Artistically Social

Amy Rosenberg Made her Cultural Rounds in February

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.

February was a magical 28 days of visual and gustatory pleasures. It romanced me from beginning to end.

This year, instead of being a total glutton, I made an adult choice and attended my first South Beach Wine + Food festival seminar. It was a civilized (and seated) affair at the W’s swanky ballroom. What a revelation! The seminar, entitled Grape Nuts! Crazy- Good Brunch Wines featured the comically gifted wine genius, Josh Wesson, self-described as IHOP’s top syrup steward (seriously) and Jet Blue’s Low Fare Sommelier as well as Blue Ribbon chef Bruce Bromberg. Chef Bromberg created a delectable brunch menu with offerings like shrimp and cheesy grits and a breakfast salad of fried quail egg, grilled shitake mushroom and fennel sausage. Each course (there were five) was paired with a glass of wine. This attendee was French toasted into submission when she realized that she loved the pairing of Freixenet, a Spanish Cava she formerly disdained and openly mocked, with challah French toast. Life changing.

Twyla Tharp choreographed seduction in her Nine Sinatra Songs, her 1980s tour de force featuring four couples in various stages of coupling and uncoupling. This was Tharp at her best; no move was superfluous. The Miami City Ballet danced the suite exquisitely and the performance I attended was gratis, thanks to the generosity of Mr.

Mike Eidson, chair of the Arsht Center and a partner in the Coral Gables law firm Colson Hicks Eidson. Julie Braman Kane, an attorney at the firm, articulated Mr. Eidson’s passion for the ballet and the community at the performance. Doubtless, Mr. Eidson created some new ballet fans on that special evening.

There was no need to avoid sharks at MoCA’s Surf’s Up fundraiser. An arty and eclectic crowd donned board shorts and pukka shells and was stoked to find the inside of the museum transformed into an oceanic paradise. Colorful surf boards provided by Quicksilver South Beach and vivid floor to ceiling marine projections courtesy of Coral Morphological adorned the space. Miami artist Jen Stark created a faux bonfire lounge area and DJ Hottpants provided the booty shaking tunes. Guests had an opportunity to sample everything from Nathan’s Hot Dogs to Blue Door Fish’s crab avocet.

Culture was celebrated in the most chic surroundings during Bal Harbour Art Night. Neiman Marcus featured a fashion show backed by a quintet of New World Symphony musicians who performed contemporary classics like Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. Christy Gast’s video, We Live Inside the World played on a specially constructed screen. The fashion show was followed by a discussion by FIU Professor Carol Damian on Botero and his work relating to fashion.

Saks had food performances by local artists Susan Lee- Chun and Bert Rodriguez. Chun created a sculptural piece reminiscent of the work of Sol Lewitt with her Yummy Chun Buns, a delectable dessert treat she creates as a side business to support her artistic endeavors. Bert Rodriguez showcased his sugar-based jewelry collection, Krystallos. The beautifully crafted candy was transformed into delicate baubles that looked like the real thing. (Note to Mr. Winston: you may want to hire Bert.) Model Maria Grinberg displayed his rock candy jewelry. Guests included Anne Owen, Nicholas and Maria Gunia, Brian Ehrlich and Stephanie Ansin.

The Community Learning Partnership of Greater Miami Shores hosted a conference focused on educational issues on the campus of Barry University . The conference featured rock star New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling writer Daniel Pink. He delivered a keynote address focused on what we can do to prepare students for their future, which is much different from our past. WPBT2 reporter and Barry University alumna Helen Aguirre Ferré moderated the conversational Q&A following his presentation that further discussed the critical issues facing America’s educational system and how K-12 schools and universities must play a key role in fostering students’ development of personal and social responsibility through expanding civic engagement.

Until next time…