New LGBTQ+ Art Fair Features Tea Dances, Pool Parties

Art Basel, Art N Folly, and EqualPride have teamed together to present “Iridescent,” a new LGBTQ+ curated art fair that breaks the mold of traditional art events. Iridescent LGBTQ+ Art Fair brings together a diversity of artists and a cross-section of sexual orientations, allowing them to explore identity through art. Iridescent takes place this weekend, December 2-4, at the ‘hetero-friendly’ Axel Beach Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased at the Iridescent website.

This is not your ordinary art fair. Iridescent will feature afternoon tea dances and pool parties for guests, allowing them to lounge amidst LGBTQ+ culture and art instead of just walking through and looking at the exhibits. The tea dances will commence at noon, and guests can enjoy brunch and drink Tito’s handmade vodka poolside.

“There is a vacuum in the traditional gallery systems where LGBTQ artists and their works fall under the premise of niche and worse folk art, and on the odd occasion that there is an exhibition underscoring the community it lends itself to lasciviousness and hyper-sexuality,” Valeray Francisco, Chief Curator of Art N Folly, tells Out Traveler. “This needed to be addressed and from that thought process came Iridescent Art Fair.

Iridescent Art Fair is proud to be featuring the talents of Felipe Chavez, Stuart Sandford, Sebastian Gutierrez, Steven Rudin, Maero Rodriguez, David Jester, 131, Merrc, Natasha Kertes, Ahole Sniff Glue, Morel Doucet, and Yu Yu.

While Iridescent is an LGBTQ+ art fair it is also inclusive, with straight and LGBTQ artists using their art to raise funds for two special nonprofits: Fire Islands Pines artist and the Second Rainbow Quest.

This will be the first LGBTQ+ art fair for Art Basel, and Francisco is confident of the talent on display and in the area.

“There exist talented blue-chip and emerging artists whose works will kick off the first Iridescent Art Fair,” Francisco says.

The Iridescent LGBTQ+ Art Fair takes place December 2-4 at the Axel Beach Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida. For more information, please visit the event website (www.squadup.com/hosts/7248992/events).