Alicia Patao, 5, draws on Peruvian Daniela Wicki's interactive piece entitled "Awakening 2008" during the Arteamericas Latin American art fair. Photo by David Adame/Ap
Paint us a pintura: arteamericas
By Marguerite Gil
With the impact of Art Basel, Art Miami, Art Palm Beach, plus a spectrum of exceptional 'street' festivals (Coconut Grove, Beaux Arts, Las Olas, Boca Arts), why would newcomer arteamericas think that they could create another niche and squeeze one more massive art fair into South Florida's already overloaded arts scene?
Well, maybe because this top-notch show caters primarily to the Latin market.
But let's not confuse the issue. Latins make up a very important part of collectors and visitors, who truly enjoy all of the above mentioned shows, but arteamericas, initiated in 2002, exhibits artists from every South and Central American country as well as artists from Spain, Mexico and the Caribbean who specialize in paintings and sculptures created by Latins. Viva la diferencia!
Although the initial goal of organizers was to keep the fair down to an intimate "boutique" size, the show has become so popular and well-attended that 70 international galleries from over a dozen nations are participating this year. Additionally, arteamericas has outgrown the Coconut Grove Convention Center and moved into Miami Beach's massive Convention Center.
This year expect to see works from past attendees such as Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil, Peru, Puerto Rico the Dominican Republic as well as many new additions from Chile and even Montreal, Canada. New York City's Museo del Barrio, Long Beach, California's Museum of Latin American Art (MoLAA), Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico and Venezuela's Fundacion Cisneros, as well as local institutions such as the Miami Beach Bass Museum of Art, CIFO/Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation, Lowe Art Museum, MAM, MOCA, Rubell Family Collection and The Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum.
Special events during arteamericas include a series of lectures planned throughout the fair. Spaces will also be set aside for Florida International University and New World School of the Arts last year students. The students will have an opportunity to share their works at the fair. The artist who receives the most votes from exhibiting galleries will be eligible for a paid trip to New York City in order to visit museums, galleries and network.
Arteamericas, Miami Beach Convention Center, 1901 Convention Center Dr., Miami Beach; Fri. & Sat., noon-9 p.m.; Sun., noon-7 p.m.; Monday, noon-5 p.m.; $12; free entrance daily from noon-2:00 p.m.
Published: 3/26/08
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Art Vision Gallery from Miami had an outstanding collection of interesting work, especially from one of its artists, Daniela Wicki, certainly considered from my perspective,the Best of Show.
Full review...The artist combines glass and mosaics nicely illuminated. A coffee table with a stainless steel frame lighting up the art work from underneath and creating a visual blanket on the glass. The same with framed painting on the walls. They all become some sort of sculptures with a unique lighted accent. The artist also displayed an installation with a live duo of strings musicians with the main intermittently lighted piece surrounded by blackboard walls where people with colored chalks expressed an opinion or comments.Among other notable artists with this gallery, Jaime Gil with a mixed media melted wax on canvas created geometric shapes and figures and played with different color tones. Elena Lasala, Chenco and Armando Villegas had their signatures pieces showcased as well.
Posted by: jesusjay on Fri, 2008-03-28 10:35