The Coconut Grove Arts Festival is really just another excuse to party. For three straight days, the eponymous waterfront neighborhood becomes a wild street parade of artists and art aficionados from around the world—and they’re all chasing a good time. “Early on, Coconut Grove was known as a laid-back, artistic, bohemian community with lots of galleries; but with so many artists, we needed three days to celebrate,” says festival president Monty Trainer. A couple of the area’s recurring participants include KROMA, a communal art space in West Grove, and FrameWorks, the festival’s longtime official framer (and pop-up exhibition space).
Spectacle aside, the centerpiece of the weekend is the 360 exhibiting artists’ original work—from paintings to photographs to jewelry to sculpture. This year, 45 Miami artists (up from 41 in 2016) are expected to showcase their talents, including Linda Apriletti, who’s known for her oil paintings of the Florida Everglades, as well as newcomer Yeins Gomez, whose haunting welded-steel sculptures earned him a spot in the Havana Biennial Art Exhibition.
Another highlight? Spanish-language celebrity chef Pepín plans to break a Guinness World Record for the largest arroz con pollo by cooking his own 4,000-pound dish. Sounds like a work of art to us!
Entrances at McFarlane Rd, Mary St, SW 27th Ave and S Bayshore Dr (305-447-0401). Feb 18–20 10am–6pm. $15; under 12 free.
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