Wynwood Central Launches During Art Basel with Unveiling of The Artist Collective (Photos)

The development of retail space in Wynwood is inevitable. Of course, nothing would spark more outrage than the presence of say, a Victoria’s Secret (or perhaps a Ducati dealership) smack dab in the center of Miami’s art and cultural hub, but when a development project is placed in the right hands, the neighborhood’s expansion isn’t such an awful thing. In fact, it can be dare we say, exciting?

Wynwood Central, Wynwood’s first ground-up, mixed-use development project is slated to open in 2015, just north of Panther Coffee. While the community space will serve as somewhat of a mall, with shops, offices, and plenty of residential, rooftop, and green space, it will also serve as the future home and work space of the city’s creative community and burgeoning start-up entrepreneurs.

According to a press release, the development is “inspired by a team of locals with a deep appreciation for Wynwood’s creative history and impact and will reflect the authentic, artistic, and independent spirit of the neighborhood.”

Wynwood Central launched this week in time for Art Basel and in true Wynwood spirit, the focus right now is all on the art. In honor of the launch, a team of 11 local street artists are currently working to transform the area surrounding the perimeter of the future site into their own works of art.

The Wynwood Central Artist Collective includes artwork by Daniel Fila (aka KRAVE), Ruben Ubiera, Monz, Kazilla, Eddie Mendieta, Jay Bellichi, Rei Ramirez, Phil Fung, and Arnaud Pages. Yuval Ofir of Yo Miami is a producer of the event.

All week long, visitors can stop by the site and see the artists working on their murals. The official unveiling is going down on Thursday, December 5, and is free and open to the public.

Here’s a look at some of the artists at work:

The unveiling of The Wynwood Central Artist Collective will take place on Thursday, December 5, between 24 and 25 Street, just west of NW 2nd Avenue (north of Panther Coffee) from 6 to 8 p.m.

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