"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