ART EXPLOSION

The Art People are descending on Miami. You know them by their dark apparel and weird glasses. Local artists have been up all night preparing for their arrival for Miami's Art Week.

First there's Design Miami, Art Miami, then the biggie, Art Basel. The Art Week menu is too long. Some run away because there's too much art. Francesca and I try sipping it in small doses.

-On Tuesday we'll be at the grand opening of Wynwood Walls (see previous blog). It's free and open to the public from 9 to 11.

-Design Miami opens on Wednesday in a giant tent on Miami Beach. $25 gets you in the door.

-Art Basel begins its four-day run in the Beach's Convention Center. It costs forty big ones but if your name is actually "Art Basel", you might get a discount.

There are a zillion galleries in the Design district, Wynwood, and on the

Beach showing their wares for free. Thy'll be open every day of the next week. Satellite fair art tents ("Art Miami", "Red Dot" and "Pulse"), dot the Wynwood landscape as well.

We wandered into the DotFiftyOne Gallery last week because we were lost.

The one person inside was so happy to see us we pretended we had come there on purpose. After taking a few token stares then notice the art on the walls was rather fantastic.

That one person in the red shoes was the artist

Gonzalo Fuenmayor. The Colombian had created this roomful of large drawings with just his eye, hand, and charcoal. He told us each takes a month to complete.

How rare it is to see the results of an artist's hand moving in such delicate ways.

We chatted with the young man for some time then promised we'd tell you about his show.

Gonzalo and his drawings are located at 51 NW 36 Street, blocks away from the craziness of Art Week.

For more information go to www.MiamiHerald.com/artbasel.