By:  Dr. Mary Jo Almeida-Shore and Maryanne Salvat

Art Basel, the Mecca for art collectors and enthusiasts will take over Miami from December 6 through 9, 2012.  In its 11^th season, the most prestigious art show in the Americas will feature more than 260 leading galleries from North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa, among the most respected in the world that will showcase works by more than 2,000 artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.  Special exhibition sections feature young galleries, performance art, public art projects and video art and musical experiences. Art Basel will provide a vital platform for art lovers, allowing them to both discover new developments in contemporary art and experience rare museum-caliber artworks.  In addition to the actual show at the Miami Beach Convention Center, art museums throughout South Florida, satellite art fairs, and events for and by curators provide the perfect forum for encountering and experiencing art and design. Every year, a greater number of art collectors, artists, dealers, curators, critics and art enthusiasts from around the world participate in Art Basel – and the requisite parties keep the locals and the visitors in an art-induced state of bliss.  Without a doubt, sunny Miami is the favorite winter meeting place for the international art world.  Below, we have highlighted just a few of the major events that are scheduled this year, and are sure to make Art Basel 2012 the best to date.  Be sure to visit Passport Miami for the latest updates. Read the rest of this entry »

Tom Brokaw, Marc and Nick Buoniconti of the The Buoniconti Fund

By:  Dr. Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

Destination Fashion

Destination Fashion took over Bal Harbour Shops on November 10, with a star-studded, over-the-top party three years in the making. NFL Hall of Famer Nick Buoniconti and his son Marc of the The Buoniconti Fund (the fundraising arm of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis) hosted the fantastic event, for which Barton G. transformed the luxury mall into a themed celebration, spotlighting “The Destinations” of locations from around the world such as Asia, Africa and the Americas, for over 2, 000 fashion-forward VIPs including celebrities, sports stars and philanthropists.  Guests enjoyed an Emilio Pucci’s Spring 2013 Fashion Show designed by Peter Dundas, a gourmet dinner, interactive destination party experience and private concert by Enrique Iglesias.  The successful fundraiser got off to a running start when long-time Buoniconti Fund Board Member and supporter, Christine E. Lynn, who was being presented with the Humanitarian Award, announced a gift of $25 million.  This staggering amount contributed in large part to the $31 million raised throughout the evening.  Micky and Madeleine Arison, received the Inspiration Award; Edie Laquer and the Laquer Foundation, received the Champion for a Cure Award; The Buoniconti Fund Award was granted to Paul and Swanee DiMare, and the Philanthropist Award was presented to Beatrice and Dr. Sanford Ziff. Read the rest of this entry »

By:   Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

The InterContinental Miami, awash in fuchsia lighting, became a colorful scene out of a Bollywood movie on Saturday, November 3, for the 18th Annual InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball, complete with gigantic murals of Buddha, an authentic, New Delhi-style Indian street-market, filled with  baskets of spices, fruits, and vegetables (intermingled with silent-auction stands); lavishly, costumed dancers, ornate parasols, brilliantly hued flowing fabrics and an elaborate Indian street parade, led by an elephant, which escorted guests into the main ballroom- a kaleidoscope of colors, resembling a massive, traditional Indian tent.   Think:  Indian wedding meets Bollywood movie. Read the rest of this entry »

By: Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

Jelsomino Combines Cabaret and Karaoke 

A dapper, Michael Capponi, recently hosted the opening night party for Jelsomino, Miami Beach’s opulent, new upscale theatrical karaoke concept- (70% cabaret, 20% Burlesque, 10% karaoke).  Think: the Moulin Rouge meets Chicago, In fact, both of those movies were being projected on large screens in between numbers. Capponi, (channeling his elegant Italian nightclub owner/ restaurateur father, Feffo Capponi) unveiled the new club, for which he is promoting special nights each week with a private, VIP opening for 400 guests who gathered to join the nightlife impresario/entrepreneur/philanthropist in welcoming the Ginza Project and Jelsomino founder Tatiana Brunetti in their first South Florida venture.  Read the rest of this entry »

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

If we hadn’t been right smack in the middle of October- engaged in a frantic hunt for the perfect Halloween costume- we could have sworn that the über private, tres chic, fashionably fabulous grand opening party for the Louis Vuitton Miami Design District store on October 18, was an Art Basel gathering, complete with all of the elements we’ve come to expect.  With an exclusive A+ guest list comprised of an international jet set crowd, including artists, photographers, writers, designers, art collectors and the generally and genetically gifted, (dressed to the nines); the unveiling of an original, custom designed graffiti wall mural by celebrated graffiti writer, RETNA, AKA, Marquis Lewis; oh, and the free flowing Ruinart Champagne, Louis Vuitton symbolically planted its flag, claiming its territory in its new digs.  Read the rest of this entry »

By:  Dr. Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

Cooper Avenue- Your one-stop Shop for fabulous. 

Well after midnight just a few weeks ago, after delighting in a decadent meal of hamachi with truffles, mushroom risotto, perfectly seared steak and creative concoctions by the Bar Lab team, we partook in what’s sure to become a landmark moment on South Beach. Amir Ben-Zion, the mastermind behind mainstays, Bond Street, the Townhouse, Gigi and Bardot, and his business partner, Shai Ben-Ami (Domo Japones, Wok Town) gathered his staff, friends and family for a Champagne toast for the official unveiling of Cooper Avenue, restaurant/deli/lounge/bakery and marketplace– the most unique space in South Beach, which takes up an entire block, on the bottom floor of the critically acclaimed, New World Symphony building (location! location! location!)  Read the rest of this entry »