Artist Marcus Jansen wins 5th Semiannual Dave Bown Projects competition -- posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

Local artist Marcus Jansen has won Best of Show honors in the 5th Semiannual Dave Bown Projects Competition.

Founded in 2005, the Dave Bown Projects focuses on advancing the field of visual arts by conducting research, buying works of art for the Collection of Dave Bown Projects, and providing unrestricted monetary awards to visual artists. Past competitions have featured Andy Warhol, Frank Stella and other artists of historical significance whose works converge thematically because of their diverse use of color and geometry. Many of the artists who compete in the online project have exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Whitney Museum of American Art, Tate Britain (Turner Prize recipients), the Venice Biennale and other prestigious museums and art institutes worldwide.

The 5th Semiannual Competition was curated by Karl Hecksher (owner of K5 Editions, New York), Andrea Karnes (Curator at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth), and Mary Kate O’Hare (Curator of American Art at the Newark Museum) from submissions received from artists from over 30 countries. The work of 25 visual artists was juried by the panel into the online exhibition. A cash prize of $10,000 was awarded to winner Marcus Jansen, with Jesse Morgan Barnett, James Clar, Nichole Maury, Flavia Ribeiro, and Zimoun each receiving $1,000.

Marcus Jansen website
Dave Bown Projects website
My Interview with Marcus here
Marcus is one of my favorite artists and its great to see his work getting the recognition it deserves. Marcus also had a love for Purvis Young and you can even see Purvis' influence in Marcus' work.  If you are looking for contemporary work by an up and coming artist I would strongly suggest purchasing Marcus work now.  His prices are still low and he has smaller pieces that are every bit as good as the larger work.  GL

Frederic Remington And Florida’s Cracker Cowboys -- posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

 Image: Remington, Frederic, "A Cracker Cowboy." 

Publication by Harper & Brothers, 1895

Frederic Remington And Florida’s Cracker Cowboys
Cowboys & Indians Magazine
By Dana Joseph

When Frederic Remington first encountered Florida’s “cracker” cowboys while on assignment for Harper’s magazine in 1895, he couldn’t have imagined them as future guardians of some of the state’s most important resources. In fact, he didn’t quite know what to make of them at all.
...

With his artist’s eye, Remington immediately observed that unlike Western cowboys — with their horned saddles, ropes, and lariats used to work longhorns in a landscape of grassy plains and brush — these Florida “cow hunters” rode “[hornless] McClellan saddles, with saddle-bags, and guns tied on before. The only things they did which were conventional were to tie their ponies up by the head in brutal disregard, and then get drunk in about fifteen minutes.” From what Remington could see, “while some of the tail feathers were the same, [the Florida cowboys] would easily classify as new birds.”
...

“Visiting the lawless gunslinging town of Arcadia in 1895 didn’t exactly present Remington with a complete picture of ‘cracker’ culture. For each drunken ranger he met, there were dozens of noble and sober pioneers quietly persevering with their families throughout the frontier.”
 ...

“When Remington arrived in Florida, his romanticized view of the Old West must have been jostled by the rawness he confronted in the Old South. Even though ranching reached Florida years before it reached the West, visiting Arcadia in 1895 would have been like visiting Lincoln County, Nevada, two decades before, predating the civility Remington himself had experienced.”

Read the full article here 


This article confirms a few stories I had heard about Remington’s visit.  The way I heard it, and tell it often, the artist came looking for cowboys, like the ones he knew in the west, only to be disappointed in the “quality” of men he encountered here in Florida.   Remington cut his trip short and wrote his sister that; "there are no cowboys here, only criminals and scoundrels."   

I tell that story along with others with the same theme whenever someone new to Florida is shocked by the level of corruption and depravity found here.  Yes Florida has always attracted the lost and desperate, those looking for a second chance or an easy buck.  From the Spanish looking for the fountain of youth to the blue hair retirees looking for a warm paradise to live out their last years, most come to start over.  And with them come the con-artists and criminals ready to feed off the naive and unaccustomed.  "And its always been this way", I always exclaim with pride.  GL

Dallas Museum of Art drops admission fee -- posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

The Dallas Museum of Art will begin free general admission in January 2013. (Dallas Museum of Art)

  

Dallas Museum of Art drops admission fee

By Christopher Knight Los Angeles Times Art Critic

 

From the article;  the Dallas Museum of Art announced that it is eliminating its $10 general admission fee, effective Jan. 21. After that, a visit to the museum's permanent collection galleries will be free.

 

I've written about this before (the most recent example is here). But going to an art museum, whether the Los Angeles County Museum of Art or the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, or any other in between, should not be compared to the expense of going to the movies. Instead, it should be like going to a public library: Free and open to all.

 

Dallas Museum Director Maxwell Anderson, who arrived in Texas last year, seems eager to replicate a success at his prior institution, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, where he was director from 2006 through 2010. After he resumed a free general admission policy there, attendance more than doubled.

And isn't that what museum directors always say they want -- more visitors, especially to their permanent collections? The spectacle is not uncommon of a line at the box office for a putatively "special" exhibition featuring less significant art than what is already on view in lightly traveled permanent collection galleries.

Zero admission could happen today, but the two-month lead time gives the DMA an opportunity to gear up its community for the transformation. Dropping a museum's admission fee is not a move to be taken lightly. Changing the nature of the regular visitor's art experience -- deepening it -- requires imagination and hard work.

Fundamentally, it means expanding the museum's membership. The usual method for that is pretty degraded: Program the museum with lightweight entertainments to appeal to audiences with no interest in art, and then offer discounted admission to new members who otherwise wouldn't dream of dropping 10 bucks -- or $40, $60 or more if the whole family comes along -- to see a beautiful 10th century Indian sandstone carving of Vishnu or a fine 1919 Cubist still life by Picasso in the permanent collection.

Hucksterism is the common term for the usual member's discount, with art regarded as P.T. Barnum's Fiji mermaid and visitors urged to step right this way to check out the egress. The gambit mostly creates churn: An attendance surge is followed by a drop, until the next high calorie/low nutrition program juices the numbers again.

Instead of this self-defeating -- and expensive -- scheme, the DMA plans to do what other museums offering free admission have done: Expand the philanthropic pool. DMA members will be called partners, and the entire local community will become a prospective association of micro-philanthropists. Regular members, not just rich benefactors and wealthy local businesses, are made into active stakeholders in the institution.

And younger people and students, who are always sentimentally extolled as "our future" and then often ignored, will have a visually provocative place to hang out.

Museums, Anderson told the Dallas Morning News in August, are “a charity. We need support, and we need it from affluent patrons, foundations, corporations and government agencies. That is the quadrant I work in.” Starting now, the quadrant includes all of Dallas.

LA Times Article found here

Studies Show Economic Impact of Art Funding - by Florida Fine Art Blog

Studies Show Economic Impact of Art Funding

Today I have three great articles about the positive impact art funding has on South Florida.

The first one come from the Sun Sentinel and is an interview with Randy Cohen, vice president of research and policy for Americans for the Arts, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit.  Mr. Cohen was here to speak to over 150 business and community leaders about his organizations new report, "The Arts and Economic Prosperity IV report".  

The Arts and Economic Prosperity IV report is considered to be the most comprehensive economic impact study of the nonprofit arts and culture industry ever conducted in the U.S. It was created by Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education.

From the interview; "If you care about community and economic development, you can feel good about investing the arts. The arts are an industry, and not simply a luxury worth supporting in prosperous times but hard to justify when the economy is struggling. Right here in Broward County, the arts are a $230 million-per-year industry that supports 6,402 jobs and generates $22 million in local and state government revenue, our latest research shows. Nonprofit arts organizations in Broward spend $103 million per year on people, production and suppliers"

Sun Sentinel Article; "More arts, stronger economy, new research finds"
can be found here

The second one comes from the South Florida Business Journal.  This article talks about the same study but emphasizes the studies finding that arts and culture play an important role in attracting new businesses and workers to our community.  

From the article;  "Having a strong arts and culture community plays a very important role in our efforts to attract and grow companies in Broward County," said Bob Swindell, president and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance. "Companies want to know that their employees will have a number of quality choices of cultural activities. Arts and culture in our community stands out as a real strength in our recruitment and retention efforts."

South Florida Business Journal;  "Broward arts groups contribute millions to economy" can be found here

The third article is about the positive impact Art Basel has on the surrounding counties and comes from SouthFlorida.com.  This story talks about the small but noticeable spill over into Broward Art Basel has caused.  And the need to further capitalize on the deluge of art lovers Art Basel brings into the area every December.

From the Article;  “Tourists definitely take advantage of Broward’s arts and culture when they fly in for Art Basel,” said Nikki Grossman, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau. “There’s a small and even palpable bump -- about 1 percent increase -- in hotel bookings. But that’s a welcome bump for us. The Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale sees a foot-traffic spike and so do our restaurants and high-end hotels. Travelers want a broader experience out of Basel, and we give it.”

SouthFlorida.com;  "Art Basel casts its glow on Broward County" can be found here

The arts in Broward County, by the numbers

$230 million: economic impact in 2010

50 percent: growth in economic impact from 2005

$127 million: audience spending outside admission prices on meals, hotels, parking and more in 2010.

Source: Americans for the Arts, Broward County study released in 2012

Study Found Here

 

 
 

Great Map for Art Week 2012 - posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

View Miami Art Map in a larger map


This is a great map I've been using to get around this week, Enjoy!  
Hint - I sent the map to my phone so I have it with me at all times.  GL

Glenn's Guide to Art Basel 2012 -- by Florida Fine Art Blog

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Art Basel 2012  December 6^th – 9th

The US economy may be recovering slowly yet this week the art world will once again descend on South Florida and spend/party like its 1999.  Economy be damned, its Art Basel Week!  Three cheers for the artwork, the parties, the music, the jetsetters, the weather, the food, the shopping and the enormous economic impact to South Florida. 

If ever there was a place and time to show the naysayers that public funding for the arts creates jobs and prosperity along with cultural richness for the whole community Art Basel - Miami is it.  Every restaurant and hotel is full, every venue booked. From the valets and waiters to the cabbies and shop owners no one who witnesses this week could deny the positive impact of art on South Florida.

This year I am going to spend most of this guide pointing out the new and alternative things to do during Art Basel.  While I still recommend going to the major fairs if you have never experienced Art Basel I feel my last two years guides (Found Here and Here) pretty well cover all the larger fairs.  Plus I have not spent enough time in the past covering all the music, parties and exciting public art projects that take place across the city.  Remember everything underlined is a link and each of these fairs has a wonderful website with tons of great information, more than I could ever include here.  As you chose which fairs you will attend I strongly recommend you study the fair websites to get the most out of the experience.

Much more after the fold

Knight Foundation to Donate $23 Million to Miami Arts Organizations - posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

 Miami is getting a historic influx of cash for the arts — and it’s not just coming from collectors in town for Art Basel Miami Beach. On Monday, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation will officially announce plans to donate $23 million to arts and culture initiatives in South Florida. Grantees range from established institutions like the Wolfsonian Museum at Florida International University to grassroots organizations like the homegrown Borscht Film Festival.
 

Over the last six years, the Knight Foundation has donated $63 million to support the region’s cultural community. This latest gift will be divided into two parts: $14 million will go to established cultural venues while $9 million will go toward a continuing contest to fund small start-up-style arts projects called the Knight Arts Challenge.

Established organizations receiving a cut of the $14 million donation include the Miami City Ballet ($5 million), the Cleveland Orchestra ($2 million), and the Miami International Film Festival ($500,000). The Design and Architecture High School and the New World School of the Arts will also get $1 million to send students on cultural field trips to New York City and Europe.

The Knight Arts Challenge allows creative Floridians to submit an idea for enhancing the region’s arts offerings. The best ones receive funding as long as they pledge to match Knight’s contribution with their own fundraising. Previously selected initiatives are refreshingly quirky, and include Weird Miami Bus Tours led by artist Naomi Fischer and newly created art-book publishing house [NAME], which promotes the work of Miami artists nationally.

“Miami’s creativity is limitless, Knight Foundation’s arts initiative and its Knight Arts Challenge have acted as its conduit – pulling the best ideas out of the city’s most creative thinkers, and helping them flourish,” Dennis Scholl, the foundation’s vice president for the arts (and a prominent local collector), said in a statement. “In a truly creative town like Miami, everybody should be able to participate, to dream and to ultimately see their passions through to reality.”
Curious if your community could benefit from Knight’s largesse? The foundation concentrates its grant-giving activities in communities that had Knight-Ridder newspapers in 1991, the year founder James L. Knight died. Other major recipients include Detroit, which won a $19.25 million gift in October, and Philadelphia, which received $9 million in 2010. The foundation has been headquartered in Miami since 1990.

— Julia Halperin

Knight Foundation to Donate $23 Million to Miami Arts Organizations | In the Air: Art News & Gossip | ARTINFO.com

"Video of the Week" - Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry Documentary - by Florida Fine Art Blog

Trailer - Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, a film by Alison Klayman

From the Official Film Website; 

Ai Weiwei is China's most famous international artist, and its most outspoken domestic critic. Against a backdrop of strict censorship and an unresponsive legal system, Ai expresses himself and organizes people through art and social media. In response, Chinese authorities have shut down his blog, beat him up, bulldozed his newly built studio, and held him in secret detention.

AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY is the inside story of a dissident for the digital age who inspires global audiences and blurs the boundaries of art and politics. First-time director Alison Klayman gained unprecedented access to Ai while working as a journalist in China. Her detailed portrait provides a nuanced exploration of contemporary China and one of its most compelling public figures.

Official Film Website found here

I highly recommend this film about a provocative and brave artist who is using art and media to prompt others to action.  GL

Ai Weiwei Book Features The Controversial Quotes Of China's Famous Dissident Artist - posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

Ai Weiwei Book Features The Controversial Quotes of China's Famous Dissident Artist

Article found on The Huffington Post
by Katherine Brooks

In "Weiwei-isms," we see Ai Weiwei at his best; the upcoming pocket-sized account on Princeton University Press features nearly 150 pages of the Chinese artist's infamously short quips, collected from tweets, articles and interviews. "Twitter is my city," the dissident artist famously declared in an interview with Foreign Policy earlier this year. "I can talk to anybody I want to. And anybody who wants to talk to me will get my response."

Ai has become quite accustomed to broadcasting his thoughts on democracy, human rights and artistic freedom on social media under the humble handle, @aiww. Tweeting on average about seven or eight times a day, as well as keeping his blog active with videos and posts, Ai saturates the net with his succinct yet eloquent views. With over 180,000 followers, he might as well be mayor of his boundless city.

"Weiwei-isms" is modeled after "The Little Red Book," a collection of pithy quotes by Mao Tse-Tung. The little black book tips its hat to the former Chinese leader's laconic prose when Weiwei jokes, "Chairman Mao was the first in the world to use Twitter. All his quotations are within 140 words."
Weiwei's appreciation of virtual communication makes sense, given that he was jailed for 81 days after actively voicing his opposition to the Chinese government in 2011. Though he was officially detained for "economic crimes," Weiwei maintains that authorities were against his openly provocative protests of Communist leadership, which took the form of art exhibits, demonstrations and "citizen's investigations." The Internet community is simply a safer place for the defiant artist to continue his activism, as thorny and guarded as the Chinese web might be. But it's also a platform on which he thrives, a fact that "Weiwei-isms" isn't shy to point out.

Article found here

The more I learn about this brave artist the more I like.  I recently watched a great documentary about Ai Weiwei and I strongly recommend it; 'Ai Weiwei, Never Sorry'.  GL

George Bellows at the Metropolitan Museum of Art - posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

George Bellows at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York, 28 November 2012, Art Media Agency (AMA).

From 15 November 2012 to 18 February 2013 will be held the first comprehensive retrospective, in nearly half a century, of American artist George Bellows (1882-1925) at the MET. His famous and powerful depictions of boxing matches and scenes of New York City as well as painted city landscapes, seascapes, war scenes and portraits will be exhibited. The total of the works exhibited is 120 and the exhibition is the first retrospective of the artist’s career since 1966.

The exhibition was made possible thanks to the Peter Sharp Foundation. It was organised by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, in association with the Metropolitan Museum of Art , New York, and the Royal Academy of Arts, London.
Even though he died young (42 years old) he was one of the most acclaimed artists of his generation. Paintings and prints by Bellows are part of the collections of major American art museums such as the National Gallery of Art in Washington, the Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester, in Rochester New York, the Whitney and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Hyde Collection, in Glens Falls, New York.

Link to Article here

One of my Favorite artists, George Bellows is also part of a group show currently at the Museum of Art - Fort Lauderdale.  'Return to the Ashcan' is a group show of the famous Ashcan artists that will be on view on the Musem's Glackens Galleries. George Luks, William Glackens, John Sloan, Everett Shinn, Guy Pène du Bois and of course George Bellows were leaders of the group and their works are included in this stunning exhibition of paintings and works on paper.  The show runs from October 20, 2012 until February 24, 2013.  GL

More on 'Return to the Ashcan' here

MOCA Cleveland Debuts 'Hexagon,' A Multimillion Dollar Art Hub - posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

MOCA Cleveland Debuts "Hexagon", A Multimillion Dollar Art Hub, To The Public

Article from The Huffington Post
 
The Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland has opened its new and very expensive doors to the public today. The 27.3 million dollar "Hexagon," as its referred to officially became the shiniest and most recent addition to one of the highest concentrated districts of museums and cultural organizations in the United States.
The 34,000-square-foot glass structure, designed by Iranian-born and London-based architect Farshid Moussavi, celebrated its opening with an inaugural exhibition titled "Inside Out and from the Ground Up." The show, which opened free to the public this afternoon, features the work of 16 international artists versed in sculpture, painting and sound installations. Louise Bourgeois, Gordon Matta-Clark, David Altmejd, and Walead Beshty are a few of the artists on the docket.

Pictures and more here

New American Paintings - Call For Southern Artists - posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

 

CALL FOR ARTISTS: South Region

Artists residing in: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia,Washington DC, West Virginia

Juror: Miranda Lash
Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, New Orleans Museum of Art


Deadline: December 31st, 2012 (Midnight EST)

To Apply online you will need to prepare four jpegs of your work (no larger than 1200 pixels at their greatest dimension) and a credit card for the late entry fee.

Entry fee: $50

Click the link below to register and submit your entries to the
Southern competition:

www.newamericanpaintings.net/submission/

*Subscribe to New American Paintings for $99 you entry will be free!

Questions? Visit our FAQ pages: General or Technical

----------------
If you have viewed our FAQs and still have questions,
please email us or call 1-888-235-2783

Calling All Artists- Hip to be Square Group Local Show - Bear & Bird - posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

 

CALLING ALL ARTISTS!

This show is open for participation to all South Florida Artists!

Hip to Be Square: Square Show 3

I know reading can be hard, but you MUST read all the important info below in order to participate!

Who can put art in this show?
This art show is OPEN to all artists living in South Florida. You do not need to submit your artwork for approval ahead of time. How do we define the area of South Florida? If you can drop-off and pick-up your artwork IN-PERSON and ON-TIME you can participate! We do not accept any mailed-in entries, nor will we return any artwork via mail for any of our "all locals welcome" shows.

What do I have to do to join?
If you are certain that you will be taking part of this show, then please RSVP by Friday, December 14th at midnight & you will be included on the printed flyer & receive email reminders. To RSVP, simply email your "artist name" exactly as you want it to appear - in the body of the message to us at rsvp@bearandbird.com
Once the RSVP deadline passes, you can still join in - you just won't be listed on the printed flyer. Simply read and follow the instructions below and bring your work in ON TIME and READY TO HANG.

Much more after the break -

Where the Boys Are Breakfast - Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale - posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

LAST CHANCE | bass art pass 2012 | december art fair week - posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

International Taste of the Arts Festival Showcases Doral’s Design District -- posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

International Taste of the Arts Festival
Saturday, November 10, 2012, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

NW 79 Avenue, between NW 29th and 33rd Streets


Doral, FL –  The City of Doral proudly presents its 1st Annual Doral Design District International “Taste of the Arts Festival,” an event providing opportunities for the general public to learn more about the Doral Design District and Doral’s internationally renowned art, tile and marble merchants.

Local artisans will display their extraordinary talent. Merchants, businesses and community groups will have booths featuring food, arts and much more. There will be something for the entire family, including a Kid’s Village, live performances and Do-It-Yourself shows. Festival hours will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to the International Taste of the Arts is FREE.

CONTACT:Natalie French 786-859-2163 natalie.french@cityofdoral.com   This invitation was sent in by by alert reader to this blog and looks like a fun event.  I have recently heard really good things about the cultural happenings in Doral.  GL

"Video of the Week" Robert C. Broward -- by Florida Fine Art Blog

Keeping with the heavy architecture theme I have going today I thought I would post one more thing about Robert C. Broward. My choice for "Video of the Week" and the bio below is found on the Broward Family History website. It’s a great video of Robert Broward talking about his start and his hopes for his own legacy. I love the part where Broward talks about "Form following function" the true meaning of that phrase and the importance of emotional enticements.

Broward family website

ROBERT C. BROWARD, ARCHITECT

Robert C. "Bob" Broward is one of Florida’s most renowned living architects. The organic design of his buildings reflects his lifelong commitment to environmental stewardship and quality of life.

The great-second-cousin of Governor Napoleon Bonaparte Broward, Bob grew up in Jacksonville. At age 17, he inherited a stack of old Broward family letters that dated from the early 1800s through the post-Civil War period. These faded, torn, and fragile letters contained remarkable stories that piqued his interest in his most unusual family. Thus began a 65-year search for the Broward family’s history, the result of which is this book.

His childhood experiences in North Florida's unspoiled pine woods fostered in him a respect for our natural environment that led him to America's most famous organic architect, Frank Lloyd Wright.

After graduating from Georgia Tech in 1948, Bob worked on the construction of Florida Southern College, the largest complex of Wright buildings in the world. Wright gave Bob apprenticeships to study at both of his compounds, Taliesin East in Wisconsin and Taliesin West in Arizona.

Since he began practicing in Jacksonville in 1956, Bob has translated Wright's principles into an approach to architectural design specific to Florida: using open space, natural forms, and natural materials to complement Florida's environment. In 2011 he was designated Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.

His love of architecture and history has led him on a diverse and untraditional life’s journey, as a writer, a teacher, and a champion of both modern architecture and historic preservation. Bob is the author of the award-winning book, The Architecture of Henry John Klutho: The Prairie School in Jacksonville, which explores the career of one of Florida’s early architectural geniuses. For over four decades, he served as Adjunct Professor at the University of Florida’s School of Architecture, challenging hundreds of young architectural students to reach for the highest values in that noble career. In addition to his many award-winning designs for homes, churches, schools, museums, and commercial buildings, he has played a key role in preserving some of Jacksonville’s most significant historic landmarks.

Architect and Artist Robert Swedroe showing at St. Thomas University’s Sardinas Gallery -- posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

Cyber Waves

Acclaimed Architect And Artist To Show Work At St. Thomas University’s Sardinas Gallery

St. Thomas University‘s Sardinas Gallery will host the opening reception of A Glorious Spectrum, a collage exhibit by the acclaimed Florida architect and artist Robert Swedroe, Thursday, October 11. The University is inviting media and South Florida art lovers to meet the artist and enjoy his works’ dazzling colors and dimensional pieces. Swedroe originally worked as a senior design architect for the famed Morris Lapidus and after a 33 year sabbatical from his art he began producing the intricate and brilliant-color collages. The Gallery is located on the 2^nd floor of the Main Library, 16401 NW 37 Avenue in Miami Gardens.   Staying cutting edge in the ever-growing South Florida arts community, St. Thomas University has been offering a unique graduate-level degree (few and similar in the US) that teaches the business of art. A Master’s degree housed in the Institute of Communications, Entertainment and Media, the program is an Art Management specialization. Its curriculum encompasses the economic, marketing, and financial aspects that empower business owners and management involved in the arts circles.   Link to St. Thomas University website Robert Swedroe website

Self-Described 'Redneck' Takes On Kabul Art Scene -- posted b Florida Fine Art Blog

Aman Mojadidi poses as a "jihadi gangster" in a photo titled "After a Long Day's Work," part of the "A Day in the Life of a Jihadi Gangster" photo series



Self-Described 'Redneck' Takes On Kabul Art Scene

Radio Free Europe By Frud Bezhan

Im an Afghan by blood and a redneck by the grace of God," Aman Mojadidi says in introducing himself. "I'm an atheist and a radically politicized artist."

Nine years ago, the Afghan-born American performance artist returned from Florida to his native Kabul. In that time the 41-year-old has made a name for himself as a leading provocateur within the Afghan capital's emerging art scene.

Through various art forms, including film, photography, and public installation projects, Mojadidi has waged a relentless campaign against what he sees as the excesses of the Afghan government and political stagnation in the war-torn country he was forced to flee as a child.

Mojadidi's chief targets have been corruption, which he says permeates all levels of society, and the monopolization of political power by the country's former warlords and militia leaders.

"The rampant corruption manifests itself here in a way that it affects everyone, not just the higher levels of politics. I also think [a problem] is the political control in the hands of jihadist leaders," Mojadidi says.

"I don't think the country will be able to really move forward as a nation until political power ceases to be in the hands of those who rest all their authority on the fact that they did jihad against the Soviet Union," he adds. "They are keeping the country stagnated in that period."
...

Some, predictably, take offense to pictures depicting him as a warlord sitting beside his golden wooden leg, trying to watch television while a scantily-clad, burqa-wearing woman tries to get his attention.


By the same token, photos of him sitting in a barber shop adorned in a Confederate flag, swilling Budweiser beer, might rub some in the religiously conservative country the wrong way.

But while Mojadidi has occasionally come into conflict with the Afghan authorities, he has never been formally charged. And he has answers for his critics.

Working in Afghanistan has been "schizophrenic," Mojadidi says. He insists that although the country is a "junkman's paradise" in terms of artistic practice, the development of the Afghan art scene is being held back by religious radicals and powerful politicians keen on stifling criticism.
...

What drives him to labor every day in the hostile conditions in Afghanistan, he says, is the same reason he moved back to the country in the first place.


"What moved me here has a lot to do with doing something to contribute to Afghanistan and to do something to help Afghanistan in some way," Mojadidi says. "There's also a desire to get to know my cultural heritage and try and connect more with that heritage."

Link to whole Article here
Link to Aman's website here

Best Bizarre Statues Or Public Art In South Florida -- posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

Edward Leedskalnin creator of the Coral Castle 

by Skot Olsen

Best Bizarre Statues Or Public Art In South Florida

CBS Miami by Glenn Osrin

Everyone’s definition of bizarre differs, yet is greatly influenced by what society expects to be normal. When it comes to statues or public art, message, presentation, color or location can add significance to the piece by clashing with norms that make it outrageous, scandalous, weird or outstanding. Here are a few of Miami’s best bizarre art pieces that require some contemplation.

Link to Article

Mr. Osrin has a few good choices for the best bizarre public art pieces, including the famous Coral Castle.  I think the new Gandhi Statue in Davie could be included just for the fact that its in Davie of all places.  What other public works stick out?  Remember the blue bikes parked everywhere?  Or the lifesize bronze statue of the "Barefoot mailman" located at the Hillsboro inlet.  How about the the old bank door frame entrance on Riverwalk next to the train tracks in Fort Lauderdale? GL

Mary Becht Honored with Howard Kleinberg Award -- by Florida Fine Art Blog

Mary Becht  Honored with Howard Kleinberg Award

The 2012 Howard Kleinberg Award recipient has been announced by the Carbonells. Established in 2000, the award is named after Howard Kleinberg, long-time Editor of The Miami News, historian, and author of numerous articles and books on the social and cultural history of Miami and South Florida. It is awarded as special recognition for contributions to the health and development of the arts in South Florida.
This year’s honor will go to Mary A. Becht, who has served as Director of the Broward Cultural Division since 1984 and has been a pioneer of a long list of arts and cultural milestones. Becht has grown the Broward Cultural Division into a nationally-recognized local arts agency that is used as a model for many of the more than 5,000 local arts agencies throughout the United States. She leads the staff, the board, the committees and the Division’s annual budget of $3.9 Million, serves a constituency of more than 550 not-for-profit cultural organizations and a community of 1.7 million residents. She has served as on-site evaluator for the Florida Cultural Institution Program and the National Endowment for the Arts. She has also served as vice-chair of the United States Arts Urban Federation, president of the Florida Association of Local Arts Agencies, chair of the South Florida Cultural Consortium and president of the Broward Women’s Alliance.
This award is the fifth annual award of recognition to be received by Mary Becht including, the First Annual Arts and Culture Award from National Association of Counties in 1990; the Arts Administrator of the Year Award from Arts Management News Service of Columbia College in 2002; the Public Leadership in the Arts Award from National Association of Counties in 2004; and the Ray Hanley Innovation Award, from Americans For the Arts’ United States Urban Arts Federation. Many programs from the Broward Cultural Division have served as models for her peers around the county.

I have wanted to post this for some time now.  Mary has contributed so much to the arts in South Florida it is hard to imagine where we would be without her leadership.  This is a much deserved award.  GL

Robert C. Broward -- by Florida Fine Art Blog

Unitarian Universalist Church of Jacksonville in Arlington

Robert C. Broward

Two nice articles I found on Robert C. Broward. Mr. Broward was inducted into the Florida Artist Hall of Fame last year for his contributions to the Architecture of Florida. Mr. Broward’s story is a great example of the power of inspiration and mentoring. A local Florida boy, Robert began as an apprentice to Frank Lloyd Wright as Mr. Wright was building the Florida Southern College campus. Robert C. Broward spend his life combining the sensibilities learned from Frank Lloyd Wright into the landscape of Florida. In sixty-one years of architectural practice in Florida, Mr. Broward has produced diverse designs including small homes and chapels, as well as large warehouses, office buildings, churches museums, movie theaters, high-rise buildings, oceanfront residences and corporate headquarters. He is also the author of “The Architecture of Henry John Klutho: The Prairie School of Jacksonville” an important book about the famed architect Klutho and his ties to Jacksonville. GL

Link to Spotlight Article found on Culture Builds Florida website

Link to Article found on Unitarian Church website

Florida Artist Hall of Fame website


Miami Art Museum donations on pace with building -- posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

Miami Art Museum donations on pace with building
Miami Herald By Daniel Chang

Miami Art Museum officials are more than halfway to their goal of raising millions in private donations for their new waterfront home.

Seeing is believing for donors to the new Miami Art Museum now under construction alongside Biscayne Bay in downtown’s Bicentennial Park.


With elevated platforms resting atop columns, a trellis-like roof, and a grand staircase that opens onto the water’s edge, the MAM building designed by the Swiss firm of Herzog & de Meuron has generated enthusiasm among architectural critics and museum officials alike.

Lately, MAM director Thom Collins said, that sense of excitement has spread to the museum’s benefactors.

As workers give shape to the museum’s Stiltsville-inspired design, donations to the building campaign are on pace to meet the promise made by museum trustees to raise $120 million in private funds to offset the costs of construction and future operations, he said. More than half has already been pledged.

“People don’t get on board until they see things,’’ Collins said during a recent tour of the construction site. “We’re well within $2 million of finishing the bricks and mortar fundraising.’’
...

The guaranteed maximum price for MAM’s new building is $131 million, Collins said, but the total price tag on the project, including an endowment to ensure its future operations, is about $220 million.


Public money from a general obligation bond approved by Miami-Dade voters in 2004 will pay $100 million of that cost. Museum trustees pledged to raise an additional $120 million in private donations, including $31 million to offset construction costs, $70 million for an endowment to ensure future operations, and $19 million for transitional expenses.

Link to Article

Shanghai seeks premier art status with new museums - posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

The China Art Palace, formerly the China Pavilion

Shanghai seeks premier art status with new museums

By Bill Savadove (AFP)

SHANGHAI — Shanghai on Monday opened two new art museums on the former site of the 2010 World Expo, as China's commercial hub seeks to rival art capitals like New York and Paris.

The China Art Museum, intended to be Shanghai's premier showplace for modern art, threw open its doors in the former China pavilion, which was the signature building for the world's fair.

"The scale and configuration is matchless in Asia. It is close to America's Metropolitan Museum of Art, France's Musee d'Orsay and other internationally famous art museums," Shanghai culture chief Hu Jinjun said before the opening.

The government-backed museum has an exhibition space alone of 64,000 square metres (688,890 square feet), Hu told state media.

A new contemporary art museum also welcomed holiday crowds on Monday to exhibit works from the 1980s onwards and give a permanent home to Shanghai's annual art festival.

Called the "Power Station of Art", the 40,000-square-metre (430,556 square feet) museum takes its name from the former power station building which was converted for the Expo.

 The Power Station of Art

Critics have raised questions over how Shanghai will fill the massive spaces with meaningful exhibitions.

"They're basically modelling themselves on New York or London," said Chris Gill, a Shanghai-based artist and arts writer.

"China tends to build these huge art museums. The problem is what they're going to put in it. The content side is always compromised by the political situation," he told AFP.

China censors art that it considers politically sensitive or pornographic, with local officials having the right to pull individual works or shut down shows.
Shanghai officials in September barred display of a photo work by artist Chi Peng, which shows a gorilla at Beijing's famed Tiananmen Square, according to his microblog.

In 2006, Shanghai shut down an exhibition by dozens of Chinese artists at a private art museum for showing "pornographic" images, described as pictures of naked women.

The exhibitions in place for the opening of the China Art Museum are heavily weighted towards Chinese art, but one floor has foreign works including a painting by Rembrandt and another by Johannes Vermeer -- on loan from the Netherlands' Rijksmuseum.

Shanghai university student Wang Qingyong marvelled at the size of the new museum.

"There is a lot of space. More works will come," she said gazing at a painting by the American artist Robert Bechtle.
Shanghai has already tested the China Pavilion as a venue for art, spending $1.4 million for China's biggest ever exhibition of the works of Spanish artist Pablo Picasso last year, but attendance was lower than expected.

The city has high hopes for attendance, distributing free tickets for 10,000 people a day to the China Art Museum and 6,000 daily for the Power Station of Art over the week-long National Day holiday, which started Monday.

Link to Article
Link to another article about the Museums

Like there were not enough reasons to visit Shanghai, old and new.  These new Museums and the cities commitment to modern art will be tested by China's still very strict censorship policies.  Perhaps as long as the artists are Western and criticizing there own cultures they will get a pass.  But what happens when one of these museums shows work by a Chinese artist critical of the Chinese government?  When China's best known contemporary artist Ai Wei had an opening last year in New York, the Chinese government jailed him so he could not be at his own show. Imagine how they would react to a retrospective of his work at one of the new museums in Shanghai that they fund.  GL

Link to Free Ai Weiwei website