Get your self-tanner self on. That’s right, it’s the full-on, party-like-an-art-star, bacchanalian week that is now Miami Art Basel. Something about our neighbors to the south has really turned the more intellectual parent Art Basel in Basel, Switzerland into a land of Dita Von Teese shows, fabulous bling-bling fashion sponsorships and general outlandish debauchery. For the art connoisseur the week holds more than just Miami Art Basel, but also the edgier emerging art fairs: SCOPE Miami, flow, New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA), BRIDGE, the West Coast galleries consortium Aqua and Pulse Miami.

Chances are though, the serious art collectors are flying in early for the previews starting on Tuesday, December 2nd, and hightailing it out of there by the weekend, which leaves us party revelers to bat clean-up. A “curated” selection of highlights of the week to look forward to:

• Stop by the GEISAI, the annual art contest sponsored by art world stalwart Takeshi Murakami and hosted by Pulse Miami, to check out the winners and the art world at its democratic best.
  

  Geisai

• Remember Steve Rubell of Studio 54 fame, well his family brethren are serious art collectors and Jennifer Rubell will be opening the family warehouse on Thursday December 4th, and with a mag sponsor like Domino magazine of course.
  

  Jennifer Rubell

• PARTIES PARTIES PARTIES, that’s what you’re here for right? That and the culture of course. For the established and more conservative, the kick off party is the North Miami Museum of Contemporary Art’s opening event, followed up by a black-tie affair at Miami Art Museum.
  

  Miami Art Museum Ball

MOCA’s event with Vanity Fair on Tuesday, December 2nd.

The developer folks are still holding their breaths waiting on the Miami branch of the Mondrian to open. Watch for the young pretty things to be hanging poolside.

Gen Art and FAGE Yogurt will be hosting the opening event for the Vanguard, Friday November 5th at Charcoal Studios.

For the eye-candy action stick close to the Delano, Raleigh, the Shore Club and new Gansevoort South hotels. The downtown crowd will covet Visionaire’s annual party; Surface magazine is hosting the Surface mag lounge on the rooftop of the Gansevoort.

Delano Miami

Art Inspired by Burning Man
Monday, December 1 from 7-11pm, 5 Star Island, Miami Beach

Inevitable Continuum
Friday, December 5 from 6-10pm, Locust Projects, 105 NW 23rd Street, Miami

Hosted by Miami Magazine, Pulse Miami, and Quintessentially, with sounds by Hed Kandi Lounge, the party celebrates the 10 year anniversary of Locust Projects. The exhibition is curated by Gean Moreno and Claire Breukel.

Design Miami will also overlap the art fairs, from December 2-5. Expect special editions of Bentleys and Audis for the big spenders and if you’re lucky you might catch a glimpse of Brad Pitt scoping out new furniture.