In a discussion at Art Basel 2007, Massimiliano Gioni, the curator at the New Museum of Contemporary Art, referred to Art Basel Miami Beach as the “fake Art Basel.” Dioni seems to be alone in his thoughts because last week tens of thousands of collectors clamoring to buy, celebrities wanting to be seen and people simply looking to participate in all the excitement invaded Miami for a non-stop week of exhibits, parties and events. With Design/Miami running concurrently and a variety of other art fairs, design shows and exhibitions piggybacking on the two main events, the city was overwhelmed with art and craft lovers alike.

I arrived in Miami early Thursday afternoon weighed down with invitations and announcements about all the goings-on throughout the city. My one challenge? Figuring out where to begin. I decided to head over to Design/Miami. The Design district was overflowing with the fabulous and those wishing to be fabulous. Among the many funky exhibitions and public art performances, one of the most talked-about was Tokujin Yoshioka’s extraordinary installation on the fourth floor of the Moore Building. Yoshioka, who was named Design/Miami’s designer of the year, took objects constructed from simple materials such as plastic and glass and then placed them among mountains of plastic straws. While most people agreed the exhibition was stunning there were some murmurings about its environmental-friendliness (or lack there of).

Friday I headed over to the Miami Beach Convention Center for Art Basel. The intermingling of craft, art, photography and design was on full display, giving me reason to think that the talk of art and craft as two completely separate entities is slightly ridiculous. Many galleries were showcasing craft and fine art as a complement to one another, such as Liu Wei’s oil on canvas piece Wave as a backdrop against Love It, Bite It, his model, created from ox hide, of a town collapsing into itself.

A full day of exploring all that the fair had to offer morphed into an evening of openings and parties, beginning with the exhibition of graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister’s work at the Wolfsonian museum. The woman at the door told me to be sure to “drink the art,” which was slightly confusing until I looked and saw that there was an “installation” of martini glasses (filled with what turned out to be a delicious fruity concoction) balanced on one another that spelled out “Low Expectations.” Not a bad start to the night.

By the time I caught my plane on Saturday afternoon I was exhausted. It had been a whirlwind 48 hours. Art Basel and Design/Miami are about a lot more than just art. I would forge a guess that there were many people there who actually have very little interest in art or design. It’s a place to see and be seen. But art lovers don’t despair—beyond the haze of parties and celebrities there is gorgeous work to enjoy.

Art Basel and Design/Miami may be over but they certainly prompted their fair share of conversation. While the New York Times style blog The Moment and Dezeen kept readers in the loop on the major players, Mediabistro entertained readers with party stories and their “Overheard in Miami” quotes—illustrating just how seriously many people in Miami were taking themselves. Michael Cannell from Dwell told of being hypnotized and New York gossiped about who was buying what. (Tobey Maguire bought a 53-inch-long painting by Japan’s Kaz Oshiro, just in case you were curious.) Of course, all the talk and gossip among the art junkies will eventually calm down—until June, when they all run off to Switzerland to get another dose of the high that comes from Art Basel.

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