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Bridget Finn: Shaping the Future of Art Basel Miami Beach

This year, the fair will feature 285 galleries from 38 countries and territories, including 34 newcomers. Finn collaborates with a team of directors, including Maike Cruse in Basel, Clément Delépine in Paris, and Angelle Siyang-Le in Hong Kong.

Por: Rubén Carrillo November 25, 2024

Bridget Finn: Shaping the Future of Art Basel Miami Beach / Photo via Art Basel Miami Beach

Bridget Finn vividly recalls her first experience at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2006 when she was part of the Anton Kern Gallery team.

She was struck by how the art world came together under one roof. “If you’re a young person working for a gallery, you feel included,” Finn shares.

“I was drawn to this role from a fairly young age.” The role she refers to is her position as director of Art Basel Miami Beach, a title she assumed last year. At 41, with a career rooted in the gallery world, Finn says she understands the needs of dealers for whom the fair is an essential part of their annual calendar.

“Art Basel Miami Beach is the largest art fair in the most robust market in the world,” Finn states. “We have to be very conscious of our position and think carefully about what we’re offering each stakeholder participating in the event.”

Noah Horowitz, Art Basel’s CEO, emphasizes the value of Finn’s gallery experience. “She’s someone gallerists feel comfortable sharing their concerns and ambitions with, while also understanding how to identify emerging trends,” Horowitz says.

“She’s also very connected to a younger generation of gallerists active today.” This year, the fair will expand its main sector to include more small and midsize galleries, offering a sliding-scale pricing model, discounts for emerging galleries and first-timers, and a new minimum-size booth option. “This allows smaller galleries to stand alongside those with significantly greater means,” Horowitz explains.

Finn notes that this year’s primary goal was to “refine” the program and “tailor the experience” for both first-time and returning visitors.

The Meridians sector, which focuses on large-scale works, has been relocated to the south end of the exhibition floor and is now flanked by Positions and Nova, two platforms for younger galleries. Finn describes this setup as feeling like “a sculpture park meets exhibition.” Bridget Donahue, a gallerist who collaborated with Finn at the Cleopatra’s project space, highlights Finn’s understanding that galleries are a vital support system for artists.

“It’s great to see someone like her stepping into a larger role,” Donahue says.

Finn’s career seems to have prepared her for this moment. Born and raised in Detroit, she attended the College for Creative Studies before joining Anton Kern’s gallery, where she appreciated the “lawlessness” of his program.

While there, she co-founded Cleopatra’s, a collective and incubator, alongside Donahue, Erin Somerville, Kate McNamara, and Colleen Grennan. The project lasted until 2018, later expanding to a Berlin location led by Somerville.

“It was truly a labor of love and a great way to expand our ideas about collaboration,” Finn says.

After leaving Kern in 2010, Finn spent three years as director of strategic planning and projects at Independent Curators International (ICI), developing contemporary art programs with top galleries, museums, corporations, and philanthropic organizations.

Later, she joined Mitchell-Innes & Nash as director of the contemporary art program. “If I could bottle all their stories and expertise, I’d be rich,” Finn remarks, praising the knowledge of Lucy Mitchell-Innes and David Nash. Mitchell-Innes highlights Finn’s deep roots in the emerging artist community. “She has a clear vision of the contemporary gallery scene,” the dealer says.

In 2017, Finn returned to Detroit to co-found Reyes Finn with Terese Reyes. “It was an opportunity to do what I love in a place I’m from and adore,” she says. Finn emphasizes Detroit’s vibrant and unique art scene, often overshadowed by its musical contributions such as Motown, techno, and rock.

During the pandemic, she co-founded Art Mile Detroit, a citywide exhibition platform uniting galleries, museums, and artist-run spaces.

In 2020, after her daughter was diagnosed with the rare neurodevelopmental disorder STXBP1, Finn launched Flourish, a fundraising initiative that included a Christie’s auction, raising $1.3 million to support research.

Donahue praises Finn’s determination to address this issue systematically. “She’s an excellent problem-solver. You want her on your team,” Donahue states.

Despite concerns about the growing number of art fairs, Finn asserts that Art Basel Miami Beach will continue to lead as a regional and industry innovator, drawing top collectors, galleries, and artists worldwide.

“Miami Beach holds a unique position as the geographical connector between North and South America,” she explains. “This will be even more evident on the show floor this year, with galleries from diverse regions presenting works of astonishing quality. It is undoubtedly the most important event of its kind in the Americas.”

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Bridget Finn: Shaping the Future of Art Basel Miami Beach

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