100 NW 23rd St., Miami; 305-573-6090; rubellmuseum.org. Tickets cost $15 for general admission, $12 for seniors, and $10 for children ages 7 to 18 and students with ID. Admission is free for veterans, SNAP EBT cardholders, children ages 6 and under, and museum members.
“Acid Bath House” / Dara Friedman / Emmett Moore at Nina Johnson
Nina Johnson is supplying a heavy dose of “Acid” this Art Week with a group show delving into queer culture. “Acid Bath House” features work by more than two dozen artists, including big names like Juliana Huxtable and the legendary Genesis Breyer P-Orridge. The show is paired with a pair of presentations by two high-profile local artists: Emmett Moore will show custom-made functional outdoor sculptures in “Neon Sun,” while Dara Friedman will present more than a dozen new works in “Star People.” All three shows open Monday, December 1, and run through February 7, 2026. Nina Johnson, 6315 NW Second Ave., Miami; 305-571-2288; ninajohnson.com.
20th Anniversary Show at Spinello Projects
Spinello Projects celebrates its 20th anniversary with a group show featuring a who’s who of local artists. “Changes: Reflections on Time & Space” gathers work from Elliot & Erick Jiménez, Jared McGriff, Reginald L. O’Neal, Nina Surel, Eddie Arroyo, Bernadette Despujols, and others. The show opens Monday, December 1. Spinello Projects, 2930 NW Seventh Ave., Miami; 646-780-9265; spinelloprojects.com.
Kat Lyons/Marquez Art Projects
Kat Lyons at Marquez Art Projects
Allapattah’s Marquez Art Projects is refreshing itself with the first U.S. solo museum show for Kentucky native Kat Lyons. Inspired by Marjorie Stoneman Douglas’ legendary tract River of Grass, “Full Earth” examines the legacy of ecosystem tampering in Florida, weaving in references to 19th-century wildlife illustrations, Disney movies, and more. The show opens Monday, December 1, and runs through 2026. Marquez Art Projects, 2395 NW 21st Terr., 305-646-1125; marquezartprojects.com.
“Handle With Care” at Dalé Zine
The fine folks at Dalé Zine are joining forces with Shepard Fairey’s gallery, Subliminal Projects, for an LA x Miami linkup. “Handle With Care” features art from Fairey, famous for his Obama “Hope” poster, as well as locals Alejandra Moros and Lee Pivnik, Californians Jeffrey Cheung and Mario Ayala, and others. The show opens Monday, December 1. Dalé Zine, 50 NE 40th St., Miami; dalezineshop.com.
Winter 2025 Season at ICA Miami
The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, opens its entire winter exhibition slate on December 2. The main event is a comprehensive retrospective on late, underseen Brooklyn-born artist Joyce Pensato, who synthesized pop art iconography with abstract expressionism in her famous portraits of Mickey Mouse, Batman, and other cartoon characters. Another survey for Chicago modernist sculptor Richard Hunt is also planned, as are shows for German painter Andreas Schulze (solo U.S. museum debut) and Japanese ceramicist Masaomi Yasunaga. All four shows will conclude in March 2026. The museum will also debut a work by Igshaan Adams in the museum’s stairwell, on view through November 2026. Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, 61 NE 41st St., Miami; 305-901-5272; icamiami.org.
Miami Design District/Berkowitz Contemporary Foundation photo
“The Prelude,” Curated by Rashid Johnson in the Design District
Recently subject to a Guggenheim Museum retrospective and a beloved fixture of several Miami art collections, Rashid Johnson needs little introduction for tapped-in contemporary art lovers. During Miami Art Week this year, the renowned artist will step into the curator’s chair for a show in the Miami Design District titled “The Prelude,” selecting work from the collection of Miami-based Bruce Berkowitz and his Berkowitz Contemporary Foundation. Placing the artist’s work alongside heavy hitters of canonical modernism – Henry Moore, Alberto Giacometti, Cy Twombly – the show is indeed a “prelude” to BCF’s Longleaf Art Park in the Florida Panhandle, which will be centered around a monumental Richard Serra sculpture. The show opens Tuesday, December 2, and runs through early 2026. 151 NE 41st St., Ste. 133, Miami. miamidesigndistrict.com.
Kahlil Robert Irving / Connor Dolan at Tunnel Projects
Tunnel Projects is opening two shows during Miami Art Week. The scrappy subterranean art incubator is staging a solo exhibition by Kahlil Robert Irving, whose work has been collected by the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Centered around a large ceramic relief, “Smokescreen” features intimate paintings that explore the ways personal narratives and collective histories are built and obscured. Meanwhile, Tunnel resident Connor Dolan will show new work in the evocatively titled “Self Portrait With Two Deceased Siblings,” which will be staged at Touché Boutique. Both presentations open Tuesday, December 2, and run through Saturday, January 3, 2026. Tunnel Projects, 308 SW 12th Ave., Miami; tunnelprojects.com.
Morgan Leigh at Queue Gallery
Queue Gallery in Downtown Miami will wrap up its first year with a show from Phoenix, Arizona-based Morgan Leigh. “Teething” will showcase the artist’s sculptural works, made from fabric, foam, and even snakeskin, tied and bound in interesting shapes, some of which incorporate actual sand from the deserts that Leigh uses as a source of inspiration. The show opens Wednesday, December 3 and runs through January 17. Queue Gallery, 212 N. Miami Ave., Miami; queuegallery.net
