MIAMI BEACH—Come December, art worlders tend to migrate south for a few days, seeking Art Basel Miami Beach and its satellite fairs, warm weather, and of course, parties. Despite the now-official recession, this year has proved no exception, and while impulse buying has given way to caution, loud and proud art partying seems to be doing just fine. Maybe everyone needs a break from all that worrying.

To kick things off, the New York Times style magazine T celebrated the opening of the Design Miami fair, which runs December 2–6, with a cocktail party at the Raleigh Hotel in South Beach. If anyone was looking for a who's who in Miami Beach this week, they would've found it at this party: Fashion giant Calvin Klein, supermodel Naomi Campbell, artists Takashi Murakami, Chuck Close, and Julian Schnabel, and former Art Basel director Sam Keller were among those there to partake.

And on December 3, Art Basel Miami Beach hosted its VIP preview, where actress Faye Dunaway, MoMA president emerita Agnes Gund, dealers Jeffrey Deitch and Larry Gagosian, and collectors Martin Margulies and Rosa de la Cruz could be found roaming the aisles. ABMB runs through December 7; hopefully the selling will keep pace with the partying.

Click on the photo gallery to the left for photos from Miami Beach.

To read ARTINFO's continuing coverage of Art Basel Miami Beach and its satellites, click here.