250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen
December 16
Hampshire, England
Jane Austen was born in the village of Steventon, in the English county of Hampshire, on December 16, 1775, and events across the U.K. this year are celebrating the 250th anniversary of the beloved author’s birth. A life-size sculpture of the “Pride and Prejudice” writer is coming to the grounds of Winchester Cathedral, her final resting place, while the BBC is airing a new docu-drama series titled “Jane Austen: Rise of a Genius.” Jane Austen’s House museum in Chawton, Hampshire, where she spent the last eight years of her life, is home to treasures including letters, first editions of her novels and her writing table. Its curators are publishing a book, “A Jane Austen Year: Celebrating 250 Years of Jane Austen,” to mark the anniversary.
"Perhaps only Dickens rivals Austen as a 19th-century novelist still widely read for pleasure today. Her works “Sense and Sensibility,” “Pride and Prejudice” and “Emma” in particular find new readers in each generation, and continue to provide entertainment even for those who don’t read the books, but come to her through the film adaptations—there would be no “Clueless” or “Bridget Jones’s Diary” without Austen. Yet, for much of the 19th century and before a later critical reappraisal in the 1920s, her readership was limited—perhaps surprisingly, it was not so much female readers who kept turning the pages, but gentlemen of the English upper classes who appreciated her keen observation of the struggles of both sexes to find their place in a modern society. No doubt this anniversary will see a flood of new editions to keep her work as current as the latest serious novel, beach read or miniseries. The cult will continue, and rightfully so." –Richard Austin
Art Basel Miami Beach
December 5-7
Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami Beach
artbasel.com
Art Basel Miami Beach, one of the most important art fairs in the U.S., gathers around 280 galleries from the Americas and beyond. In addition to the main Galleries section, the fair incorporates five sections, including Nova, for work made in the past three years; Positions for solo shows by emerging artists; and Meridians for large-scale works.
Design Miami
December
Convention Center Drive and 19th Street, Miami Beach
designmiami.com
The 21st edition of Design Miami, which takes place alongside Art Basel Miami Beach, exhibits the best in collectible design, from 20th- and 21st-century masters to the latest emerging styles. A range of galleries and designers display furniture, lighting, jewelry and art.
Banner: Lummus Park, Miami Beach. Ana Suarez, Instagram/ana.s.photographer.
