Art is everywhere we look. We all have the ability to create, giving our inner thoughts a physical presence in the world. That being said, we don’t all have quite the same access to sharing our work with the world. Fortunately for us, there are people like Sarah Gavlak who strive to break this barrier down. Last week she held the sixth edition of the New Wave Art Wknd, a series of curated events supporting emerging and under-represented artists. This year’s programming included curated panel discussions, open studios, dining experiences, and more, bookending Miami Art Week.

New Wave Art Wknd was founded in 2018 after Gavlak recognized a lack of opportunities for under-represented artists to display their work. The Palm Beach-based nonprofit hosts public and private events with the goal of establishing relationships between collectors and emerging artists, including Jose Alvarez (D.O.P.A), Viola Frey, and Marilyn Minter, among others. New Wave also offers a residency program, with artists being provided an apartment and studio space, in addition to a stipend and sales support.

This year’s programming kicked off Friday with a public panel on the importance of public art in contemporary culture, titled The Gift of Public Art. Saturday featured a discussion on hope, prayer, and creation, by guest curators Kyle DeWoody and Zoe Lukov, with a cocktail reception at a private collector’s home in the evening. The weekend finished with a final panel at the Bunker Artspace, examining how cultural institutions can better use data to further their impact.