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"I Bet I Don't Become Famous When You Die" Photography by Antonia Wright |
In the Art of the City
Could Miami Beach Have an Arts District of It’s Own?
By Angie Hargot
It was on a sunny afternoon that roughly 20 Art Center/South Florida resident artists gathered in photographer Alfonso Corona’s corner studio, sitting cross-legged on the concrete floor, encircling his coffee table built of over-sized tarot cards, to discuss the future of art in Miami Beach.
About a month later, the artists again crowded into Corona’s cheery corner studio surrounded by huge slightly-swaying glossy prints of Corona’s work: glowing wildlife imagery and aerial shots of architecture and landscapes that Corona processes in a unique way that results in the subjects looking like tiny replica models.
In just a few hours, they had a date. August 1. They even had a name: “The Lincoln Road Art Walk.”
Modeling the success of Art Walks in Wynwood, Coconut Grove and The Design District, the artists devised a plan to open up their studio spaces at the Art Center/South Florida once a month to invite groups of art world patrons to a mini walk of their own held the first Saturday of every month from 7 to 10 p.m.
Eventually, they reasoned, all of Lincoln Road could join in, although the prospect of spawning a new Miami Beach arts district could be far off thanks to the Lincoln Road rents that have consistently mushroomed over the last decade, the thousands of consumers that have descended upon Wynwood every month make a compelling example — That all happened in just three years.
For now though, few other galleries exist on Lincoln: The Art Center’s main gallery space at 924 Lincoln Road is flanked on the east by one of acclaimed panoramic photographer Peter Lik’s 14 worldwide galleries, and renowned pop artist Romero Britto’s gallery to the west. The artists’ international fame, however, has made them rarely accessible to patrons.
Although the Bass Museum and Wolfsonian-FIU aren’t far, there are few other art destinations on Lincoln Road: Carel Art Gallery at 928 Lincoln Road, and the In Fashion Photo Exhibit which moved into 910 Lincoln last year after Art Basel Miami Beach.
For the last two months, South Florida native and Art Center artist Antonia Wright has set up shop at the art center. In her first floor space she navigates around stack after stack of 4 x 6 prints organized strategically across her floor. She recalls Lincoln Road in the days before the outdoor strip mall became the bustling corporate mecca of tourism it is today, and mourns the loss of independently-owned shops. Where once vacant storefronts and skateboarders coexisted on the oft-desolate strip, today one of four Starbucks on or very Lincoln Road is already under renovation.
“Lincoln road used to be full of art galleries,” Wright said over the chipper voices of a cluster of kids attending the Art Center’s summer art camp a few doors down. “Then the development boom hit. This is a way to bring that back. And we can use the foot traffic on Lincoln Road — we can divert people’s attention from another jeans store. I’m excited. I feel like I came in at an exciting time.”
And now is the time, the artists believe. Although the group is fully aware the steamy summer months will attract few jetsetters, the walk could have time to gain a following leading up to one of the largest art events in the world — Art Basel Miami Beach.
The schedule for the ‘walk’ in December could draw in early fair goers and organizers of Basel events. In addition to the exposure, artist Natasha Duwin is optimistic the event could create an art world gravity in Miami Beach that has been lacking. Duwin uses embroidery as a medium to explore the themes of female identity and rebellion. “People are always hungry for culture, and things to do and see,” Duwin said. “And you can splurge on anything, or you can splurge on art. Even after 25 years, the Art Center is still an undiscovered gem.”
Corona has been a major force in the organization of projects that aim to get the center discovered. The group plans to launch an audio tour of the artist’s studios that patrons access via their cell phones, and the art walk concept seeks to prove the art isn’t just in Wynwood.
“We want people to understand there is local talent in Miami Beach,” Corona said. “There is an art scene. People are creating art for the rest of the world here. We want to make ourselves accessible to the rest of the world.”
Corona explained that the meeting the group had was the first ever of its kind at the Art Center, and the walk could be equally as positive and unprecedented.
The small community remains well aware that in the past, art walks in South Florida, while successfully showcasing art to the public, quickly became less successful ventures for selling art, which is, of course, is how most art center artists make their living. Artists, if selected via a very selective jury process, are permitted to rent their spaces at the Art Center for very little rent. The participating Art Center artists will start their walk as an invitation-only venture.
“The galleries in Wynwood and Design district are private businesses,” Corona said, of the many international and New York galleries that open for the Second Saturday walk in Miami. “In Wynwood and the Design District you have to think the right thoughts in the right places. This is a meeting of artist to artist, while showing our art. We want to make sure patrons will meet the artist. There are 47 studios in the Art Center. If you want a dose of Miami art, you have to come to the Art Center.”
Art Center artists also plan to release a 300-page collector’s book which will showcase several pages of works by 37 of the art center’s artist roster, along with portraits, bios and artists’ statements. The group
will initially print 2,500 copies, and each artist will create a limited number of covers, boxes or dust jackets in their respective artistic styles and materials, and sell the personalized editions at a price they determine individually.
The 27 artists onboard to support the walk “were tired of not seeing anything happen” in Miami Beach’s less well-known art scene, Corona said, adding the plan is to set up a route of art stops around Miami Beach. A special invite would gain patrons access to the galleries, and make destinations of the other locations, avoiding the prospect of becoming “the pre-party stop off” for free drinks, Corona said.
“There’s a powerful energy here,” in Miami Beach, he added. “The swamp slows things down. Art is not only in New York or L.A. And art here isn’t necessarily painting flamingos and sunsets.”
Art Center artist Ena Marrero agreed.
“People are always looking around and have an inquisitive sensation,” about what they see there, Marrero said. Marrero is well-known for her sculpture pieces through which she transforms everyday objects into conceptual installations, highlighting societal and environmental concepts. Marrero said she sees an opportunity for the group to recruit the help of area hotels and businesses for the Walk.
In the meantime, she says, the group will have work to do.
“August is a tough month, but by September it will pick up,” Marrero said. “So the August walk will be an intimate one with a lot of our friends — we’ll all sweat together.”
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