Love them, or hate them, art fairs are now a firmly entrenched part of the art world’s commercial mechanism. Every art fair has its own unique feel and vibe. Some are stately and serene, while others are brash and raucous. Of all the smaller art fairs that take place annually, perhaps none is able to generate the amount of pure heat that the annual installment of the NADA Art Fait in Miami is able to. The VIP preview of NADA has consistently been one of the most eagerly anticipated events on the art fair circuit. On opening morning the biggest collectors in the world, and those on down the food chain, our lined up for what can only be described as a feeding frenzy.

This year’s installment of NADA, Opening Thursday December 5^th, is sure to have manufacturers of tiny red dots working overtime to meet the demand. The fair can now be previewed on the excellent art web site Artsy. I spent some time checking it out and after the jump are ten things that are Must See as far as I am concerned. - Steven Zevitas, Publisher

David X. Levine at Knowmoregames

1) Shane Campbell Gallery: Pretty much the whole booth. I love this gallery.  With a strong predilection for abstraction they consistently mount pitch perfect exhibitions. Artists on view this year will include rising Chicago-based star Paul Cowan,  2014 Whitney Biennial co-curator Michelle Grabner, and underrated mid-career painter and Whitney Biennial artist Suzanne McClelland, among other.

2) Barbara Kasten at Jessica Silverman Gallery: Jessica Silverman has been on quite the rocket ride for the past few years. Operating out the Bay Area, she has built widely lauded program in just a few short years. Her artist Hugh Scott Douglas is everywhere these days, and Dashiell Manley will appear in the 2014 Whitney Biennial.  This year Jessica presents the incredible Barbara Kasten, another mid-career artist who has been under-recognized until now.

3) Etel Adnan at Callicoon Fine Arts: Born in 1925, poet and painter Adnan has been exhibiting her work since the early 1960s. Her paintings may be intimate in scale, but they have enormous presence. Etel will be featured in the 2014 Whitney Biennial.

4) Noam Rappaport at James Fuentes LLC: It might be tempting to lump Rappaport in with the legion of artists now dedicated to “provisional painting,” but that be a mistake. His work comes from a much more considered place. Armed with an in-depth knowledge of art history and deft technical skills, Rappaport is simply one of the most exciting young painters out there today.

5) Marcus Gundling at Galerie Parisa Kind: Don’t know why, just love.

6) Dona Nelson at Thomas Erben Gallery: Dona is near the top of my under-rated mid-career artist list, but, with her 2014 appearance in the Whitney Biennial, I think that is soon to change. Dona has been digging around in the “all in” sandbox that younger artists have been playing in as of late for 40 years.  She is fearless with materials and color. Truly a painter’s painter.

7) David Korty at Night Gallery: Los Angeles-based painter David Korty has been on my radar since the mid-2000s, and he keeps getting better.

8) Mariah Robertson at American Contemporary: There are a lot of artists out there playing around with photographic process, but Mariah is my favorite when it comes to artists who turn the darkroom upside down. Her work addresses issues of photography, painting and sculpture all at once…and smartly.  And dare I say it: the work is ravishingly beautiful.

9) James Hyde at Horton Gallery: James Hyde is yet another highly under-rated mid-career artist being featured a NADA this year. His artistic practice is constantly evolving, and his ability to wrestle with the potential of painting through a, ever expanding range of media is extraordinary. Younger artists should be familiar with his body of work as he has been there and done that many times over.

10) David X. Levine at Knowmoregames: In the interest of full disclosure, I have worked with David in the gallerist part of my life for more than a decade. So yeah, I am a little biased on this one. I say this with all seriousness though…you will find VERY few artists whose work comes from as genuine a place as David’s does. Working chiefly with colored pencil on paper and collage  – often at large scale – his intuitive sense of form and color is simply overwhelming.  To his credit, he has steadfastly pursued his own unique vision as myriad trends have washed over the art world. As demonstrated by Knowmoregames support, he is an artist’s artist. Be sure to visit their booth…you will not be let down.