At a moment when art, luxury, and culture are more interconnected than ever, FITZ & CO enters its 30th year with a uniquely global perspective earned through decades of trailblazing work. In this conversation, founder Sara Fitzmaurice revisits the pivotal decisions, partnerships, and innovations that helped define the agency’s role in shaping major cultural moments — and shares how that foundation is informing its next chapter.
FITZ & CO marks its 30th anniversary this year — congratulations. Looking back, what are some of the defining moments that shaped the agency’s evolution and its role in the art and cultural landscape?
Thank you. Marking 30 years is both gratifying and energizing. FITZ & CO has evolved by staying ahead of the major shifts that have reshaped the cultural landscape. From the start, we worked with clients who wanted to be part of a global conversation, and today that includes institutions and brands not only in the US, UK, and Europe, but also in cities such as Bangkok, Gwangju, Jeddah, Kyoto, Mexico City, Nanjing, Riyadh, and Seoul. We also recognized early that luxury brands and high-end real estate developers view art as a strategic way to reach sophisticated clients, which has become a core pillar of our work. And we’ve continually pushed innovation within a traditionally cautious art sector, from supporting museums in exploring new digital tools to co-producing initiatives like the Digital Canvas Summit at Beeple’s studio, which advanced the bridging of the digital art world with the traditional art world.
Those throughlines, a global perspective, a deep understanding of how art intersects with luxury and place, and a commitment to innovation, have defined our evolution and our role in the cultural landscape.
You helped launch Art Basel Miami Beach, which has become one of the most influential art fairs in the world. What did it take to establish such a now-iconic event?
We started working with Art Basel in 1996, and our agency is part of the team that transformed the then regional Swiss art fair into a powerful global brand, including contributing to the development of Art Basel Miami Beach. Launching Art Basel Miami Beach in 2002 was a remarkable moment, and its success stemmed from a rare convergence of vision, leadership, and community. The Art Basel team brought real ambition and focus to creating not just a fair, but a cultural phenomenon, one that spilled beyond the Miami Beach Convention Center into the entire city, drawing energy from fashion, design, music, and hospitality in a way the art world hadn’t seen before. The City of Miami Beach invested early in that vision, recognizing how transformative it could be for the region. Just as importantly, the Miami community rallied behind it, opening their homes, supporting galleries, and creating an atmosphere of genuine hospitality. We helped bring in NetJets as a founding partner in 2002, and UBS — already lead sponsor in Basel — extended its support to Miami, lending global credibility and visibility. The galleries that took a chance on a new venture, the collectors who showed up and bought, and the media that had just begun to cover art fairs and the art market all played essential roles.
It was the combination of leadership, investment, partnership, and a passionate local community that drove Art Basel Miami Beach to become the iconic, city-shaping event it is today.
2015 with Marc Spiegler, Global Director of Art Basel, & Sara Fitzmaurice at the opening of the Art Basel Miami Beach Public sector.
With so much programming surrounding Art Basel Miami Beach – and other major fairs worldwide – what advice would you give brands and marcomms professionals looking to engage audiences during these cultural moments?
During weeks like Art Basel Miami Beach, brands should be intentional. Don’t compete with the noise; contribute something that feels authentic and aligned with who you are. The programs that work offer real access or cultural value, often in collaboration with artists, curators, or by supporting Miami’s own institutions rather than adding yet another event. And impact comes from consistency — the brands that show up year after year build far deeper equity than those that parachute in for a single moment.
In that vein, what distinguishes a truly impactful art partnership or campaign in today’s environment?
A meaningful art partnership today is one where both sides bring substance. The most impactful collaborations provide artists or institutions with the support and latitude to pursue initiatives they couldn’t have realized on their own. That’s where the work gains integrity and relevance. The brand’s role is to create the conditions for that work to happen, not to force it into a marketing framework. The partnerships that endure are those built over time, where trust, shared purpose, and a genuine contribution to the cultural landscape are at the heart. Audiences recognize when something is thoughtfully crafted , and that distinction shapes how a campaign lives beyond its moment.
2023 UBS Lounge at Art Basel Miami Beach with artist Jeffrey Gibson in front of his commission for the UBS Art Collection
FITZ & CO has long operated at the intersection of art, luxury, and culture. How have you seen those worlds converge and evolve over the past three decades?
Over the past 30 years, art, luxury, and culture haven’t simply converged; they’ve become interdependent. Artists collaborate with luxury houses; museums exhibit and partner with fashion and design brands; and collectors move fluidly across contemporary, digital, design, and experiential work. As these worlds have merged, expectations have risen. Brands now recognize they need cultural credibility, and institutions want collaborators who understand both curatorial integrity and how global audiences engage. There are two meaningful ways for brands to participate in this landscape:
Support existing cultural institutions such as museums, biennials, art fairs, and foundations that already carry trust and cultural authority
Or build an arts platform of their own that expresses the brand’s values and point of view over time
The strongest strategies do both. They invest in the cultural ecosystem and create something original and sustained that only the brand could contribute.
FITZ & CO sits squarely at this intersection, helping brands understand the dynamics of the cultural landscape and engage in ways that feel credible and meaningful. We work with brands to build genuine relationships with artists and institutions and to develop programs that contribute to culture rather than simply align with it. In a moment when audiences can instantly sense whether something is thoughtful or performative, brands benefit from guidance that ensures their engagement is long-term, strategic, and grounded in genuine cultural value.
How do you see digital art transforming the traditional art ecosystem — and what excites you most about this convergence?
Digital art runs on a different operating system, and many of the most compelling artists today are working with tools and media that didn’t exist a decade ago. We are excited that Art Basel is embracing this evolution with Zero 10, a new curated global initiative for art of the digital era, debuting at Art Basel Miami Beach. Developed by Art Basel’s executive leadership and innovation teams, with early strategic guidance and continued support from FITZ & CO, Zero 10 creates a rigorous space for artists, innovators, and galleries working in digital practices to be presented on the floor of one of the world’s most important contemporary art fairs.
Its launch is a clear signal that the digital and traditional art worlds are no longer operating separately. FITZ & CO has been working to bridge these communities since 2021, and Zero 10 reflects a shift we identified early: digital art is now firmly part of the broader cultural conversation. It is reshaping how work is created, collected, exhibited, and preserved. We’re proud to support Art Basel’s Zero 10 and excited that several participating galleries and artists with whom we’ve collaborated are helping to shape this terrain with real rigor.
2024 Serpentine Americas Foundation and Serpentine Council 13th Annual Art Basel Miami Beach VIP Brunch with Jewel and Hans Ulrich Obrist
As you celebrate this milestone year, what’s next for FITZ & CO?
The next chapter for FITZ & CO builds on what has always guided us: Impactful strategy, cultural fluency, and meaningful relationships across the global art world. As we mark this milestone, we’re focused on work that enables clients to navigate the art world with clarity, elevate their engagement with the art world, and create transformative connections with audiences. After 30 years, delivering meaningful results for our clients remains our driving force. We’re energized by what lies ahead and are committed to continuing this work with rigor, curiosity, and purpose.
