Miami Beach's Art Basel, one of South Florida's major yearly events, has canceled this year's fair due to uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.
"Given the current situation regarding the pandemic’s impact, which spans from South Florida to other parts of the country and the world; limitations and uncertainty about the staging of large-scale events; international travel restrictions and bans, as well as quarantine regulations within the United States and internationally, alongside other factors, Art Basel has no other option but to cancel the 2020 edition of Art Basel in Miami Beach," the organization said in a statement Wednesday.
Art Basel was set to take place Dec. 3 to Dec. 6 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The next edition of Art Basel in Miami Beach will take place from Dec. 2 to Dec. 5, 2021.
Galleries selected for Art Basel in Miami Beach 2020 will not be charged any participation/booth fees for the December show and application fees will be rolled over to 2021 for accepted galleries.
"It is with great regret and disappointment that we announce the cancellation of our December show in Miami Beach, as we know how crucial our show is for our galleries, as well as for the greater Miami arts community and economy," Art Basel's Noah Horowitz said in a statement.
Art Basel, part of Miami Art Week, is a major event for South Florida's tourism industry, attracting some of the best artists and galleries from around the globe for a star-studded week of fairs, events, pop-up parties and more.
Local
Later Wednesday, it was announced that other Art Week fairs, including Art Miami, CONTEXT Art Miami and Aqua Art Miami, would also be canceled in 2020.
