Artadia is thrilled to be exhibiting again this year at NADA Miami Beach. This will be the ninth time Artadia has participated at the fair. The booth (#1.01) will feature paintings by Houston-based artist and Artadia Awardee El Franco Lee II (2008 and 2015 Houston). View a preview of the artwork here.

El Franco Lee II is a resident and native son of Houston, Texas. During his formative years in the public and parochial schools of Houston, El Franco’s artistic abilities were duly acknowledged by Houston Independent School District, the Archdiocese of Galveston Houston, Houston Livestock and Rodeo, and Glassell School of Art.

El Franco’s solo and juried exhibitions have included Gift of the Spirit (A partnership of JPMorgan Chase and Art League Houston); Project Row Houses – Houston, Texas; Angstrom Gallery – Dallas, Texas; Siebert Brandford Shank & Co., LLC Public Finance Summit – Napa Valley, California; Contemporary Arts Museum – Houston, Texas; Romo Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia; G Gallery – Houston, Texas; University of Houston Project Gallery; Blaffer Gallery – Houston, Texas; Yale University – Annual Art Barn Exhibit – Norfolk, Connecticut; Diverse Works Gallery Art Space – Houston, Texas.

The future for El Franco will certainly encompass more of his “Urban Mannerist Pop Art” on a larger scale. You can also expect a recommence for his love of sculpting and comic book characters.

Learn more about El Franco Lee II on the Artadia Artist Registry.

NADA Artadia Award

NADA and Artadia are pleased to be presenting the NADA Artadia Award at NADA Miami Beach. This will be the eighth time NADA and Artadia have partnered to give unrestricted funds to an artist exhibiting at the fair.

Two nationally renowned curators will select one artist exhibiting at the fair to receive an unrestricted, merit­ based Award of $5,000. The chosen artist will have access to the lifetime of benefits of the Artadia Awards program, including participation in the innovative Art & Dialogue series, exhibition opportunities, studio visits with curators and collectors, and a profile page on the Artadia Artist Registry.

The NADA Artadia Award acknowledges innovative voices working in contemporary art today. This unique collaboration highlights the ways in which grant giving organizations and art fairs can come together to celebrate artistic excellence. Through its partnership with NADA, Artadia is able to extend the reach of its Awards program nationally, and the curator­ driven selection process, integral to all Artadia Awards, provides exhibiting artists exposure to influential professionals in the field.

The 2016 Miami Beach NADA Artadia Awardee will join a distinguished group of artists that includes Margaret Lee (2012 Miami), Meg Cranston (2013 New York), Ryan Foerster (2013 Miami), What Pipeline (2014 New York), Sergei Tcherepnin (2014 Miami), Jackie Saccoccio (2015 New York), and Summer Wheat (2016 New York). Read more about the NADA Artadia Awardees.

For more information about NADA Miami Beach, visit the NADA website.