Destination. Culture.

Art Basel Miami Beach has evolved over the past nine years into the art world's not-to-be-missed extravaganza and can now claim its rightful title of most prestigious art show in the Americas. This is thanks to the presence of hundreds of notable galleries from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa that work diligently to showcase the work of more than 2,000 artists from the previous and current centuries.

This year's Art Basel festivities will take place December 1-4, 2011. The central informational and gathering spot is the Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC), but a variety of events such as artist receptions, panel discussions, off-site installations, performances and special parties will extend beyond the MBCC into Miami, Coral Gables, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale; all extensions of Art Basel that are within close geographic proximity to the convention center and easy to access thanks to the area's convenient transportation options.

The magnitude of Art Basel, with its many beautiful, user-friendly venues and countless opportunities packed into a short amount of time, relies on an intricate planning process that takes into account everything from exhibition staging and the individual needs of invited galleries and artists to the careful and strategic design of viewing centers for art enthusiasts from around the world. The growing success of Art Basel, indeed, has been realized as a result of its attention to detail and its desire to consistently innovate and create a fresh, lively and memorable experience every year. Everything on the schedule, from public viewings and live performances to video installations and the introduction of works by cutting-edge newcomers to the art world, is conceived of and executed with the utmost care and consideration for the art and artist in question and for the attendee.

Hans-Peter Feldmann Aesthetic studies / 303 Gallery

As in years past, Art Basel's esteemed galleries highlight the widely respected and global nature of the event. This year's featured galleries include New York's 303 Gallery and Acquavella Galleries, the latter of which was founded in 1921; Galeria Juana de Aizpuru, which opened to widespread acclaim in 1973 in Seville, Spain, and in 1983 extended to a satellite gallery in Madrid; Gallery Chemould, founded in Bombay in 1963; the Gagosian Gallery; and the Galleria Continua. Thousands of artists and/or examples of their work will be given special consideration, among them Ernesto Neto, Richard Tuttle, Martin Jacobson, Joan Semmel, Diane Arbus, Tracy Emin, Daniel Libeskind, Damien Hirst and Banks Violette.

To commemorate its tenth year, Art Basel will unveil an exciting new collaboration with the Bass Museum of Art. This addition to the program will transform nearby Collins Park into a visually stunning outdoor sculpture park. The park will essentially be turned into an outdoor museum featuring 20 sculptures placed on a grassy field that descends gently toward the ocean.

New World Center

Overall, this year's calendar includes numerous noteworthy additions to an already inspiring and action-packed schedule. Of particular note is the presentation of "Art Video"at the Frank Gehry-designed New World Center, wherein videos will be projected onto a 7,000-square-foot outdoor projection wall.

For more information on the upcoming Art Basel celebration, please visit www.artbaselmiamibeach.com.