Artistically Social

Arts in Miami Through the Eyes of Amy Rosenberg

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.

Once upon a time, alternative art exhibition spaces were a vital part of the cultural landscape. Mostly artist run, these spaces showcased art that was often hard to process, and difficult to show. Nowadays, few of these spaces exist.

Enter Locust Projects. Now in its 12th year, Locust Projects is dedicated to providing a forum for the unexpected and the unfiltered. The emphasis on the unexpected was very much a part of Locust Project’s 8th annual Spring Fling fundraiser at the Sagamore Hotel with a mystery art auction and synchronized swimmers. The auction featured the works of both edgy and established artists such as Liam Gillick, Teresita Fernandez and Hernan Bas.

Think Bal Harbour is only for ladies who lunch? Bal Harbour rocked the house with its Ten-In-One Music Fest featuring Awesome New Republic, Turbo Fruits and Surfer Blood. Hipsters in skinny jeans shared lawn space with men in Façconable shirts. Like any good circus, snow cones were available in red (cherry) or blue (um, blueberry?) flavor. A shot of vodka was available for those who like their sno cone a little more grown up.

New World Symphony presented The Mahler Legacy at the Adrienne Arsht Center. Grammy award winner, Michael Tilson-Thomas (I covet his stylish prescription glasses), conducted. Mahler, was considered a brilliant conductor during his lifetime but had trouble finding an audience for his grand, emotional compositions. Tilson-Thomas and pianist Jeremy Denk commanded several standing ovations from the rapt audience. Mahler would have been proud.

On the occasion of its 15th anniversary, The Wolfsonian–FIU presented +5, an exhibition showcasing the dynamic growth of its collection over the past five years. The objects on view, acquired through donation or purchase since 2006, include decorative arts, architectural elements, books, posters, and printed ephemera. The new acquisitions strengthen and broaden the collection’s core themes, including design reform, urbanism, travel and transportation, advertising, and political propaganda. Highlights include rare works such as a tabletop sculpture by Gio Ponti and Tomaso Buzzi designed for the Italian Foreign Ministry and produced by Richard-Ginori.

Miami is lucky to have the Rhythm Foundation, a non-profit that brings world music to our backyard. One of the best music performances of the season belonged to Malian musician Vieux Farka Toure. Toure performed for Rhythm Foundation’s annual Heineken TransAtlantic Festival and brought the audience of hundreds to its feet. Toure is the son of legendary bluesman Ali Farka Toure.

Less is sometimes more. The Black Keys, two guys from Ohio who sound as though they’re in a band of 10, brought their singular brand of blues-rock to The Fillmore. The guys are also known for Blakroc, a hybrid project that unites rock with rap.

It is with a heavy heart that this writer reports that there is a plan afoot to demolish The Fillmore Miami Beach at The Jackie Gleason Theater. Several concerned citizens have created a Facebook webpage to stop this dreadful act from happening. Log on to Facebook’s “Save the Fillmore” page for more of what you can do. Nothing undermines a salad more than a mealy tomato. If you’re in the market for a beautiful tomato (seriously beautiful), get yourself to Roots of the City, Overtown’s brand new farmers market, when it opens this fall. Its debut a few weeks ago brought out heavyweight chef Michael Schwartz (serving up shrimp gumbo) and City of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado. Aside from the above-mentioned tomato, shoppers can find luscious pies and produce. For more information, visit www.rootsinthecity.net.

For those of us who don’t want to spend another Valentine’s Day alone, The Miami City Ballet presented The Art of Partnering, an event for singles that was an ode to the legendary partnerships that are the foundation of ballet. The evening began in the intimate setting of the MCB studios on Miami Beach with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

Guests were then treated to exquisite performances including “The Giggle Dance” from Jerome Robbins and George Balanchine’s “Emeralds.” Two 16-year-old dancers, Skyler Lubin and Brazilian Kleber Rebello, wowed the audience with their rendition of “Flower Festival Pas de Deux” from August Bournonville. The fabulous Lemon Yellow provided graphic design support and the W sponsored the afterparty.

Until next time…