It’s the most wonderful time of the year. But we don’t just mean the holidays; Art Basel is fast approaching. Monday night, November 25, Pop Up Piano Miami held its first Basel event at Miami Iron Side. The event unveiled their first round of donated pianos, each featuring paintings or photographs from local artists. PUPM’s mission is “to empower individuals to use music and art as a means to advance social responsibility in their communities” which can be seen in this year’s beneficiary, Guitars over Guns.

Monday’s PUPM event perfectly merged music and art. Guests were able to mingle with artists Chor Boogie, Evoca 1, Nate Dee, Tomas Loewy and Rone. After guests got the chance to see the pianos up close and meet the artists, the students from Guitars over Guns performed. There was also a performance by Raquel Sofia and Suenalo.

Artist Nate Dee has been involved with other Art Basel events in the past, but this is his first year working with PUPM. “What I love about Pop Up is that I get to be around other artists and work. I kind of see their work and their process, the thought process from beginning to end when they are doing their paintings, which is really cool,” Dee said.

For upcoming PUPM events such as their pop up concerts, check their calendar of events here and follow them on Twitter and Instagram.

words_ivana cruz and nicole vila. photos_raquel zaldivar