Guests included Nick and Lynn Buoniconti, Marc Buoniconti, Judi and Bob Newman, Newman Center for Performing Arts of Denver, Suzie Sayfie, Victoria Ranger-Nunez and Mike Nunez, Marguerite and Hank Courtney, Frances Sevilla-Secasa, CEO of ITAU Private Bank International and of course artist Ma Desheng.

Born in Beijing in 1952, Ma Desheng worked as a draughtsman during the Cultural Revolution. He was a leading proponent of the Stars (Xingxing) group of artists who first exhibited in Beijing in 1979, the year China started its open-door policy. This art group pioneered individualistic and expressionist art forms leading to China's modernist art movement. 

Communist Party orthodoxy and set the stage for future freedom of artistic expression in China. Already afflicted by polio, Ma tragically lost his wife and both his legs in a by I Want This" www.timeout.com.hk/art/features/31424/ma-desheng  -interview.html##">car accident in Miami in 1992. After a long and arduous process of rehabilitation, he began painting again, depicting stones in his paintings as part of his recovery and renewed artistic awakening.

The Miami Project is the world�s most comprehensive spinal cord injury research center and a designated Center of Excellence at the University of Miami Miller School Of Medicine. The organization was recently green lighted by the FDA to conduct important human clinical trials, a revolutionary Phase 1 clinical trial to evaluate the safety of transplanting human Schwann cells to treat patients with recent spinal cord injuries.

�Art Miami and CONTEXT Art Miami are particularly pleased that we have been able to continue to be good neighbors and not only contribute financially to a number of significant local not for profit organizations but were able to also provide a unique platform for several groups to interconnect with an important international audience including the Miami Art Museum�s soon to be the new Perez Miami Art Museum; the Art Dealers Association of America�s efforts to raise funds and awareness for galleries destroyed by Hurricane and The Buoniconti Fund�s vital work in support of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis�, states Nick Korniloff, Director & Partner, Art Miami.

In its 23rd year as the anchor fair to the city of Miami, Art Miami, the premiere international contemporary and modern art fair and its new sister fair CONTEXT Art Miami closed with record breaking attendance and sales in excess of $46 million with many galleries selling important works to major museums, private foundations and international collectors. Within hours of the opening, gallery owners were reporting extraordinary, unprecedented 6 & 7 figure dollar sales with a number selling out their booths before fair's end.

Over 60,000 international collectors, museum professionals, art world luminaries and enthusiasts visited Art Miami and CONTEXT Art Miami throughout the week with over 11,000 patrons attending the exclusive
 VIP Preview that took place on Tuesday Dec 4 which benefited the Miami Art Museum.

New on the scene, Art Miami's sister fair, CONTEXT Art Miami in its inaugural edition proved to be one of the strongest markets to acquire emerging and cutting-edge art with several galleries selling out their booths.