By: Mary Jo Almeida-Shore
MAM Ball
On December 8, 2012 the Miami Art Museum (MAM) Ball and after party drew more than 700 stylish supporters, all dressed in black-tie, who gathered at MAM to commemorate the museum’s 29 years at Cultural Center in anticipation of next year’s move to Museum Park. The ball was a thrilling culmination to Miami Art Week/Art Basel Miami Beach, raising an astounding $700,000 for the Museum’s public programming, and marking the 12-month countdown to MAM’s reopening as Pérez Art Museum Miami in its new, Herzog & de Meuron-designed facility alongside Biscayne Bay.
The Museum’s long-time supporters who gathered for this spectacular affair included: Ball chairs Marcella & Daniel Novela, Patty & Bill Kleh, and Pat Papper; Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez and Commissioners Audrey Edmonson and Bruno A Barreiro; City of Miami Vice Chairman Marc Sarnoff; former U.S. Representative Lincoln Diaz-Balart; from the County’s Department of Cultural Affairs, Michael Spring and Mike Fernandez and family, who contributed $5 million to the new museum’s capital campaign along with notable attendees such as: renowned artist Michele Oka Doner, Princess Firyal of Jordan, South Beach Wine and Food Festival creator Lee Brian Schrager, Dr. & Mrs. Philip Frost, acclaimed photographer Iran Issa-Khan, The Real Housewives of Miami star Ana Quincoces, Deco Drive’s Louis Aguirre, Univision personality Maria Elena Salinas, and former MAM Director Terence Riley, Susie & Walid Wahab, Criselda & Jonathan Breene, Tui Pranich, Gingi Beltran, Jack Benmeleh & Tara Sokolow, Barbara Becker and many others.
Guests enjoyed a gorgeous dinner party in the upper-level gallery, which was transformed into an environment created by New Work Miami 2013 artist Emmett Moore followed by a night of dancing under the stars to sounds by The Steve Chase Society, followed by DJ sets by NY-based duo Tanlines and BLOND:ISH at “Crash the Ball,” the after party that lasted into the early morning. Famed dessert master, James Beard-nominated pastry chef, Hedy Goldsmith prepared an exquisite dessert adventure which kept the “Crashers” fueled for the late night revelry.
A Night under the Stars at the Bass
On the same night, over at the Bass Museum of Art, Walter Otero Contemporary Art hosted “A Night under the Stars,” a party that was lauded as being one that Andy Warhol would have loved to have attended according to Warhol superstar/artist Ultra Violet. “This event is by far the best marriage between the arts and party during Art Basel. It was pure contagious magic and love, every second of it,” said Brandi Reddick of Cultural Affairs and Art in Public Places of Miami.
Guests were immersed in the superb setting and uplifting mood of the party created by a combination of exquisite music, food, art and energy. A large format video projected on the exterior walls of the museum elicited a stream of “wows” from the audience throughout the evening. Classic clips from movies such as La Dolce Vita, Metropolis, Auntie Mame, Julieta of the Spirits, and Barbarella were blended with footage from Puerto Rican films and cult icon Iris Chacon. Images from artists including Carlos Betancourt, Angel Otero, Allore and Calzadilla, Arnaldo Roche, Luis Vidal, Rafael Vega, Gamaliel Rodriguez, Michael Linares, Ramon Miranda, Monica Rodriguez, Axel Ruiz, Victor Vazquez, Hector Arce, Osvaldo Budet, Ignacio Lang, Andres Serrano and Fabian Marcacio, who are represented by the Walter Otero gallery were also flashing in and out in the video mix throughout the night. Betancourt, whose passion for all things magical was instrumental to the musical selection and video, was seen dancing all night long. Walter Otero and Ultra Violet were also caught tearing up the dance floor: dancing to the rhythms of Hector Lavoe.
Notable guests included some of the most influential artists and collectors in the art world and local personalities including artist Tracy Emin, of Lehmann Maupin and White Cube Gallery, (who was the first to arrive!); Rachel Lehmann and Carla Camacho, of Lehmann Maupin Gallery, NY/ Hong Kong; Luisa Lagos, of Yvon Lambert Gallery, Paris; Celia Birbragher from Art Nexus; Silvia Cubina, director of the Bass Museum of Art; collector, Cesar Reyes; artist Carlos Betancourt; Rocio Aranda, curator of the Barrio Museum; Elisa Turner, of Art in America; collectors John Belk and Margarita Serapion; Delphine Dray, owner of the National Hotel; Desiree Busi, of ArtBinder; MacArthur Fellow poet Cambell McGrath; French singer Florent Pagny; international curator Mariagela Capuzzo; art critic Ann Tchida; Carmen Dominicci; news anchor, Belkys Nerey; RHOM cast member, Marysol Patton and Broadway Producer Richard Jay Alexander.
