Basel at MCM

Rush Philanthropic and artist Victor Matthews join the party

Miami Children’s Museum (MCM), Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, and International Artist Victor Matthews will collaborate in creating a sculpture installation at the Museum’s Watson Island location during this year’s Art Basel.

Matthews serves on the board of Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation in New York and has been exhibited in numerous solo exhibitions in the US and abroad, including the 48th Venice Biennale, Museum Sala Uno (Rome), Stephen Wirtz Gallery (San Francisco), Perry Rubenstein Gallery (New York), Space SBH Gallery (St Barths) and The Sculpture Center (New York). Most recently, his work was chosen as part of a two-person exhibition for the 55th Venice Biennale 2013. The work and the show then travelled to the BOCA Museum of Art. During this years Basel Miami Art Week, Matthews will unveil a sculpture of his own and work alongside Rush Philanthropic and MCM education teams and youth in both NYC and Miami to create an installation at MCM.

Founded by brothers Russell, Danny and Joseph “Rev. Run” Simmons, Rush Philanthropic is dedicated to providing inner-city youth with significant exposure and access to the arts, and to providing exhibition opportunities to emerging and underrepresented artists. Rush’s education programs (Rush Toddlers, Kids, and Teens, and Rush Gallery in the Schools) directly serve over 2,900 students each year. Matthews and Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation are excited to partner with Miami Children’s Museum in order to further our collective mission of engaging and educating youth through art.

“It’s great for Rush to have like-minded partners like Miami Children’s Museum. This collaboration not only allows Rush’s NYC students and their Miami peers to create a sculpture celebrating their mutual communities,” says Russell Simmons, Rush Philanthropic co-founder, “but it also promotes the importance of arts education during Art Basel, the biggest annual arts celebration in the country.”

In the weeks leading up to Art Basel Miami, Matthews will work with three groups of students to collaborate on an 8-foot sculpture inspired by his own work. Rush’s NYC students will use found items and imagery from their own NYC neighborhoods. Matthews will then work with students from Miami Children’s Museum after school program to create their portion of the sculpture representative of themselves, their city, and culture; Miami sessions will be held at Miami Children’s Museum and at New World School of the Arts. The sculpture will be part of MCM’s sculpture installation at the Museum’s Watson Island location.

Matthews and the Rush Philanthropic education team will also participate in Miami Children’s Museum’s ArtKids at Art Basel Miami Beach Convention Center location. From mixed media to building blocks and beyond, a variety of art exploration stations will be available for budding young artists to create their own original works of art. Participating children there will have the opportunity to create sculpture and other artworks inspired by the work of NYC and Miami students.

“Our partnership with Rush Philanthropic is a perfect example of how we can bring creativity and appreciation of the art world to all the children and families we come into contact with,” says Deborah Spiegelman, executive director and CEO of Miami Children’s Museum. “We look forward to more projects like this one in the future.”

Also during Art Basel, Miami Children’s Museum, Rush Philanthropic, and Russell Simmons will co-host a reception at MCM on Thursday, December 5 from 6 pm- 7:30 pm to view the sculpture. Please RSVP for this event no later than Monday, November 25 th to Yanet at 305-373-KIDS (5437) ext 112 or yanet@miamichildrensmuseum.org.

Photos by Jason Koerner