By:  Dr. Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

To quote Vanity Fair, “Like a magnet, it draws them. Free champagne, celebrity wattage—and, let’s not forget, the spectacular art of Art Basel Miami Beach—creates private-jet gridlock in South Florida the first few days of every December. If everyone is an Irishman on St. Patrick’s Day, everyone is a ‘collector’ during Art Week Miami.”  While we can’t quite disagree with the sentiment, a commonality during this year’s Art Week was the altruistic nature of many of the events.  From UNTITLED’s VIP opening to benefit Elton John’s AIDS Foundation, to Omar’s  Gala Dinner for Lady Gaga’s Born this Way Foundation, to ELLE DECOR Modern Concept House’s contributions to the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and Bombay Sapphire/Russell Simmons’ dinner to help emerging artists to the crown jewel of the week:  the PAMM Gala- event hosts, art collectors, celebrities, socialites, artists and partygoers gathered for good.  That’s not to say that extravagant parties for the sake of the party and over-the-top art soirees were amiss- nor that FOMO (fear of missing out) did not reach fever pitch-even among celebrities last week.  For now, we cover the tip of the iceberg- with art parties for charities and a spattering of celebrity sightings. Check back next week for more of the biggest parties and celebrities of Art Week 2013.   

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Kevin Spacey, Randall Slavin, and Eva Longoria during Art Basel

Val Kilmer attended the VIP opening for the UNTITLED Art Fair to kick off the week, where a limited-edition print, created by artist Marina Abramovic was unveiled, the sales of which were donated to the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Marina Abramovic Institute.  

Kevin Spacey, Adrian Grenier and Princess Eugenie were guests at British artist, Tracey Emin’s party. 

Gerard Butler co-hosted a dinner at the W South Beach with Dom Pérignon.  Fellow diners included Eva Longoria and Serena Williams. 

Hublot partnered with Hebru Brantley and the Mourning Family Foundation for a private seated dinner and auction catered by Todd English.  Several VIP celebrity clients and friends of the brands were in attendance, including: Stephen Dorff, Lenny Kravitz, Eva Longoria, Jared Leto, Tracy and Alonzo Mourning, Lenny and Lisa Hochstein, Jeremy Shockey, Kenny Burns, Lea Black, Domingo Zapata, Josh Altman from Bravo TVs Million Dollar Listing, Loren Ridinger, Serena Williams, Jill Zarin, Alicia and Mike Piazza. 

Jason Binn, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Tommy Hilfiger and Roberto Cavalli were spotted at DuJour Magazine’s party for artist Marc Quinn at the Delano Hotel. Zoe and Lenny Kravitz and Steven Tyler hung out in the DJ booth at the Dom Perignon party hosted by Alex Dellal, Stavros Niarchos, and Vito Schnabel at Wall at the W South Beach. Adrian Grenier performed Cindy Lauper’s ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun’ at Rec Room’s Chez Andre pop-up party on Thursday night before his “Entourage” of 10 who partied in the crowded club alongside Nicole and Lionel Richie.  Grenier was spotted at Rec Room the following night for the closing of Chez Andre- where Andres Balazs was in attendance.

Marc Anthony, Elle McPherson and husband, Jeff Soffer, celebrated alongside Jorge and Darlene Perez at the stellar PAMM Ball (more on this next week). Leonardo DiCaprio attended a party at the home of Ugo Colombo to benefit Best Buddies. Hans Ulrich Obrist, Jacques Herzog and Kanye West participated in a pane discussion during Surface Magazine’s Design Dialogues.

By: Maryanne Salvat 

Bobby’s Burger Palace Opens in Dadeland Mall 

Chef and restaurateur Bobby Flay brings his passion for burgers, fries, and shakes to Miami with the opening of Bobby’s Burger Palace (BBP), his very first restaurant in the “Sunshine state.” Located in Miami’s Dadeland Mall, Bobby’s Burger Palace is anchored on the second floor of the mall’s highly-anticipated redeveloped two-story wing. BBP Miami is also the very first store, among the impressive list of 22 retailers and restaurants, to open in the new wing. BBP Miami offers an assortment of burgers inspired by Bobby’s extensive travels throughout America, including Miami. One of BBP’s signature burgers is the Cuban sandwich-inspired Miami Burger, which is pressed with ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard and mayonnaise. Visit www.bobbysburgerpalace.com or call 305.667.4617 for further details. 

PAMM Kicks Off Free Second Saturday Presented By Target 

Visitors of all ages are invited to Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) to kick off the museum’s free, monthly program featuring a day of art-making, family-friendly gallery tours, performances and more! This month, celebrate Miami’s new cultural port, by building personalized model boats inspired by PAMM’s bay front location and artist Hew Locke’s installation of suspended sea vessels, which hang from the ceiling at the museum’s entrance. Get pumped up with “First Beat,” a special drum performance taking place throughout the museum. Each hour, on the hour, 12 female drummers (from Miami and New York City) will fill PAMM with beats that were intended to be performed exclusively by men, but were re-written to be performed by everyone! Visitors will be invited to create their own percussion instruments and join in the fun! The commissioned performance is composed by Mindy Abovitz, founder and publisher of Tom Tom Magazine, the only publication dedicated to female drummers. Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10am – 6pm, and Thursday evenings 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. For more information, visit pamm.org or call 305.375.3000. 

Nikki Beach Miami Spanish Sundown Dinner 

Nikki Beach Miami is bringing a bit of Ibiza, Mallorca and Marbella to Miami Beach every Saturday night with their new Spanish Sundown Dinner series. Featuring flamenco shows, weekly food & cocktail specials and a live Paella station, Nikki Beach Miami is the perfect spot to dine before a night out on the town! Open every Saturday, 6:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. Reservations.miami@nikkibeach.com | 305. 538.1111; for menu and more information: http://www.nikkibeachmiami.com/saturday-dinner/. 

Spa at the Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne 

Join the Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne for a cocktail event celebrating the recent renovations of the Spa at the Ritz! They’ve got surprises galore, but to give you a hint, mermaids will be involved. It’s all happening from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 12 at the Ritz Carlton KeyBiscayne.

RSVP to Clayton.McRory@ritzcarlton.com<mailto:Clayton.McRory@ritzcarlton.com> to secure your spot! 

MIAMI Magazine and Sony Host a Toy Drive  

MIAMI Magazine partners with Sony in the Aventura Mall for a Holiday Toy Drive benefitting the Boys & Girls Club. On Saturday, December 14 from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. the Sony store in Aventura will be collecting unwrapped toys and will be giving a $25 or $50 gift certificate towards merchandise in the store. Raffles will be held throughout the event.  RSVP to rsvpmiami@modernluxury.com.

By: Maryanne Salvat and Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

Art Basel Miami

Art Basel will take over South Florida from December 5 through 8 for its 12^th season. Ranked as one of the most influential art events in the world, this year’s five day run will feature close to 300 leading galleries from North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa and will showcase works by more than 2,000 artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.  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 experiencing art and design.

For more information, visit:  https://www.artbasel.com/en/miami-beach.

Design Miami

On December 4 through December 8, Design Miami will be showcasing 37 galleries in Miami Beach, Meridian Avenue & 19th Street. Each year, the fair brings together the most influential crowds from around the world in celebration of design culture and commerce. For more information, visit www.designmiami.com.

SCOPE Miami Beach

SCOPE Miami Beach will feature a wide range of curated projects, sponsor programs and Platinum VIP tours as well as 100 International Exhibitors and 15 Breeder Program galleries. SCOPE Miami Beach opens on Monday, December 2, with its exclusive Platinum VIP Gala, continuing Tuesday, December 3, to welcome VIPs and Press at its First View benefit, and will open to the general public from December 4 – 8.  For the second year in a row, SCOPE, the preeminent launching pad for emerging contemporary art, continues its collaboration with VH1, which through its own “You Oughta Know” initiative has helped launch some of music’s hottest artists. This year, SCOPE and VH1 are teaming up to host ART + MUSIC + BEACH to celebrate the convergence of the music and art worlds in a series of curatorial on-air, online and on-site collaborations at SCOPE’s new location in the heart of South Beach, Miami. The VH1 Indoor Lounge within the SCOPE pavilion will expose SCOPE Miami Beach attendees to a series of activations designed to celebrate the crossover between art and music, and will be open to all for the duration of the event from December 3-8, 2013.

Red Bull Curates: The Canvas Cooler Project

Ten of the nation¹s top emerging contemporary artists are headed to SCOPE to showcase their work in a group show after being chosen as winners in a nationwide series of competitive gallery showcases. Red Bull Curates: The Canvas Cooler Project paired emerging artists in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, New York and Atlanta with local venue owners to create custom and functional pieces of art which are now on permanent display in some of the hottest bars, lounges and restaurants in each city. Artists were handpicked and given a one-day challenge to transform a blank canvas-wrapped Red Bull cooler into an inspired work of art. The show is located at 1000 Ocean Drive in Miami Beach.

For additional information, visit www.redbull.com/curates. The show will be open from December 4 – 8 from 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Miami Independent Thinkers at SCOPE

Sara Read, Heather Read, Laraine Hart and Kerry McLaney (305 Creative Group) present Miami’s Independent Thinkers ART BASEL 2013, a collaborative multimedia art exhibition showcasing Miami’s premiere, emerging and young artists. To be held at SCOPE Miami Beach BOOTH K 01 (1000 Ocean Drive Miami Beach), its new location on the sands of Miami Beach. The 7-day fair aims to feature local artists working across a range of media – painters, photographers, filmmakers, sculptors, animators, writers, musicians, muralists, performance and new media artists. The fair will run from December 2nd-8^th during Art Basel. For the complete schedule, tickets and hours, visit:  www.miamithinkers.com or http://scope-art.com/shows/miami-beach-2013/visitor-info/.

Pulse

PULSE Contemporary Art Fair is the leading US art fair dedicated solely to contemporary art. Through its annual editions in Miami and New York, PULSE provides a unique platform for diverse galleries to present a progressive blend of renowned and pioneering contemporary artists, alongside an evolving series of original programming. The fair’s distinctive commitment to the art community and visitor experience makes PULSE unique among art fairs and creates an art market experience that is both dynamic and inviting.The Fair is divided into two sections and is comprised of a mix of established and emerging galleries vetted by a committee of prominent international dealers. The IMPULSE section presents galleries invited by the Committee to present solo project booths exhibiting emerging work created in the past two years.  One artist featured in the IMPULSE section is awarded the PULSE Prize, which is a cash grant given to the winner artist to help further his career.In addition, PULSE develops original cultural programming with a series of large-scale installations, its PULSE Play> video lounge, and the PULSE Performance events. PULSE supports numerous nonprofit art organizations and schools.  This year’s fair runs from December 5-8 and takes place at the Ice Palace Studios:  1400 North Miami Avenue.  For more information, visit:  www.pulse-art.com.

Red Dot

Red Dot Miami will host an opening reception on December 3, offer a unique selection of approximately 60 galleries exhibiting painting, sculpture, photography and fine-art objects.  Proceeds from the event will benefit Million Trees Miami.  Million Trees Miami Campaign is a Community-wide effort to plant 1 million trees by 2020 in order to achieve a 30% tree canopy cover for Miami-Dade County. Million Trees Miami has partnered with the Miami-Dade Parks Foundation, a nonprofit organization that aims to preserve parks and green space. Red Dot is proud to support such a great cause. Red Dot takes place in Midtown Miami, 3011 NE 1st Avenue at NE 31st Street, from December 3-8.  For more information, visit:  www.reddotfair.com or call 917.273.8621.

Art Miami

On December 3 Art Miami kicks off the opening day of Art Week with the highly anticipated Opening Night VIP Preview.  World-famous for its stylish gallery-like decor, its outstanding quality and extraordinary variety, Art Miami showcases the best in modern and contemporary art from 125 international art galleries.

CONTEXT

CONTEXT, the sister fair to Art Miami, is committed to the development and reinforcement of emerging and mid-career artists. The 70 international galleries vetted by the CONTEXT Selection Committee will exhibit highlights from their gallery programs, solo artist exhibitions and/or curated projects. Now in its second year, the fair will take place in a standalone 45,000-square-foot pavilion directly adjacent to the Art Miami Pavilion joined by an outdoor café, lounge and curated outdoor art exhibition.

A network of complimentary shuttle buses will run round-trip service between Art Miami, CONTEXT, Aqua Art Miami and Art Basel Miami Beach.  For more information visit:  www.art-miami.com/.

ELLE DECOR Modern Life Concept House

ELLE DECOR presents the acclaimed ELLE DECOR Modern Life Concept House. The magazine will pair top designers, selected by its editorial team, with prominent lifestyle brands to transform an expansive tropical-modern, waterfront estate on Miami Beach’s exclusive Sunset Island II. The ELLE DECOR Modern Life Concept House will be open to the public while also serving as a venue for a series of private events. Proceeds from the show house will benefit Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University Of Miami Miller School Of Medicine. For location and ticketing information, please visit ElleDecor.com/MLCH.

ShopBAZAAR

The ShopBAZAAR.com boutique by Harper’s BAZAAR will take over the Soho Beach House library and private dining room, transforming them into a chic, editorially-inspired salon space offering luxury fashion and beauty experiences. With personalized shopping consultations with BAZAAR editors and fashion and accessories from ShopBAZAAR.com retail partner Curve Boutique, the store will feature brands including Acne*, Proenza Schouler, and Dion Lee. Special pieces from John Hardy, MCM, MICHELE Watches, and Swarovski will also be available, and French fashion brand Sandro will debut select pieces from their Spring 2014 collection in advance of their first freestanding Florida boutique openings at Aventura Mall in Miami and on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach. The ShopBAZAAR.com boutique will also include exclusive offerings from jewelry designer Jennifer Fisher with proceeds benefiting Free Arts NYC, a nonprofit organization that provides underserved children and families with a unique combination of educational arts and mentoring programs. Guests will be invited to rejuvenate themselves with evian® in Limited Edition bottles by ELIE SAAB and Gevalia Coffee.  The ShopBAZAAR.com boutique will be open to the public on Tuesday, December 3, through Thursday December 5. For open hours or to  RSVP contact thestyle@harpersbazaar.com.

 Calvin Klein was spotted at Bâoli this past Saturday night. Klein and a group of friends sipped on three Magnums of Perrier Jouët Belle Epoque rose. Klein feasted on rounds of Bâoli’s tiger prawns along with the white truffle risotto. 

On Saturday, actor and comedian Tom Arnold spent the day at Hyde Beach at SLS Hotel South Beach with his wife and children.  Jerry Seinfeld stopped by Jazziz Nightlife in Boca Raton last Saturday night. This weekend, Bethenny Franklin was seen there. 

Anjelica Huston hosted a cocktail party in honor of her new book at the Standard on Saturday evening.

Notable guests including Bruce Weber, Barbara Becker, Andre Balazs, Iran Issa-Khan, Sam Robin, Ranjana Khan, Kelley Linch, Natalie Rawat, Michael Leondas Kirkland, and John Lin joined Huston for the celebration.  NFL player Jeremy Shockey and American Pie actress Tara Reid were spotted at Pool House Saturdays at Hyde Beach at the SLS Hotel South Beach. The two arrived together with a large group of friends and spent the day inside the lounge enjoying cocktails and music before enjoying Grey Goose cocktails poolside.   Last Thursday’s opening night red carpet reception and VIP after party for the Recent Cinema from Spain at the Olympia Theater at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts brought out the stars.  Following the movie screening of A Gun in Each Hand, guests were treated to a private Q&A with the star of the film, Javier Camara.   Celebrities in attendance included:  actress, Amaia Salamanca, director Jesús Monllao,  Miami’s General Consul of Spain, Cristina Barrios, Nacho Cano, Nicolas Vallejo Nagera “Colate”, Spanish Flamenco dancer, Primitivo, Real Housewives of Miami’s Marysol Patton, Spanish singer, Antonio Carmona and actress Katherine Castro.   On Wednesday at Zuma, David Beckham discussed his upcoming plans for a Miami soccer team whilst lunching in a secluded area of the terrace.  On Sunday night, several Brazilian soccer team members,including Robson DeSouza, Neymar and Thiago Silva, celebrated their Saturday win with lots of sushi at Zuma.   Chris Bosh and teammates,  Lebron James and Dywane Wade watched Monday Night Football at Jon Vilma’s Brother Jimmy’s BBQ.  

 By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

YoungArts Midnight Supper at the St. Regis 

The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort honored its century-old tradition of the Midnight Supper in a partnership with the National YoungArts Foundation, at an elegant dinner on Thursday, November 14, hosted by Marco Selva, General Manager of The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort, and Sarah Arison, board of trustees for National YoungArts Foundation. The sophisticated gathering featured live musical performances, by YoungArts musicians.  After a silent auction, a champagne sabering, and a welcome toast by Selva, guests enjoyed a four-course feast by Brad Kilgore, Chef de Cuisine of J&G Grill, the resort’s critically acclaimed restaurant.  Read the rest here »