Peter James Yanowitch is a Coral Gables, Florida-based attorney who has spent nearly four decades representing entrepreneurs and ultra-high-net-worth families in domestic and international law, family law, commercial transactions, and business law. As founder of Yanowitch & Co. LLP, he leads a full-service boutique practice handling commercial litigation, corporate matters, and real estate transactions for clients across South Florida and abroad, including developers such as RAS Development, LLC. Yanowitch began his legal career at the Miami firm Sams, Gerstein & Ward before later founding his own practice in 1995, and he holds a Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law. An amateur and professional race car driver, he also built a motorsports client list that included Formula 1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi and Miami Grand Prix founder Ralph Sanchez, work that has kept him closely connected to South Florida’s broader cultural and entertainment landscape, including the city’s thriving art community.
Miami is one of America’s most bustling and lively art cities. The city’s art scene revolves around Art Basel Miami Beach, a global arts event held annually in December.
During the event, Miami becomes the busiest art marketplace in the Western Hemisphere. However important, Art Basel is just one element of Miami’s year-round art scene, which consists of a vibrant network of galleries and many of the world’s finest private collections.
Of course, no exploration of the Miami art scene would be complete without looking to the main event. The heart of Art Basel Miami Beach takes place each year at the Miami Beach Convention Center, bringing together nearly 300 galleries from almost 40 nations.
The event shows off works from a diversity of artists, ranging from renowned masters to up-and-coming talents. Art Basel’s VIP preview ranks as the single most impactful networking opportunity for artists and dealers in the Western Hemisphere.
Collectors, museum directors, and curators also negotiate a myriad of six and seven-figure acquisitions. The activity is not limited to the convention center, as satellite fairs and exhibitions pop up throughout the city.
Over the years, several recurring events have taken root, including the New Art Dealers Alliance emerging galleries showcase at Ice Palace Studios and Untitled Art on the beach, one of the week’s unique viewing experiences. In addition, Design Miami has expanded the scope of Art Basel by introducing collectible designs and furniture to the event.
Art Basel week also creates an extensive social calendar for artists, collectors, dealers, and cultural institutions. One of the highlight is the Gagosian dinner at Mr. Chow and brand-hosted gatherings connected to Prada, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton.
The Rubell Museum’s opening-night party is also described as one of the week’s anticipated events, combining art-world networking with Miami’s trendy social scene. Located at 1100 NW 23rd Street, the Rubell Museum is one of the best indicators that Miami’s art scene thrives both before and after Art Basel.
The 100,000-square-foot facility stores the Don and Mera Rubell collection, one of the world’s most impressive private contemporary art collections. In addition to the influential opening night party, the museum supports rotating exhibitions throughout the year.
Meanwhile, Wynwood serves as one of Miami’s most visible art districts. Once known largely as a warehouse area, the neighborhood has become closely associated with street art, galleries, and cultural attractions.
Wynwood Walls, which opened in 2009, is a major outdoor street-art museum. The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse adds sculpture, photography, video, and installation art, while Superblue Miami represents the city’s immersive art scene through large-scale installations and participatory experiences.
Wynwood is complemented by the Design District. Built around the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), the district regularly offers museum-level exhibitions at no cost.
Blocks away toward Downtown Miami is the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) in Museum Park.
Miami’s dedicated community of art collectors has resulted in extensive spaces dedicated to private viewing, several of which rival the city’s public museums. Art lovers can often view these private collections, though typically by appointment only.
Other private collections, such as the de la Cruz Collection in the Design District, are free and available for public viewing.
Once inseparable from Art Basel, the Miami art calendar is now a year-round affair, with monthly gallery openings, quarterly exhibitions at ICA and PAMM, and countless pop-up shows throughout the city, indicative of an art-loving community that has evolved past the fair model and developed a creative scene built to endure.
About Peter James Yanowitch
Peter James Yanowitch is a Coral Gables, Florida-based attorney and founder of Yanowitch & Co. LLP, where he has represented entrepreneurs, family businesses, and ultra-high-net-worth clients in commercial litigation, corporate, and real estate matters for nearly four decades. A Syracuse University College of Law graduate, he began his career at the Miami firm Sams, Gerstein & Ward before founding his own practice in 1995. He has also built a notable career in motorsports, representing figures such as Emerson Fittipaldi and Ralph Sanchez.
