Art Basel by bicycle.
The art world has descended upon Miami this week. Last year, 50,000 people attended Miami’s Art Basel event, a four-day contomperary arts fair showcasing Miami’s growing cultural scene. Not surprisingly, this wonderful event, which makes Miami buzz, is held in the most walkable neighborhoods in Florida: South Beach, Wynwood, the Design District, and Midtown. With the exception of buses, there is no public transit connecting these neighborhoods (there isn’t a no-transfer option connecting Wynwood/Midtown with SoBe). So the vast majority of those attending Art Basel must drive to the various exhibits. The effects of Miami-Dade County’s unwillingness to take public transit serious once again rears it’s ugly head. Traffic comes to a standstill.
The Trolley-bus is a temporary solution cobbled together by good intentions from the City of Miami and the DDA. But the truth is, providing meaningful, reliable transportation to these neighborhoods shouldn’t be a local affair, Miami Dade Transit, our regional transit provider should be equipped to handle such a meaningful event. Moreover, the regular service in the area shouldn’t be such an abomination to begin with!
The lack of connectivity and the traffic woes between, Wynwood, the Design District, and Midtown have not gone unnoticed by the cycling community. This year the Green Mobility Network is setting up of a free bicycle valet service at O Cinema. With demand for safe, secure bike parking outstripping supply, the Green Mobility Network has found an opportunity to provide a much needed service. Hopefully, this will encourage more people to ride to Art Basel if there is a secure place to park their bicycle.
ARTcycle is an art event created to raise awareness for riders and drivers by promoting wellness and safer streets through an active lifestyle and the arts. ARTcycle’s first event will work with renowned sponsored artists who will use 15 bicycless as their canvas. Bikes will then be auctioned to raise funds and support Green Mobility Network’s Safe Streets Miami program. Both initiatives are co-sponsored by StreetEasy.
DecoBike has also gotten into the mix and they have put up temporary bike stations in Wynwood, Midtown, and the Design District. The distance between Midtown and Wywood is too far to walk for many people, but comfortable enough to bike to. Deco Bike clearly understands that there is a demand for short-haul transit during Art Basel in this neighborhood and are capitalizing on Miami Dade Transit’s inability to provide quality public transit in the this booming neighborhood. Decobike also has a partnership with Heineken. You can find out more about the Heineken Mural Project at themiamibikescene.com
A temporary DecoBike station in Wynwood in front of Wood Tavern.
Regardless of all the efforts by these various modal groups; Midtown, Design District, and Miami Beach are ripe for longer-term, meaningful transportation. The elephant in the paragraphs above, Miami-Dade Transit, is visibly absent and seemingly ill-equipped to address the needs of these burgeoning neighborhoods (Note: the eerie silence of MDT’s news feed; you can’t tell us the most recent transit update is a 3x weekly service from 8-5 in Cutler Bay, a local service not unlike Miami’s Trolley, mind you). What Art Basel long ago realized and what Miami fails to see for 51 weeks of the year, is that the “sexiness” of these neighborhoods is derived from the urban settings and spaces which comprise them.
For more information about ArtCycle and events related to biking during Art Basel please see below:
ARTcycle art bikes will be exhibited during Art Basel days, December 7-9, 2012 in 11 locations throughout Wynwood. Visitors may see all the art bikes any day, all day long or they may enjoy a bicycle ARTcycle bike tour sponsored by and departing from Fountain Art Fair – 2505 N. Miami Ave December 7th, 8th, and 9th at noon.
ARTcycle Exhibiting Artists + locations:
Johanna Boccardo + Erwin Georgi at Wood Tavern
Mariano Costa-Peuser at Cafeina | Wynwood Exhibition Center
Giselle Delgado Buraye at Kayu | Respondé
Elio Diaz Jr. (Elito) at Wood Tavern sponsored by Mack Cycle
Katy Stalfus at Fountain
Astolfo Funes at Elemental
Katiuska Gonzalez at Fountain
Lucinda Linderman at Miami’s Independent Thinkers | Armory
Nancy Martini at Gab Studios sponsored by All4Cycling
Janet Mueller at 004 Connec | Graffe Cafe
Maximiliano Pecce at Cafeina | Wynwood Exhibition Center
Sri Prabha at Giraffas Brazilian Steaks & Burgers
Gioconda Rojas at O Cinema
Aida Tejada at O Cinema
EVENTS:
Thursday, December 6th: Happy Hour at Wood Tavern 5-9pm
Art Bike: Elio Diaz Jr. (Elito), sponsored by Mack Cycle
Art Bike: Johanna Boccardo + Erwin Georgi
Friday, December 7th: ARTcycle Bike Tour 12 noon
Visit all the 15 Art Bikes
Register at Fountain Art Fair Green Lounge
Bike Support by ALL4Cycling, Miami Pace and 305 Green
Refreshments and snacks by ZICO and Kind Bars
Graffiti bicycle tour with Street.Art.Cycle and The Miami Bike Scene
Saturday, December 8th: ARTcycle Bike Tour 12 noon
Visit all the 15 Art Bikes + Wynwood walls
Register at Fountain Art Fair Green Lounge
Bike Support by ALL4Cycling, Miami Pace and 305 Green
Refreshments and snacks by ZICO and Kind Bars
Sunday, December 9th: ARTcycle Bike Tour 12 noon
Visit all the 15 Art Bikes
Register at Fountain Art Fair Green Lounge
Bike Support by ALL4Cycling, Miami Pace and 305 Green
Refreshments and snacks by ZICO and Kind Bars
December 7th, 8th & 9th: Bicycle Valet parking by Green Mobility Network
at O Cinema 9am-6pm
90 Northwest 29th Street
leave your bike & enjoy the art scene!
3 Responses to Art Basel or Art Bicycle?
Leave a Reply
Contact Us!
Planetizen- The Geography of America’s Industrial Renaissance May 25, 2013After a sharp decline during the recession, an industrial expansion is helping to drive job growth in many of America’s metropolitan areas. New analysis outlines the country’s best manufacturing ‘storylines’. […]
- America’s Top Arrested Developments, In Honor of Sunday's Season 4 Premiere May 25, 2013After a seven-year hiatus, Netflix is bringing back the critically acclaimed television series Arrested Development, and with it memories of the Great Recession. […]
- Forgotten Freight Demands Frighten Transportation Planners May 25, 2013While much of the current discussion in planning centers on decreasing road capacity to promote greater pedestrian mobility, Eric Jaffe wonders if we are thinking enough about the critical and complex task of moving freight. […]
- To Pop or Not? Hirshhorn 'Bubble' Puts Museum at a Crossroads May 25, 2013Designed by Diller Scofidio & Renfro, the Hirshhorn "Bubble" would cost $12.5 million and operate two months out of the year, creating performance and additional gallery space for the museum on the National Mall. If it actually gets built, that is. […]
- Government Report Blames City Officials and Factory Owner in Dhaka Collapse May 25, 2013Less than 24 hours after a structural engineer deemed the building unsafe, Sohel Rana ordered garment workers back on the job. […]
- Friday Funny: Pining for the Good Old Days of 'Slight' Gentrification May 24, 2013Do you treasure the good old days of $6 drafts, fancy drinks in Mason Jars, and less-snazzy Starbucks? Than you'll sympathize with Dan Hopper, who laments the changes to his neighborhood as 'slightly richer people' move in. […]
- Applying the Brakes to the Streetcar Revival May 24, 2013With Los Angeles, Charlotte, Washington D.C. and many more cities hoping on board, seats are filling up quickly on America's streetcar bandwagon. However, experts caution gung ho cities about unreal expectations for improving mobility. […]
- Dramatic Bridge Collapse Snarls Washington Traffic May 24, 2013Two cars plunged off the I-5 truss bridge, 60 miles north of Seattle, into the frigid Skagit River at the end of Thursday's commute, but no deaths nor serious injuries occurred. The likely cause appears to be a big-rig hitting the 58-year-old bridge. […]
- Can a Light Rail Stop Revive the Last African American Business Corridor in L.A.? May 24, 2013After years of discussions, arguments, and pleas, residents of the Leimert Park neighborhood in South Los Angeles won their battle for the creation of a local stop along a new light rail line soon to start construction. […]
- Why the NYC Bike Share Backlash Is a Good Thing May 24, 2013Paris, London, Copenhagen: all over the world, opponents have tried to put the brakes on bike-share programs. Then they fall in love. Is New York City next? The author of "Traffic" thinks so. […]
- The Geography of America’s Industrial Renaissance May 25, 2013
- Green Mobility Network
- An error has occurred, which probably means the feed is down. Try again later.
Thanks for explaining the opportunities for seeing Art Basel and art in Miami this weekend by bike, foot and public transportation…and the shortcomings.
A Metrorail extension from Government Center to Design District/Midtown would solve this.
Hopefully with the renewed interest to build the Tri-Rail line on the FEC with a proposed station there on NE 36th Street and 2nd Avenue, there will be greater pressure for MDT to expand the Metro there. Too much investment and population growth is going on in that area to not warrant it.
There was a plan for a street car from downtown to design district through midtown, and it would have run over to the health district as well. Hopefully the new rail line will be a good alternative.