Miami is the shadows formed on a young girl’s face
one Summer afternoon.

It’s the wrinkles on the hands of an old black man.

It’s looking through a magnifying glass at darkness.

At its shore I can discern a “Miami Detached”
as the cruise ships try to merge themselves
once again with reality.

Reality means turning into a sail
high-strung to its mast,
feeling the strength and
the near ending effort to survive,
or a coral rock trying not to disintegrate,
while it knows,
the more salt water that flows,
the more porous it will become.

Why does the blind look at the sun?
How can you touch hate?
Taste love?
Smell apathy?

The petals of a rose out of bloom
still give you a fascinating scent,
just as that which cannot feel,
will eventually rot.

Life means metamorphosis, close scrutiny and pain.

We can discuss this when architects
become a thing of the past

Poem written for Vincent Scully’s “The Natural and the Manmade” seminar, about Miami’s Skyline by Ines Hegedus-Garcia (4th year architecture student at The University of Miami).

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I had totally missed this fun series by Miami Herald’s own (and friend, I may add), Emily Michot – if it weren’t for Rick at South Florida Daily Blog.

In the videos, Doug Hank shows us a piece of art from one of the Art Basel Exhibits, the exhibit curator gives us a little history or background and then we get to try to guess the price of the art.  Talk about a fun AND educational series. Hats of to Emily and Doug for bringing it!

How Much for that art? (Day 1)

How much for that art? (Day 2)

How much for that art (day 3)

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I was looking for the perfect photo to represent Art Basel, Miami -  at least one that would inspire or incite that yearning to be able to experience at least one of the exhibits in person.  You may not be the “art” type and there is some wild stuff developing in this medium as we speak – but the experience of it all is something that lights a part of one’s psyche, no matter what your perspective of art is.

Loved  Atomik’s work…it’s as organic as it gets – but decided to share a slide show instead that I pulled from Flickr while looking for “ART BASEL” – if you click on the images, it will take you to the author’s Flickr page and will tell you more about the capture. (note that a lot of the images will be from past years’ Art Basels)

….another Miamism !!

If you have more photos to share – add them to the Miamism group and I’ll be glad to share them here as well or email them to ArtBasel@miamism.com with your information/website and contact.

Make sure you check out Atomik‘s first solo show in Miami this weekend during Art Basel.

2032 NW 2nd Ave. Miami, FL. 33127

Today and Tomorrow 6-11pm (December 4th and 5th)

**Photo courtesy of Marcos Obadia**

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Mr. Clucky is legendary for stirring up the pot (no pun intended), and this photo not only shows us the icon in action but also serves to set the tone for the coming King Mango Strut Parade in Coconut Grove.  The photo was taken by Diego Quiros who does an amazing job capturing the feeling, energy and colors of the event – make sure you check out his website as well as Flickr Page.  I’m sure you will agree that his photography is ardent and transcends time .

….another Miamism !!

** Here at Miamism we love to post your Miami Photos. If you have a shot you want to share please join the Miamism Group at Flickr.com – or you can e-mail the photos directly to us at info@miamism.com *

SPECIAL INVITATION:

Diego Quiros would like to invite you to join him at Books and Books in the Gables on Friday, December 4th at 8:00 PM to experience “Spain: Beauty and Sadness”.

This photography exhibit explores the symbolism of the Yin-Yang using seemingly unrelated or opposing photographs to persuade the viewer that everything is interconnected and dependent on the opposite. By the mere simplicity of two photographs; one in color, one in black and white, each frame extends an invitation to the observer to explore how complementary opposites join together to form a greater whole.

Books and Books is located at:
265 Aragon Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33134, Phone: (305) 442-4408

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You’ve been driving in the MiMO District seeing this ginormous Coppertone Girl Sign for months and have no clue what it’s about – happy to say that there is history behind it and it is not at all about the little girl’s butt or tan line.

It’s vintage, it’s an icon, it’s now restored and prominently featured ….and may I add shows much better in a smaller scale building than its previous location (that’s my humble opinion of course).

The current location is the sign’s third (and hopefully final place). It went from The Parkleigh Building (Biscayne Boulevard near the Freedom Tower) to the Concord Building (66 W Flagler Street) to it’s home now on the side of 7300 Biscayne Boulevard. The sign was designated as a local historic landmark by Miami’s Historic and Environmental Preservation Board which would make the girl exempt from the many laws that could keep her off any building in the city (for its obvious scale reasons).  It was placed in the care of the Dade Heritage Trust who later donated it to the MiMO Biscayne Association who ultimately restored it and found its new home.

One thing is for sure – it took a lot of love and determination from caring individuals to make it happen – sure indication that people care about Historic Preservation in Miami.

Here are some articles written about this Americana Icon:

• Get That Girl in the Picture by Margaret Griffis of the Biscayne Times

• Not-at-all-pedophiliac Coppertone Girl sign gets new home tonight by Gus Garcia-Roberts of the Miami New Times
• Home At Last! by Margaret Griffis of the Biscayne Times

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My point of view may be a bit skewed for some of you but I’m throwing it out there anyways.  Miami and Miami Beach, for the most part, are devoid of good architecture.  Yes you heard right – we have some fun Arquitectonica buildings (which many will question their worth) and lately some known architects have been invited into the mix.  We really need to look around our city and see that we really don’t even have an adequate “arts in public places” program (the Brittos ARE really getting to me by now), and the little quality architecture we have is because certain big names in architecture have come in to leave their mark.

Many of my University of Miami architecture professors would be agitated at me by now telling me how these projects are only objects in the landscape and don’t do anything for the context of our city.  But lets face it – urban sprawl, poorly planned communities with unsatisfactory public transportation leaves us only with the hope of seeing some quality projects scattered around….Frank Gehry‘s concert hall for the New World Symphony in Miami Beach being one of them.

Let me put you up to date.  Gehry would have probably never even bid for the project but as the Miami Herald puts it,

Out of loyalty to an old friend, (symphony founder and conductor Michael Tilson Thomas), the most sought-after architect on the globe agreed to design an ambitious Miami Beach campus for the New World Symphony — a $154 million interactive concert hall, a 2 ½-acre companion park, and, at the city of Miami Beach‘s insistence, a parking garage.

Construction on the centerpiece, Gehry’s concert hall, is under way, on time and on budget. But the rest of the grand vision is coming apart amid a fee dispute, political hand-wringing, and what some say is the architect’s obstinacy and others the city’s bush-league treatment of a genius.

It all boils down to this: Frank Gehry doesn’t work cheap. And the city, balking at Gehry’s fee for the park blueprint and facing a $2 million overrun on the garage, asked the New World Symphony to get him to reduce his fee or replace him with a less-costly designer for the green space — in essence, to have the world’s most famous architect fired.

And a fed-up Gehry’s response: Fine by me.

So of course this has ruffled the feathers of many locals like Tony Garcia from Transit Miami who said in an article today (who by the way, I highly respect):

Architects are such babies….The city can improve the park over time, and not waste so much money on architects who say things like:

“Doing a parking garage in Miami is not something I should be spending time on. I did it out of respect for [Tilson Thomas].”

Dude, we don’t need you to do us any favors. Thanks.

So here’s the thing – yes most architects have egos bigger than there is room for – yes Gehry may be a bit obstinate – but the truth is that we are lucky to have him and I can’t wait for that space to be finished and designed exactly how he envisioned it without cutting corners.  Budgets had been discussed, visions had been planned and designed, so let’s put mediocrity aside.  We don’t want another half-ass park in Miami.

I was walking through the land that will be the park this past weekend imagining the grand space and got chills.  I even took a photo of the construction with my iPhone and posted it at MiamismPix.com with the idea of documenting the Gehryfication of the structure.  I hope the politics can be worked out and Miami Beach doesn’t make a mistake they will regret.

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To think that a few years ago many questioned if Miami Beach was worthy of Art Basel – the truth is……a lot still do. We are an International Hub! a diverse mecca! a city waiting for Cultural and Fine Arts to come and stay, not just visit. The fact is that the whole city prepares for this event. Miami Beach Real Estate has been in preparation mode for months – from short term rentals to commercial locations for gallery venues.

Art Basel is here! From December 4th to the 7th (yes….this Thursday) – there will be ART all over Miami and Miami Beach and the events are so numerous and overwhelming that even if you don’t have a plan, you will leave feeling like an ART glut.

Art Basel Miami Beach is the most important art show in the United
States, a cultural and social highlight for the Americas. As the sister
event of Switzerland’s Art Basel, the most prestigious art show
worldwide for the past 39 years, Art Basel Miami Beach combines an
international selection of top galleries with an exciting program of
special exhibitions, parties and crossover events featuring music,
film, architecture and design. Exhibition sites are located in the
city’s beautiful Art Deco District, within walking distance of the
beach and many hotels.

Some people think this year it will be scaled down, others that it will rock harder than ever – I guess we will have to experience it and see for ourselves. Don’t believe people when they tell you that it’s only about the Miami Beach Convention Center though – from Miami’s Design District to Miami’s Upper East Side’s MiMo District to Key Biscayne, The University of Miami….parties, galleries, events……it’s amazing.

Here are a few articles that give you a different perspective.

• NYMag – A More Cautious Orgy

• Miami New Times – Art Basel Invasion!

• All Purpose Dark: Basel Parties to Crash

• Haute Living: Whats Haute: Miami – Art Basel Edition

• SmithsonianMag: 2008 International Art Fairs
  

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Some people refer to the area around The Arsht Center for Performing Arts, formerly known as Carnival Center for Performing Arts as “Miami’s Performing Arts District” (somehow the whole name change makes me think of Prince). It is full of antagonisms and controversy because the Performing Arts Center has not, excuse the pun, “performed” as originally planned. The concept was to give Miami what it was missing, the performing arts and theater culture that major cities have. There were amazing projects built all around and the area has boomed….but maybe not at the pace everyone hoped.

Real Estate was to follow the lead of the multi-million dollar project, especially because the city was dumping a lot of cash into the re-design of the area – from pedestrian friendly streets to public places. And so it happened, beautiful Miami Luxury condos around the Arsht Center for Performing Arts were constructed with amazing views of the city of Miami as well as the Bay and Port of Miami together with best amenities. These are not only centrally located, but are close to shopping and withing walking distance to everything you need and a stone throw away from Downtown Miami.

The Arsht Center for The Performing Arts

The Arsht Center for the Performing Arts is a complex of multi-purpose state-of-the-art performance halls . Designed by Cesar Pelli and Associates, it is the focal point of performing arts activity in South Florida and serves as a showcase for the finest established and developing cultural programs.

i’s Center for Performing Artsiami’s Center for Performing ArtsLocated on Biscayne Boulevard between NE 13th and 14th streets, the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts consists of three performance facilities which are linked by a pedestrian bridge spanning the Boulevard. The Center’s performance halls include a concert hall designed for concerts of classical and popular music and a ballet opera house, capable of accommodating the grand sets and scenery employed in major theatrical productions. The complex also houses a theater for small-scale theater and dance presentations. The center’s auditoria, banquet facilities, plaza and other public areas are intended to accommodate a range of civic and social events.

The economic impact up and down Biscayne Boulevard, from Overtown to Biscayne Bay, is obvious and new Miami downtown condominium projects make their proximity to the Miami Arts District a major selling point.

This is an old photo before many of the condos South of the Center were built, but gives a great perspective of the city.

Wynwood Luxury Condos or Miami Arts District

Some local Realtors used to refer to the high-end condos at Wynwood (which is just East and North of the center) as “better” than those condos being built South of I-395 or “the grid-lock” area. I always laughed at the inference that those condos would be superior, since the others were not quite completed.

Today, The 4 towers South of the Center seem to be getting more attention – but personally, there is something for everyone and condo prices vary from The high $200,000′s to multi-million dollar penthouse with private pools and breathtaking views.

Some of existing buildings in this area include The Grand, The Omni and The Miami Herald building and some of new ones include:

• Opera Tower – designed by The Coradino Group – at 1750 N. Bayshore Drive

• 1800 Club - designed by Bermello Ajamil & Partners Inc. – at 1800 N. Bayshore Drive

• Quantum on The Bay – designed by Nichols, Brosch, Sandoval & Associates, Inc. – at 1900 N. Bayshore Drive

• Cite – designed by Cohen, Freedman, & Encinosa – at 2000 N. Biscayne Blvd.

The Fab Four on The Grid-Lock

I don’t care how much people may try to undermine these projects but these 4 towers are, in my opinion, fabulous! You have the Miami Airlines Arena across the street and can walk to Bayside Marketplace. You also have the Metro-mover behind the building which takes you to Downtown Miami. The views don’t get any better but the energy level is high…..so if you are looking for quiet and private, maybe these are not for you (Midtown Miami has been a good fit for those clients of ours that don’t want the energy and traffic).

I took a photo for miamismpix not long ago entitled “Miami’s Freedom Tower has company” that shows what I call the “fab four”

• Marina Blue – designed by Arquitectonica – at 824 Biscayne Boulevard

• 900 Biscayne – designed by Luis Revuelta – at 900 Biscayne Boulevard

• Ten Museum Park - designed by Oppenheim – at 1040 Biscayne Boulevard

• The Marquis – designed by Arquitectonica – at 1100 Biscayne Boulevard

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A lot of people question whether or not  the sexy city of Miami deserves Art Basel - are you kidding me?

Being the gateway to Latin America and Europe and with the cultural diversity that we have, there could not be a better place (thats obviously my opinion).   The best part of  Art Basel Miami is that it is not just limited to the Miami Beach Convention Center.  Miami is transformed into an overwhelming array of artful events and entertainment.

From special events in Miami Beach Hotels like The Delano and Loews, to subsidiary fairs like Design Miami at the Miami Design District.  Every single local art gallery partakes in the event to showcase artists from all over the world.  Home owners open their homes for showings of their private art collections.  You better have a plan if you are an art aficionado coming to Miami to experience the art frenzy.  Miami Beach Real Estate has also benefited from Art Basel Miami….no doubt about it.

Art Basel Miami is the perfect culmination of design style, glamour, ambiance and culture which have led not only to the new $220 million Miami Art Museum (MAM) space in downtown, but also to the $18 million new wing of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in North Miami.

Freelance jounalist Phoebe Hoban pulls it all together in Miami Splash, written for Smithsonian.com and gives you a taste of whats to come.

• New York News and Features
• Metroblogging Miami
• Stuck on The Palmetto
• Miami Vision Blogarama

I have to add that I am truly amazed at the scale of this event.  Art Basel grows each year and there are events all over Miami.  In a city where art was never a focus, its really amazing to see people really coming together to display the best art of the world.

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There is a place in North Miami worth making mention and it does not get enough credit or recognition,  The Museum of Contemporary Art which opened its doors in February 1996.  The structure was designed by Charles Gwathmey in collaboration with the Miami firm of Gelabert-Navia. It’s great to say that we have an amazing museum of contemporary art near Miami Shores Real Estate and Miami Real Estate.

The purpose of the museum was to create an incredible space for exhibiting the work of contemporary masters, discovering new artists, and learning about art and its heritage.  The museum is known for its innovative exhibitions and maintains an active schedule which can be seen in their website.

Photo credit:  Steven Brooke

“The mission of the Museum of Contemporary Art is to make contemporary art accessible to diverse audiences–especially under-served populations–by exploring the art of our time and its relationship to a broader cultural context. The museum is particularly interested in providing a forum for young and emerging artists and in presenting and collecting the works by local as well as internationally recognized artists. The Museum carries out this mission through exhibitions and acquiring works for its permanent collection as well as related symposia, publications, films, lectures, performances, and educational outreach activities, thereby providing a forum for dialogue about contemporary art in the community.”

The museum is now complimented by its satellite branch MOCA at Goldman Warehouse located in the Wynwood Arts and Entertainment district of Miami which doubles the museum’s current gallery space and adds 4,000 square feet of art storage.

There are many ways to support MoCa, you can join as a member or become a patron of its many benefit events, collections or educational programs.  MoCa also sponsors many social events which not only encourages people to experience art, but also provides the perfect setting.

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