Artistically Social with Amy Rosenberg
Claude Viallat: Recent Works
Amy Rosenberg is an attorney and arts advocate who founded the Overtown Music Project and the Arsht Center’s young patrons group. She is the co-founder of the environmental non-profit Dream in Green. Amy is a member of Art Basel’s Junior Host Committee and sits on the Board of the Funding Arts Network. She also serves on the New World Symphony’s Friends Committee as well as The Wolfsonian-FIU’s Visionaries Committee.
Back in the early aughts, I fell hard for the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Bill Cosford Cinema at University of Miami and The House, a wonderfully quirky and now defunct alternative art space co-founded by artists Bhakti Baxter, Martin Oppel and Tao Rey in a 2 story 1930s Edgewater home.
That trifecta cured me of my nostalgia for the northeast (my home for several years) and made me see just how special Miami was. Now, I’m hooked on Locust Projects, O Cinema and the constant flow of intelligent discussions that come out of the De La Cruz Collection, Bal Harbour and Art and Culture Center of Hollywood. And now, the best of April:
Locust Projects – My Kind of Grasshopper
Locust Projects kicked off their Spring Fling Fundraiser in style at the 1111 building. Eight by ten artworks by the likes of Gavin Perry and Jacin Giordino were auctioned off without the bidder knowing who produced the works. (I lost out on a Gavin Perry piece. Grrr.) If you weren’t angling for a work of art, there was still plenty to eat (gigantic meatballs from Harry’s Pizzeria) drink (Castlebrands was one of the booze sponsors) and shake it to- the inimitable DJ Hottpants aka Daniel Blair – was at the turntables. I was delighted to see some of my favorite people on earth – filmmaker Rhonda Mitrani, activist Lee Cohen Hare and her husband, Josh, and attorney Ben Wolkov.
Because no night is complete without two art parties, next we were off to the Bass Museum in Miami Beach.
Bass Museum of Art – Smurfs Come to Mind
Merle and Danny Weiss beat me to the punch at the auction table when they one upped my bid on a dinner for six prepared by art uber couple Naomi Fisher and Jim Drain. I was happy to see the throngs at the auction table and especially happy to see the lovely Linda Levy Goldberg, a native Miamian who has the grace and groundedness of a zen goddess.
I drank a delicious Mandarine Napoleon slushy thick with fresh blueberries before going to see the Charles Ledray exhibition upstairs. Ledray creates fanatically itty bitty art that often includes bits of human bone. The highlight of the show was certainly Ledray’s smaller-than-life- suits. Miracles in miniature.
Philanthrofest – Flashing and Philanthropy
Neither rain nor wind (my dress actually blew up over my head) could hold back the crowds that came together for the first Philanthrofest- a festival showcasing and celebrating South Florida philanthropic organizations, community resources and cultural arts. Nearly 100 booths participated and I was thrilled to see the event supported by Florencia Jimenez Marcos, Xavier Gonzalez and their philanthropist in training, Ceci. Kudos to Estrellita Sibila, James Echols and Annette Peikert and members of their committee including Carl Kruse and Marlon Hill.
LABASH – Not Your Ordinary Party
Few people make me lose my cool. Meeting Leonard DiCaprio did not stir me. Meeting landscape architect Walter Hood did just that. Hood is recognized for his designs in places like the Hill District in Pittsburgh as well as the New de Young Museum. He crafts a sense of community out of his landscapes. My dear friend Malik Benjamin alerted me to LABASH (landscape architecture bash), an annual student-run conference hosted this year by FIU that presented Mr. Hood. LABASH was conceptualized 42 years ago by three university students who wanted to create a forum for the exchange of ideas. Because of Malik’s kind invitation, I had the opportunity to hear the amazing Walter Hood speak at Parrot Jungle. (I was also molested by a lemur during cocktail hour but that’s a story for another time.) LABASH events included a Lincoln Road walking tour with Raymond Jungles and an urban oasis bike tour. Ah, to be a co-ed again.
Until next time…
