Art for All: Here's the Public Art on View During Miami Art Week

Miami Art Week offers an overwhelming array of crafts, but its selection isn't reserved for well-heeled art collectors. Plenty of art installations are accessible to anyone who might happen to walk by, staged right out in the open.

So, if you're in the mood to take a walk and see what Miami Art Week has in store, here are some options.

The Great Elephant Migration

A herd of elephants paraded into town slightly ahead of Miami Art Week, taking up residence on Miami Beach. The Great Elephant Migration will be on display through Sunday, December 8, and consists of 100 life-size sculptures of elephants, ranging from full-sized bulls to little calves. The elephants are made of an invasive weed called Lantana camara, sculpted by artisans with the Real Elephant Collective, the organization behind the installation. Naturally, the touring installation is meant to deliver a message on the importance of conservation, with proceeds from the sales of the sculptures going directly to the support of NGOs worldwide. Each elephant is paired with a specific organization, most dedicated to furthering better human-wildlife coexistence. The installation is part of "Star Compass," a series of three beachside public art installations set to debut during Art Week. On view through Sunday, December 8, at Miami Beach between 35th and 36th streets; thegreatelephantmigration.org.

Miami Reef Star

Joining The Great Elephant Migration on the Miami Beach shoreline as the final piece of "Star Compass" is Carlos Betancourt's Miami Reef Star, a 60-foot sculptural installation that features 46 stars of various shapes and sizes that form the basis of a larger star themselves. The sculpture is a collaboration with architect Alberto Latorre and serves as a prototype for Betancourt's future contribution to the ReefLine, a future seven-mile underwater public sculpture park. The ReefLine will feature works with environmental themes and practical functions, helping provide a habitat for endangered species that rely on dying coral reefs and potentially protecting South Beach's eroded shoreline. Betancourt's eventual contribution to the project will be about 90 feet long and visible from airplanes flying overhead. On view through Sunday, December 8, at Miami Beach between 36th and 37th streets; thereefline.org.

No Vacancy

No Vacancy, a juried art competition put on in part by the City of Miami Beach, has returned for its fifth edition, installing works by 12 artists and collectives at local hotels. The project is meant to encourage the public to view Miami Beach's famous hotels as art destinations rather than vehicles for tourism. No Vacancy kicked off November 14 but will run well through Miami Art Week, with works on display through December 12. Many participating artists put up works that interact with Miami's unique cultural and environmental fabric, such as Magnus Sodami's Reflections of Florida Wild at the Faena Hotel Miami Beach, Patricia Cooke's Anodyne at the Sherry Frontenac Hotel, and Josh Aronson's Florida Boys at the Catalina Hotel & Beach Club. On view through Thursday, December 12, at locations throughout Miami Beach; mbartsandculture.org/no-vacancy.

Sundial Spectrum

For the seventh installment of Elevate Española, a temporary public art program launched by the City of Miami Beach in 2022, Miami-born artist Jen Stark will present Sundial Spectrum, which will bathe pedestrians in kaleidoscopic layers of color. The work comprises 13 panels made from clear acrylic sheets layered with transparent vinyl. As the sunlight filters through them, pedestrians will be dazzled by hypnotic patterns of multicolored light. On view through February 9, 2025, at Española Way, between Washington Avenue and Collins Court; mbartsandculture.org.

Voile/Toile - Toile/Voile

Daniel Buren's Voile/Toile—Toile/Voile, the second component of "Star Compass," acts as the aquatic counterpart to The Great Elephant Migration. The installation, originally presented in 1975, consists of two parts. First, nine Sunfish sailboats adorned with Buren's custom striped sails raced in a regatta on Monday, followed by the later exhibition of the sails as paintings. The sails will eventually be displayed in the order in which the boats complete the race.

XO World

Lincoln Road has prepped for Art Week in its own way by unveiling two monumental sculptures for passersby to enjoy. Daniel Anderson's monumental XO World, a 12-foot-tall, 24-foot-long sculpture that towers above viewers, is inspired by the worldwide game of jacks. Anderson explains that the sculpture is meant to inspire unity, love, and peace. The statue's unveiling marks its Florida debut, as it was originally displayed at the One World Trade Center. Also displayed is Rubem Robierb's Dream Machine, an interactive sculpture of massive butterfly wings. The art invites audience members to position themselves with the wings at their back — and make a wish. On view through June 2025, on Lincoln Road; lincolnroad.com.