Here's Your Guide to Miami Art Shows in October 2024

I'll skip the preamble because there is simply too much going on this month to waste time. Miami's art season is officially in high gear, and barring any unfortunate weather-induced complications, you'll want to see all of it.

There are 16 shows this month, the most ever — don't let that scare you, even if it is getting close to Halloween. Here are the best art shows to see in Miami this October.

All presentations are listed in the order they opened. Unless otherwise noted, all listed events are free to attend and open to the public.

Thomas Bils and Alejandra Moros at Spinello Projects

Two of Miami's most renowned young artists have teamed up for a joint show at Spinello Projects. Thomas Bils, known for his photorealist paintings of bizarre everyday scenes, and Alejandra Moros, who paints neon-colored close-ups of skin, teeth, and other biomorphic matter, have combined forces for a "painting trade," in which the two artists riff on each others' stylistic tics. The gallery is also showing work by Scottish artist Damien Cifelli, who is making his U.S. debut with surreal portraits of a fictional race of blue-skinned people. Both shows opened on September 21. On view through October 26, at Spinello Projects, 2930 NW Seventh Ave., Miami; spinelloprojects.com. Open by appointment.

Alexandre Arrechea at LnS Gallery

A founder of the legendary Cuban art collective Los Carpinteros, Alexandre Arrechea is debuting at LnS Gallery in Coconut Grove with "Uncharted Surfaces," his first show focusing exclusively on painting. His canvases are flat and colorful, with figurative silhouettes cast into geometric landscapes full of symbolic imagery discussing the interrelation between humanity and nature. The show opened on October 4. On view through Saturday, November 23, at LnS Gallery, 2610 SW 28th Ln., Miami; 305-781-6164; lnsgallery.com.

"Three Monologues in Unison" at Central Fine

Thanks to a distinctive curatorial voice and critical institutional connections, Central Fine in Normandy Shores has emerged as one of the most quietly successful voices in the local art scene. Its current show features three of its anchor artists, all major painters living and working in Miami: Loriel Beltrán, Tomm El-Saieh, and Diego Singh. The trio have all developed a distinctive abstract painting style that engages with linguistics and diasporic identities, and their new show compares their separate approaches. The show opened on October 4. On view through Tuesday, November 12, at Central Fine, 1224-1226 Normandy Dr., Miami Beach; 786-899-0977; centralfine.com.

Joel Meyerowitz at NSU Art Museum

Not to be confused with the similarly named Noah Baumbach movie, Joel Meyerowitz emerged as an iconoclastic voice in photography in the mid-1960s. He famously advocated for the use of color photography as a means of serious artistry back when it was mainly relegated to commercial images. Celebrating a major gift of 1,800 works by the artist, NSU Art Museum in Fort Lauderdale has just opened "Temporal Aspects," a retrospective of Meyerowitz's pioneering work featuring plenty of images of Florida and street shots from across time and space. The show opened on October 4. On view through March 16, 2025, at NSU Art Museum, 1 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-525-5500; nsuartmuseum.org. Tickets cost $5 to $16; free for children 12 and under and members.

Melissa Wallen at Baker—Hall

Local artist Melissa Wallen's bewitching paintings take a bleary, surrealist approach to landscape painting. Following up on a show last year at Laundromat Art Space with this new series at upstart gallery Baker—Hall, her latest work, using pigments acquired from artisanal suppliers in France and Italy, deepens her otherworldly style in new and mysterious ways. You don't usually see this kind of pleasurable darkness in Miami's art scene, which makes shows like "Between Sleep and Sky" all the more welcome. The show opened on October 5. On view through Saturday, November 9, at Baker—Hall, 101 NW 79th St., Miami; bakerhall.art.

Connor Dolan at Tunnel

A Miami-born painter doing very interesting work, Connor Dolan just opened his show "Hot Wet American Painting" on October 5 at Little Havana's (literally) underground gallery Tunnel. While some of his paintings are more traditional, incorporating distinctive hues such as International Klein Blue, this series is all wet. Dolan has devised a way to create images using steam and water. It's actually pretty damn cool and will make you wonder how the hell he ever cooked up such an idea. On view through Monday, October 28 at Tunnel Projects, 300 SW 12th Ave., Miami; instagram.com/__tunnel. Open by appointment.

"Truth, Old Past" at Zilberman

Artists from the U.S., Turkey, Venezuela, Macedonia, Guatemala, Bulgaria, Cuba, Egypt, and other far-flung places feature in this group show at Zilberman Gallery in the Design District. Curated by Untitled Art Fair's Omar Lopez-Chahoud, "Truth, Old Past" aims to showcase visions of a utopian future by digging into past traditions and features work in various mediums. The show opened on October 5. On view through January 17, 2025, at Zilberman Miami, 25 NE 39th St., Miami; 305-603-7763; zilbermangallery.com.

"Pulso" at Tomas Redrado Art

I featured local artist Marianna Angel's impressive video work in a recent column, and she's joining Argentine-born Guadalupe Reyna for a duo show focusing on the female body. Pairing Angel's diaristic collage pieces with paintings by Reyna emphasizing vibrant color and de-individualized depictions of feminine figuration, the show interrogates topics such as sexualization, bodily autonomy, and identity. The show opened on October 5. On view through October 26 at Tomas Redrado Art, 224 NW 71st St., Miami; 561-765-0695; tomasredrado.com.

"We Got the Power" at the CAMP Gallery

The CAMP Gallery in North Miami has always been a staunch supporter of fiber art, putting on an annual showcase of female-identifying artists every fall. This year, they've brought together a jaw-dropping 77 artists for "We Got The Power: Women Pulling at the Threads of Social Discourse," perhaps alluding to the possibility that a woman may soon hold the nation's highest office. With a concept incorporating the Ancient Greek play Lysistrata, Aristophanes' comedy in which the women of Athens and Sparta withhold sex from their husbands in order to put an end to the Peloponnesian War, the show will be reconfigured throughout its run as works are swapped out. Opening Friday, October 11, at the CAMP Gallery, 791-793 NE 125th St., 786-953-8807; thecampgallery.com.

"Mujeres" at Homework Gallery

Originally scheduled to debut in May but postponed due to a personal matter for the gallerists, "Mujeres" marks the formerly nomadic Homework Gallery's debut in a new, permanent space in Little River. As the name suggests, the show features art in several mediums by 11 women artists and aims to address systemic imbalances in the traditionally male-dominated art world. Participants include Manuela Corji, Patricia Encarnacion, Brigette Hoffman, Diana Eusebio, Beth Rhodes, and Julia Zurilla. Opens Thursday, October 17, at homework gallery, 7338 NW Miami Ct., Miami; homework.gallery.

Lee Pivnik at Dale Zine

Is there any possibility of futurism in a place like Florida? Local artist Lee Pivnik seems to think so, which is why his upcoming show at Dale Zine, "Chimeras," envisions a Sunshine State six decades in the future, in which a sunken Miami wrecked by hurricanes has been claimed by a group of animalistic queer dissidents fighting an oppressive regime. Similar to Afro-futurist projects like Drexciya, Pivnik's vision of the future goes beyond the medium's limitations and tells a story that's both outré and relatable. Opens Thursday, October 17, at Dale Zine, 50 NE 40th St., Miami; dalezineshop.com.

Roxana Barba at Mad Arts

Performance artist Roxana Barba will premiere her Knight New Work presentation, "In my center, a cyborg seed," at the immersive and digital art museum Mad Arts in Dania starting October 18. The multidisciplinary work uses tech such as motion tracking, 3D animation, and audio-reactive visuals to present a meditation on our relationship with technology. 8 p.m. Friday, October 18, and Saturday, October 19, at Mad Arts, 481 Federal Hwy., Dania Beach; 754-239-0707; yeswearemadarts.com. Tickets cost $30 via simpletix.com and include museum admission.

Dan Wickerham and Malcolm Lomax at KDR

Creating a unique aesthetic from digital detritus, the Baltimore-based artist duo of Wickerham and Lomax has applied their wild, maximalist style to paintings, sculptures, and projects for brands like Maison Margiela and Artforum magazine. Their upcoming show at KDR promises to be "nothing short of boring," according to the gallery, and given the dealer's recent track record, we're inclined to believe them. Opens Friday, October 18, at KDR, 790 NW 22nd St., Miami; 305-392-0416; kdr305.com.

Grand Opening Show at Stanek Gallery

Unlike our frequently stormy weather in the so-called "Sunshine State," I've been assured that it's always sunny in Philadelphia. And the fine folks of the City of Brotherly Love certainly have unique interpretations of what art is and can be. Okay, jokes aside, Philly is a pretty cool city, and one of its art spaces, the female-owned and run Stanek Gallery, is opening up a branch in Little River. They aim to bring in artists from their home base in Pennsylvania, as well as from around the country and Europe, adding a new voice to the already diverse Miami art scene – a voice that calls everything a "jawn," for some reason. Opens Saturday, October 19, at Stanek Gallery, 8375 NE Second Ave., Miami; 305-713-9545; stanekgallery.com.

Minjae Kim and Luz Carabaño at Nina Johnson

Two new shows will debut at the sprawling Nina Johnson gallery compound on October 24. In the upstairs gallery, Korean-American artist Minjae Kim will debut new work inspired by his heritage, particularly his father's upbringing in the South Korean port city of Busan. Venezuelan-born Luz Carabaño, meanwhile, will show a group of diminutive oil paintings featuring pale colors in a show titled "Iluminaciones" in the main gallery. Opens Thursday, October 24, at Nina Johnson, 6315 NW Second Ave., Miami; 305-571-2288; ninajohnson.com.

Studio Lemercier's "Lightfall" at Superblue

A new experience at Superblue is always news, and this year, the "experiential art" company is bringing in the Brussels-based Studio Lemercier to create "Lightfall," a sensuous new work incorporating light and mist. They've also teamed with the Mexican musician Murcof, who created an ambient score to go along with the new display. The new work joins existing displays by teamLab, Es Devlin, and James Turrell. Opens Monday, October 28, at Superblue, 1101 NW 23rd St., Miami; 786-697-3405; superblue.com. Tickets cost $32 for adults, $29 for Florida residents and students, and $14 for children ages 3 to 12.