Montreal-based Galerie de Bellefeuille, a commercial gallery founded in 1980 that represents over 100 artists including Damien Hirst, Robert Indiana, Jeff Koons, and Alexander Calder, has announced it will open a 4,000-square-foot location at 136 NW 25th St. in Miami's Wynwood neighborhood this summer. The expansion comes shortly after the gallery's planned U.S. flagship in Midtown New York, and marks the latest in a wave of international galleries establishing a presence in Miami.
This opening matters because it signals the continued internationalization of Miami's art scene, which has historically been driven by local galleries despite the global draw of Art Basel Miami Beach. The move also tests Wynwood's viability as an arts district, which has seen many artists and galleries priced out by rising rents and transformed into a nightlife and entertainment hub. Whether Galerie de Bellefeuille can help revive the neighborhood's reputation among art lovers remains an open question.