The New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA) has announced the appointment of Vancouver-based independent curator Kate Wong to oversee the Curated Spotlight section at this year's NADA Miami art fair. This marks the sixth consecutive year that NADA has selected an independent curator to highlight emerging galleries and nonprofit art spaces participating in the prestigious fair.
Wong joins a distinguished group of previous Curated Spotlight curators, including Ebony L. Haynes, Joeonna Bellorado-Samuels, Jasmine Wahi, and Jenée-Daria Strand, who have all curated Miami editions of the program. The New York editions have been overseen by Kendra Jayne Patrick and Simon Wu. This curatorial initiative has become a signature component of NADA's mission to support emerging voices in the contemporary art world.
Most recently serving as a curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Toronto, Wong brought significant exhibition experience to her new role. Her exhibition "Tishan Hsu: Interface Remix" was featured at MOCA Toronto earlier this year, demonstrating her expertise in contemporary artistic practices. Beyond her museum work, Wong is also the founder of SITE Toronto, which she describes as "a non-profit organization exploring new approaches to arts institutions that are responsive, collaborative, and never fixed."
In developing the Curated Spotlight selection, Wong focused specifically on galleries and spaces that employ nontraditional approaches to supporting artists, according to the official announcement. Her carefully chosen participants include the EFA Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop, Spill 180, and El Consulado, all based in New York, as well as Romance from Pittsburgh and the Southside Contemporary Art Gallery from Richmond, Virginia. Each selected space will showcase work by one or two artists during the fair.
Wong explained her selection criteria by emphasizing the innovative nature of these organizations. "These commercial and non-profit spaces are expanding what it means to support artistic practice—expanding beyond exhibition-making and the placement of artworks to offer resources, programming, and community infrastructure," she stated. This philosophy aligns with NADA's broader commitment to fostering alternative models of art world engagement.
NADA Miami will launch its 23rd edition on December 2 at Ice Palace Studios, a dynamic event space located across Biscayne Bay from the Miami Beach Convention Center, where Art Basel Miami Beach will simultaneously take place. This strategic positioning allows NADA to maintain its identity as an alternative to the larger, more commercial art fairs while still benefiting from Miami's status as a major art destination during the December art week.
