The Miami Beach Festival of the Arts returns for its 36th edition on January 30 to 31. North Beach hosts its biggest event of the year when more than 30,000 people flock to Ocean Terrace over two days for a juried art show as well as live performances, kid-oriented activities and international cuisine.  The festival is also an opportunity for visitors from around Miami-Dade and out-of-towners to discover and enjoy the neighborhood’s amenities and charms – from the beach and the Beachwalk to local cafes, restaurants and shops and the Miami Modern (MiMo) architecture that typifies North Beach.

There is no admission charge to the two-day festival that showcases the paintings, sculptures, photos, ceramics, glass works and jewelry of some 150 artists and artisans from around the country. Also participating is singer and painter Paul Stanley who found fame as the frontman for heavy metal band Kiss and whose “Miami Sunset” is the work featured on the festival’s poster this year.

January 15th was the kick off the online auction of the original “Miami Sunset.” The auction closes January 31, the last day of the festival, with proceeds to benefit Arts for Learning’s after-school programs. In addition to the painting, the winner will receive an invitation for two to a private dinner party with Stanley at the Diplomat Hotel in March, hosted by the Wentworth Gallery of Boca Raton.

New to the festival in 2010 is the MiMo Dance Party, celebrating music from 1945 to 1965, the years that saw the rapid development of Miami Beach and the emergence of the distinctive building style that makes the city unique. Stick around after the sun sets on Saturday, January 30, to swing, swoon or shake, rattle and roll from 6 to 930PM at the North Beach Bandshell, itself a prime example of MiMo design.