St. Petersburg ranked as top arts destination -- posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

 

American Style Magazine has ranked St. Petersburg No. 1 in an annual survey of the nation’s top "mid-sized U.S. cities" 25 arts destinations. St. Petersburg has a great art scene with fine galleries and world class museums. One of the best kept secrets of Florida is the Dali Museum. Most Floridian's are not even aware that all of Dali's best work is here in Florida. St. Petersburg is a town not unlike where Dali was born in Spain. The Museum sits right on the water next to the fishing boat fleets. With the ocean and fishing played such an important role in Dali's work, the museum is perfectly situated. The Dali Museum is undergoing a huge transformation which will be completed in January of next year. GL

St. Petersburg ranked as top arts destination - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

CALL TO FLORIDA WOMEN ARTISTS -- posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

Florida Museum for Women Artists / Deland, FL

CALL FOR INSTALLATION ART BY WOMEN
Show title: Witness To Creativity -  Exhibition Dates – July 19,210 – August 28, 2010  

Fri., May 22, 2010 – postmark deadline for application

CALL TO FLORIDA WOMEN ARTISTS
Show title:  First Annual Juried Exhibition  

Exhibition Dates – November 19, 2010 – February 6, 2011 

July 15, 2010  – Postmark deadline for applications

Applications can be found here.

“Le Iconique: Terribly Odd Solo Show” - Bear and Bird Boutique + Gallery -- posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

Go see this show!  Terribly Odd, a Miami artist, is having a solo show in Lauderhill at The Bear and Bird Boutique + Gallery.  The Bear and Bird is located on the second floor of Tate's Comics.  If you haven't experienced Tate's yet, you must go.  With over 6,000 square feet of retail space, Tate's is filled with comics, movies, books, toys, collectibles and memorabilia.   Plan to stay awhile because you can spend hours looking around.  As a big fan of anything Star Wars related this store is paradise for me!  The happy owners Tate and Amanda have always supported the local art scene but they took it a step further than most.   While they were expanding the comic store back in 2006 they added a gallery space to exhibit local artists.  Opened in 2007, The Bear and Bird Gallery has put on some great shows.  In fact some of the best group shows I have seen in South Florida have been in their little gallery above the comic store.  Tate and Amanda are warm and welcoming, stop by and say hi.  Now is a great time to visit because Terribly Odd is having a super show that should not be missed.  GL

The Gallery and Store are located at 4566 North University Drive - Lauderhill, FL 33351
The show runs thru June 12th

Tate's Comics
The Bear and Bird Boutique + Gallery
Terribly Odd

Mayor Bloomberg vs Artists -- posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

The street artists in Paris, the ones around the Eiffel Tower, the ones that 30 years ago sold inexpensive beautiful watercolors and pastels of Paris to tourists, have all been replaced.  The artists have been replaced with salesmen, their original art works replaced with cheap prints.  They look like real artists with their paintings spread out on a blanket, some even have paints and brushes, but they are just props, no one is painting.  It turns out, some time ago, the wise elders of Paris started to charge the artists and require them to carry permits.   Artists work on the thinnest of margins, street artists doubly so.  Slowly but surely the artists stopped painting and a large company took over.  The company makes cheap prints and put salesmen on the city streets.  They do such a good job looking like artists most tourists never notice.  But I was shocked I could not find one real street artist in Paris.   It made the whole city seem fake to me, like Disney World.  Now New York is going down the same path.   How could artists be the problem with New York?  Have you ever heard of an artist causing trouble?   Has anyone ever complained that there was to much art?  Will there be nothing left to purchase from your trip to New York other than an "I Love New York" T-shirt or a Twin Towers ashtray?   Sad.   And one more thing, if the US Constitution's First Amendment doesn't protect someone's right to express themselves on paper and then sell that piece of paper on their city street block, then it has no meaning. GL


t r u t h o u t | Mayor Bloomberg vs Artists: The Battle for the Soul of New York City

Purple Craze for Warhol -- posted by Florda Fine Art Blog

 

Now its Sotheby's turn!  Warhol and two of my other favorite artists had a big night.  A record price for Richard Serra, Corner Prop, went for $1,986,500 and a great Mark Rothko piece from 1961 went for $28 million!  GL

Warhol had another big evening, particularly in the case of Self Portrait (1986), a nine-foot-tall painting of Warhol wearing his now-famous fright wig was the star lot. Tom Ford owned the impressive painting, which is from a series of five. At least five bidders chased it until the bidding slowed at around $25 million. The contest narrowed to three bidders until the work was hammered at $29 million ($32.6 million with premium) to a Sotheby's phone bidder. The pre sale estimate was $10–15 million.

A 1948 Jackson Pollock with a pre-sale estimate of $4–6 million sold in the room after several telephone bidders tried unsuccessfully to obtain the work; it sold for $7.75 hammer, or $8,762,500 with premium. A sublimely red 1961 Rothko was bid up to $15 million between several telephone bidders and a standing bidder. After a brisk back-and-forth, it was hammered down for $28 million, or $31,442,500.

Purple Craze for Warhol - The Market - News & Opinion - Art in America

Finalists Announced in Knight Arts Challenge -- posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

MIAMI – The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation today announced the finalists in the third round of an annual contest that aims to bring together South Florida’s diverse community through the arts. The 41 finalists of the Knight Arts Challenge – which include festival organizers, a recording studio, theater groups, museums and municipalities – were picked from a wide-ranging field of applicants with a broad spectrum of ideas. Descriptions of the finalists’ projects are available below and at www.KnightArts.org. Next fall, Knight Foundation will announce the winners of the matching arts grants.

Finalists Announced in Third Year of Knight Arts Challenge - Knight Foundation

Another Successful Week for Christie's -- posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

Many new buyers, record prices and lots of enthusiasm marked the Postwar and Contemporary sale at Christie's. One of Jasper Johns "Flags" sold for $28.4 million far above the $10 - $15 million estimate. The painting was only owned by one previous owner, the late Michael Crichton. Mr Crichton's offered collection totaled $93.3 million, the highest ever total for a post-war collection. GL

Postwar and Contemporary Sale Is Stunning Success at Christie's - NYTimes.com

HistoryMiami seeking to double its size -- posted by Flordia Fine Art Blog

The Historical Museum of Southern Florida now renamed HistoryMiami will be expanding into the space Miami Art Museum will soon be vacating. This will double the size of the museum. An often over looked museum HistoryMiami has great exhibitions focusing on South Florida history. GL

From the article; The museum envisions emphasis on a "South Florida Folk Life Center" complete with a venue for display art and cultural performances. Logistics are still in the works, including how the museum might connect — or facilitate connectivity — between its existing facility and the neighboring but separate art museum space.


HistoryMiami seeking to double its size, add performance space

Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art - Latin American Collection -- posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art/Nova Southeastern University -- Latin American Collection

This show will be running at the Museum until December so everyone should go see it, no exscuses! One of the best collections of Latin American Artists work.  I missed the opening last Saturday but will be reviewing the show for the blog next week.

Pearl and Stanley Goodman Latin American Collection

Last weekend to see "Reflections: Paintings of Florida 1865-1965" -- posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

Not to be missed. This private collection is every bit as good as the Vickers.  This collection includes every major painter from the past two centuries that came to Florida.  From John Bunyan Bristol, Sunset, St. Augustine, 1864 to Albert Ernest Backus, Egrets' Roost, Fort Pierce, ca. 1965.  This collection is truly complete.  I hope this exhibition gets to travel the state.  GL

Reflections: Paintings of Florida 1865 – 1965 From the Collection of Cici and Hyatt Brown
This exhibition has been drawn from the largest known private collection of Florida-based art in existence today. “Reflections” features masterworks by well-known American artists, including Thomas Hart Benton, William Aiken Walker, Martin Johnson Heade, Frederic Remington, Herman Herzog, Frederick Carl Frieseke, Walt Kuhn, N.C. Wyeth and Jane Peterson. 

FINAL DAYS! Closes May 17, 2010

Daytona Beach - Museum of Arts and Sciences > Reflections Debut Exhibition

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT -- Marcus Antonius Jansen -- by Florida Fine Art Blog

 

This past Saturday night one of the best painters in America, Marcus Antonius Jansen, had a show opening in the Miami Design District, at 101/Exhibit.  The show’s title is "ZEITGEIST" and Marcus has about 25 paintings, large and small, in the exhibition.   The show opening broke all attendance records for the artist with over 1,500 people in attendance.  The show is running until June 8th in Miami at Gallery 101/Exhibit.  Address: 101 NE 40th Street, Miami, Florida 33137.  After the show I posed a few questions to Marcus.

Amelia Island is for Artists -- posted by Flordia Fine Art Blog

 

Great programs being offered by artists all through the summer! Amelia Island has some great galleries. I will be featuring the Island and some of its best artists later this summer in my ARTIST SPOTLIGHT.  If you haven't been, its an art experience you won't soon forget.  Fun little southern town just crawling with artists. GL


Amelia Island is for Artists: Spend Some Creative “Island Time” | Amelia Island Living eMagazine & Travel Guide, Fernandina Beach

Frank Frazetta, Fantasy llustration Artist, Dies 82 -- posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

The king of wild fantasy illustrations died in Florida at the age of 82.  As a fantasy genre geek myself when I was young, I had a calender of his artwork and I may still have an old Molly Hatchet album he did the cover for.   Mr. Frazetta liked scantly clad warrior men and women.  The use of tiny metal bikini tops worn by busty warrior women may be his greatest contribution to his field, if not, it's what I appreciated most as a young boy.  Mr. Frazetta understood that fierce ugly dragons battling large muscle men with swords work better with scantly clad women around.  He will be missed. GL


http://www.frankfrazetta.org/

R.I.P. Frank Frazetta, The Artist Of Our Fantasies - frank frazetta - io9

A Museum in Florida, Flush With Cash, May Be Expanding -- posted by Floirda Fine Art Blog

While most Florida museums are struggling, The Backus Gallery and Museum is making plans to expand.  Thanks to strong fiscal management, good community outreach and a new tourism grant the museum is flush with cash.  Museum Director Kathleen Fredrick is to be commended for her work.  Most museums become larger and larger over the years and end up being huge exhibition spaces that need the expensive traveling art shows to fill the space and draw crowds.  While these shows are interesting they do not reflect the needs or aesthetic of the local community.  The Backus Museum has maintained its focus on the community and the community has rewarded the museum with cash support.  I can only hope that the new plans to expand do not make the same mistakes our other museums have made and build so big that the museum no longer serves the town or city in which it was built.  GL

Backus Gallery anticipates expansion » TCPalm.com

Wynwood Art Walk This Saturday! -- by Flordia Fine Art Blog

Every second Saturday of the month Wynwood Art District has an Art Walk.  Its a great night, walking from gallery to gallery.  There is music along the streets and every restaurant and art gallery does something special.  With more galleries than you can see in one night its best to take a map and have a plan.  This has really become quite a scene, even out of season during the hot summer months the art walk is packed.   My advice; show up early, keep moving and understand going in that your not going to see everything.  This Saturday I would suggest starting over in the Design District at 101 / Exhibition to see Marcus Jansen's new work and then its just a quick 5 minute drive south to Wynwood.  The streets are safe, the people watching incredible and the art stimulating.  Get out and see for yourself!  GL

Here's a Good Map of Wynwood