Just a short distance from South Beach, the Design District is home to some of the city’s top-rated restaurants and a number of bohemian bars, but on the second Saturday of every month, just a few blocks south, the Wynwood Arts Community kicks out all the stops and celebrates Wynwood Art Walk which features the latest in modern art, unorthodox live performances and huge graffiti installations on warehouses and abandoned buildings.

Some of Miami’s most talented artists have reclaimed parts of the city where few dared to tread and in doing so, created a brand new frontier in contemporary art. Located between North Miami Avenue and NW Second Avenue from 20th -36th Streets, this district hosts a night time community art gathering from 7-10pm that is truly vibrant and inspiring.

Showcasing over 60 galleries, the once monthly art walk is an ideal way to explore Miami’s hip new arts district. Art enthusiasts who want to check out what’s happening in visual art, painting, sculpture and photography can wander the streets of the area just east of I-95 and discover Kunsthaus Miami, Spinello Gallery, Lyle O. Reitzel Gallery, PanAmerican Art Projects, Fredric Snitzer Gallery, Dorsch Gallery, Locust Projects, Kevin Bruk Gallery, Ambrosino Gallery, and Luis Adelantado Miami. For shoppers, there is an artsy plant gallery combining contemporaty sculpture with small plants called Plant the Future and a unique museum-style gift shop called Elemental. Vintage housewares and period furniture are on sale at the popular consignment shop Las Tias.

If the sheer number of important art objects seems daunting, there are a bunch of cool new bars and restaurants to discover en route including Wynwood Kitchen and Bar, Lester’s, Wood Tavern and Joey’s Italian Cafe. Quirky and casual, these restaurants cater to the local hipster crowd but can get pretty crowded on weekends. To add to the appetizing excitement on Art Walk nights, around 30 of Miami’s Gourmet Food Trucks line up in a field at the corner of NW 23 Street and NW Second Avenue offering a unique variety of budget-friendly ethnic foods and homemade sweets to tempt even the most finicky art fan.

To explore the art scene in a truly unique way, join The Miami Bike Scene (.com) and tour the Wynwood district on wheels. This hale and hearty group of adult riders gathers in downtown Miami to explore the city’s art scene or simply cruise a few happy hours at local bars as a group. A recent Wynwood ride attracted around 70 interested riders who toured the graffiti walls around the district on a leisurely 2 hour guided ride. To get the most updated information on local rides, simply join Miami Critical Mass on Facebook.

While the Wynwood District sometimes seems a little dangerous, the crowds that gather on Art Walk weekends make Miami’s frontier neighborhood seem safe, edgy and fun. Join in April 14, May 12, June 9, July 14, August 11, September 8, October 13, November 10 and December 8, 2012.

Here are some of our favorite haunts:

Wynwood Kitchen & Bar
2250 NW Second Avenue

Lester’s
2519 NW Second Avenue

Cafeina Lounge
297 NW 23 Street

Joey’s Wynwood
2506 NW Second Avenue

Wood Tavern
2531 NW Second Avenue

JimmyZ Kitchen Wynwood
2700 North Miami Avenue

Elemental
2399 NW Second Avenue

Follow Furniture
80 NE 29 Avenue

Las Tias Consignment
2834 North Miami Avenue

Plant the Future
2511 NW Second Avenue

Primary Flight
4141 NE Second Avenue

Miguel Paredes Fine Art Gallery
173 NW 23 Street

Diana Lowenstein Fine Arts
2043 North Miami Avenue

Atelier 1022 Studio & Fine Art Gallery
2732 NW Second Avenue

Artformz Alternative
171 NW 23 Street

AE District
3852 North Miami Avenue

Buena Vista Building Space
180 NE 39 Street

Maor Gallery
3030 NE Second Avenue

Butter Gallery
2303 NW Second Avenue

Dorsch Gallery
151 NW 24 Street

Artseen Gallery
2215 NW Second Avenue

Dina Mitriani
2620 NW Second Avenue

Nina Torres
2033 NW First Place

Calix Gustav Gallery
98 NW 29 Street

Wynwood History
Wynwood wasn’t always the hotbed of artistic innovation that it is today. Years ago it was an apparel and warehouse district next to a massive train yard, which is now the colossal Mid-Town complex. As rail shipping disappeared, the area became blighted, and just a few years ago walking through Wynwood at night would’ve been inviting danger at worst, and extremely boring, at least.

Resurgence of the arts in the Miami area actually started in Miami Beach, but as real estate prices increased dramatically, most artists and galleries moved to the mainland around 40th Street and North Miami Avenue where the Design District was born. As this area also became gentrified, prices again became too expensive to support most galleries, and the bleeding edge arts community slowly migrated south to the old, blighted warehouse district where rents were low and ceilings were high.

Art Walk Genesis
Years before Wynwood became known, David Lombardi, principle of Lombardi Properties and area investor, had the idea of doing an arts party at his Wynwood properties to promote the arts and to increase the value of his buildings. These were called Roving Fridays and were one of the inspirations for the eventual Wynwood Art Walks.

The Design District had been doing a walk for a few years, though it had slowed down by that time. But, as more galleries moved into Wynwood, they soon put together their own art walk. Originally, it was on the first Saturdays of the month, but at some point it was decided to combine both the Design District and the Wynwood Art Walk onto the same night, and Second Saturdays was born.

In the early days of the Wynwood walk only a few of us brave souls who made it over. You could see maybe a dozen people on the street furtively hurrying from one of the half dozen or so galleries to the next. The streets were dark and the police presence was nonexistent, but even then, people began to realized what was happening and saw the potential. Back then, it was kind of scary getting from one gallery to the next. Not so much, anymore.

Galleries
Today, the Wynwood district is filled with a shifting myriad of galleries. Many of them come and go faster than even the nightclubs over in South Beach, but some have flourished by presenting an interesting array of artistic works. Today, hundreds of people jam the galleries and enjoy the creative vigor flowing through the area. Of course, many attempt to enjoy the free alcohol, as well.

Wynwood galleries represent a broad array of artistic styles and statements, so it’s difficult to make specific recommendations—what one person finds intellectually stimulating, another may find completely bourgeois.

The two oldest galleries in Wynwood are Bernice Steinbaum and Damien B Art Center. Frederic Snitzer and Kevin Bruk are also well established, and all have spent the last few years bringing thought-provoking art to Miami.

The Harold Golen Gallery has suffered through some setbacks, but is tops when it comes to pop art. A couple of new spaces that have emerged and are pushing the northern boundary of the district are PanAmerican ArtProjects and MAC Art Group. Pushing aesthetic, rather than geographical, boundaries are Artformz Alternatives and Hardcore Art Contemporary Space. Numerous other galleries bring their own sensibility, to the mix.

A little bit off the beaten path, and always with plenty of food and beverage on hand, is Edge Zones. This is a different kind of space that seems to cater primarily to young, up and coming artists. It is definitely worth the trek across Miami Avenue to see what they are up to.

During Art Walk most of the galleries provide complimentary alcohol and perhaps snacks to enhance your experience. Get there early if you wish to partake, though, because with the size of the crowds these days, the goodies sometimes runs out fast. Follow the crowd’s energy and let yourself be entertained.

Design District
The Design District is a little older than Wynwood and significantly more staid and stodgy. It has been extensively renovated and is far less sketchy. Most of the businesses there are in interior design, though a lot of those do dabble in art. Most notable  in the Design District is the long-running Art Fusion Galleries. They usually host live music and have a good supply of wine on hand, as well as a wide variety of interesting art to take in.

A newcomer to the Design District, and bringing a lot of enthusiasm with it, is AE District. With a large, open space, they display some truly remarkable works and often have live music.

Wolfgang Roth is also relatively new to the area and seems to specialize in more high-end fine art. There you’ll find a more sedate crowd and some very appealing works. Many of the design houses are open during the walk, as well. CityLoftArt and Luminaire Lab are two you’ll want to catch.

Two more interesting additions to the Design District are Locust Projects and Spinello Gallery. Locust Projects is a non-profit space dedicated to presenting avant-garde installations. (Locust was originally in Wynwood, but has moved up to the Design District.)

Spinello is a genius gallerist whose exhibits always generate great excitement as well as good sales. He too was originally located in Wynwood. Neither seem to fit in with the more sober sensibility of the Design District, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

And do not forget to stop by the Cabana Cachaca lounge for all the free alcohol you can stand in line for.

If you really want to get off the regular routes and see something surprising, there are two places you want to hit, O.H.W.O.W. (Our House West Of Wynwood) and the brand new Stash Gallery. Both definitely cater to the younger crowd and it shows. Both are recommended.

Dining Options
When art walks began a few years ago, they were relatively short, lasting maybe two or three hours. Now, they get going as early as 6:00pm and may go as late as midnight for some galleries. You are going to need all that time and more to see even a significant portion of all that’s available. With all that walking, you are likely to get hungry, as well, unless you can manage to snag enough free snacks before the hordes descend later in the evening.

Unfortunately, food is not easy to come by in the Wynwood district. Since it is still growing and expanding, only a few restaurants have taken the leap into the area. My recommendation is to start at the north end of Wynwood, on 36th Street, and eat at Lost and Found Saloon, really good, fresh food at reasonable prices.

From there you can hit Damien B and Bernice Steinbaum, both also on 36th, then stop by the Bakehouse Art Complex on 32nd Street on your drive down to the main part of Wynwood which is around 23rd Street. Bakehouse sometimes does a cookout, making it a fun way to support a deserving cause.

One of the restaurants that has really taken a bold step and moved into the heart of the Wynwood district is Joey’s, on the higher end of casual dining. The service is excellent and the food is very good.

If you get hungry later, but do not want to stop enjoying the art, visit the Fifi Gallery, where they’ve opened their own little cafe in the back yard of their gallery. The food is prepared by the owners and their friends, and it’s inexpensive and fun. Highly recommended.

If you’re in the mood to part with a little more case, the place for that is Michael’s Genuine which always gets high marks for food quality, but you do pay for it.

Nightlife
If you’re still ready to party after hours of traipsing all over the barrio, there are a few places that claim to have after parties for the art walks, but none of them are official, no matter what the flyers say. One interesting option is a new venue called Awarehouse. Part art gallery, part performance space, part empty, the nights here have been hit or miss so far, but once they establish themselves, things may start looking up. As it is, they generally have some interesting acts, free alcohol, and are smoke-free on the inside.

Wynwood Social Club is quite new, and it’s still unclear what it’s supposed to be. Usually $10.00 to get in and bring your own alcohol, they have a somewhat strange variety of live and semi-live music acts. The vibe is very laid back as you can relax on the couches or in the school desks. It’s right in the heart of the Wynwood district, so stick your head in as you walk by and see if it suits your taste.

The closest actual nightclub to the area is the Electric Pickle, which used to be Circa 28. They usually have a number of live artsy bands and DJ music after Art Walk. Aside from the ingrained smell of cigarette smoke, it’s a great place to go for an after party vibe.

The Vagabond (soon to be “Steam”), partly owned by Carmel Ophir who brought us the long-running Back Door Bamby for so many years is not quite into the mess that is downtown Miami and has a very cool vibe.

Wynwood is currently making the transition from blight to artistic innovation, and you can watch its progress, second Saturdays, every month during Art Walk.

(photos 1,3 & 6: Joseph Brown  |  photos 2, 4 & 5: James Echols)