Shareef Malnik, Gabrielle Anwar, Nancy and Al Malnik

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

Last Saturday night we were thrilled once again to attend one of our favorite events every season, the Annual InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball, along with 900 A-list VIPs, socialites, philanthropists and celebrities, dressed to the nines in black and white, for this year’s Ball dubbed, “The Party of the Century” in homage to Truman Capote’s A-list-only vanity affair at New York’s Plaza Hotel in 1966.  Guests were welcomed to the black and white avant-garde masquerade at the InterContinental Hotel by “living chandeliers” and led to the white carpet, where they transcended into a glamorous, glowing realm of fantasy featuring psychedelic black and white art installations on the mezzanine which were brought to life by camouflaged performers.

While enjoying the Ball’s much buzzed-about hors d’oeuvre stations, which included a raw bar including lobster and stone crabs and a full sushi bar and passed delights created by InterContinental Miami’s celebrated Executive Chef Alexander Feher, guests bid on more than 125 premier items including a South African safari, children’s ride-on Mercedes SUV and Goodyear Blimp, a voice-activated interactive R2D2 replica from Star Wars; and numerous works of art and vacation packages, to name a few, raising close to $108, 000.  Following the reception, resident Ball and Miami Heat celebrity disc jockey, DJ Irie summoned everyone into the main ballroom for a decadent three-course meal of Sturgeon Mousse with Caviar, Gorgonzola Stuffed Tenderloin, and delicious desserts.

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This year, Sunglass Hut has partnered with Magda Sayeg, aka KNITTA to create limited edition sunglasses for the Sunglass Hut Artist Series. The annual program that chooses up-and-coming artists to create exclusive collectible sunglasses in support of OneSight – the charitable foundation created to help restore and preserve clear vision for underprivileged adults and children worldwide. OneSight’s outreach programs include the hand-delivery of free primary vision care, eyewear and optical sun protection to those in need.  Each pair retails for $130, $30 of which will benefit OneSight. The exclusive shades are available for purchase at www.sunglasshut.com.

Considered to be the mother of yarn bombing, KNITTA leads community-based projects to beautify urban areas around the world.  Her installations have also been featured prominently at American monuments to contemporary culture, such as The Standard Hotel, South By Southwest, and the Austin City Limits Festival. 

by: Mary Jo Almeida-Shore and Maryanne Salvat 

The Bank Nightclub

 This Thursday, November 10, join The Bank Nightclub for its grand opening to the public at 11:00 p.m.  The modern speakeasy is located Downtown at 139 NE 1^st Street in the historic Dade Commonwealth Building and features an ambiance and décor that exudes Capone-esque swagger, prohibition era-themed mixology, cocktail servers dressed as flapper girls, and an actual bank vault that doubles as a VIP room. For more information, visit www.thebankmiami.com.

MonoVisioN  at  DCOTA

Design Center of the Americas (DCOTA) and Charles S. Cohen, Owner, CEO and President of Cohen Brothers Realty, are pleased to announce the Center’s newest exhibit, MonoVisioN, a selection of architectural and lifestyle photographs by distinguished photographer Scott Frances. A VIP reception celebrating the show’s opening will be held on Wednesday, November 16. MonoVisioN, available for viewing in Atrium A until Wednesday, February 15, 2012, showcases 68 large-scale works reflecting the synthesis of Frances’ interests in carefully balanced composition. This precise use of atmospheric and naturally motivated light is evidenced throughout the exhibit and in featured photographs of celebrity homes, including those of Jennifer Anistion and Estee Lauder, among others. With a journalist’s need to tell a story simply, along with his passion for the decorative arts, his imagery bridges recurring themes throughout art history.

The Divorcée Sale

Marriage may not be forever, but style is. The Divorcée Sale, the traveling shopping event where fabulous Divorcées shed their past wears to benefit a great cause, touches down in Miami at the iconic Delano, November 11 through 13. Shoppers will be whisked up to Delano’s chic penthouse where they will have the opportunity to snap up designer bags, clothes and accessories from Balenciaga, Tory Burch, Marc Jacobs, Lanvin, YSL, Miu Miu, Burberry, Chanel, Diane von Furstenberg and more at seriously slashed prices.  Plus, 25% of proceeds benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The Friday night kickoff from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. includes plenty of passed champagne and swag bags for all. The first 50 shoppers to arrive on Saturday and Sunday will also receive gift bags, so rise and shop! For more information and tickets visit  thedivorceesale.com.

 JLM’s Miami Magic Gala

 The Junior League of Miami (JLM), presents the 8^th Annual Miami Magic Gala: Diner de Têtês French Masquerade this Friday, November 11, at the InterContinental Hotel Miami, (100 Chopin Plaza) at 7 pm, bringing a night of Parisian sophistication and glamour that includes dinner, dancing and all things French (well, maybe not ALL things). Honoring the significant community leaders who, through their volunteerism, have made a considerable impact on our community, the event will also celebrate the Junior League of Miami’s 85th year of serving the Miami-Dade community. This year’s honorees include Michael Capponi, Mike Eidson and Loren Ridinger.

Wear your chicest black or white attire to this party, which will be emceed by NBC reporter Amara Sohn, and plan to enjoy an exclusive VIP reception; special awards presentation; whimsical performance provided by the Rainbow Cirque Troupe; silent auction with more than forty carefully selected items; “Rumor Has It/ FIAT” VIP lounge featuring the new Fiat model; “Superlative Awards” for most creative attire; tunes from French DJ Pierre Zon Zon; and exciting raffle prize items including, “The Art of the Sabrage: Grand Cuvee private in-home champagne party” provided by Christolfe and a Tourneau ladies watch; and a special H&H jewels raffle.  Tickets range in price from $85 to $150.  To purchase tickets, or to receive more information about JLM, visit www.jlmiami.org.

MOCA’s Mystery Dates 

The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) invites you to its annual Mystery Dates extravaganza on Saturday November 12.  The excitement begins with cocktails at the museum (770 NE 125 Street) in North Miami at 7 pm, followed by concurrent dinner parties in private homes from Golden Beach to Coral Gables. After dinner, you are invited to reconvene with other guests for a late-night dance party at The Setai, (2001 Collins Avenue). 

“What is the mystery?” you ask.  Well, you will not know the exact location of your fabulous dinner until you arrive at the cocktail.  One thing is for certain: each dinner host lives in a glamorous Miami residence and has pretty smashing taste so you should be delighted regardless of where you end up!  The dinner hosts include:  Jason Atkins, Tania and Robert Bassan, Sam Burstyn, Robert Blumenthal, Olympia de Castro & Gustavo Hernandez, Felipe Grimberg & Eduardo Ojeda, Sofia Joelsson, Gloria & Sergio Leyva, Kathryn & Dan Mikesell, Dale & Richard Newberg, Marcella & Daniel Novella, Hal Philipps, Dr. Leigh Silverston, Adriana & Michael Stein, & Billy Weisman.

Tickets are priced at $175 with a discount of $50 for MOCA Shaker and above members.  A limited number of packages of ten tickets are for sale for $1,250. For more information, about the MOCA Shakers and Mystery Dates contact MOCA at 305. 893.6211 or visit www.mocanomi.org.

Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony at Village of Merrick Park 

 On Thursday, November 17, Village of Merrick Park kicks off the joyous season with its most beloved of events, the annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony. For the fourth time, Village of Merrick Park is environmentally friendly by lighting its 50-foot tree with 55,000 LED light bulbs. The Master of Ceremonies for this magical evening will be Belkys Nerey, Head News Anchor at FOX WSVN Channel 7. Festivities begin at 6:30 p.m., including a musical performance by the Coral Gables High School Choir and a holiday greeting from Santa Claus, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and other character favorites. Throughout The Garden live entertainment including stilt walkers and jugglers will take place. Other children’s activities will include a sugar cookie decoration station provided by Williams-Sonoma and an arts & crafts station provided by Gymboree Play & Music and Pottery Barn Kids, among other exciting surprises. Gather your family around the breath-taking tree for your first memorable photograph of the season.  The tree will be lit at approximately 7:45 p.m. Bring an unwrapped gift to donate to The Voices for Children Foundation, an organization dedicated to raising funds for abused and neglected children in Miami-Dade County.   

Sofia Vergara at BeLive 

BeLive is back to celebrate its 5^th Anniversary Fundraising Gala at the Ritz-Carlton, South Beach (1 Lincoln Road) on Thursday, November 17 at 7 pm.  Chairing this year’s gala is Lauren Santo Domingo and the Co-Chair (whom we’ve been told will be in attendance) is the Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actress from Modern Family, Sofia Vergara. If you can pull away from Ms. Vergara, even for a moment, you may have the chance to bid on one-of-a kind items during the silent auction, such as  Wayuu Mochilas created by Internationally renowned designers. This year, BeLive welcomes designers: Yves Saint Laurent, Givenchy, Christian Dior, Christian Louboutin, Herve Leger, Helmut Lang, and Theskeyns Theory to name a few. During the party, Food Network’s Simply Delicioso star, Ingrid Hoffmann, will be creating sumptuous signature cocktails.  Also expect a concert by Latin Grammy Award winner, Fonseca, a delicious dinner, live entertainment, fashion show by the Webster and much more.    Individual tickets cost $500. For more information, contact Ximena Acosta at ximena@belivecolombia.org or visit:  www.belive.com. Over the past four years, BeLive has raised over $2.5 million dollars towards the betterment of the lives of over 100, 000 Colombians.

Thanks 4 Giving with the Black Eyed Peas

This Thanksgiving honor our armed forces through a program called “Thanks 4 Giving” and also receive an added bonus to use as you wish.   The Black Eyed Peas in conjunction with Sun Life Stadium are offering a fantastic deal that will create a special night for the men and women in the military and their families to share a once in a lifetime concert experience:  the Black Eyed Peas’ final performance of 2011 with special guests Sean Kingston, Cee-Lo Green, T-Pain, Flo-Rida, Jason Derulo and hosted by Queen Latifah, Wednesday, November 23 at Sun Life Stadium (2269 NW 199 Street). Here’s how “Thanks 4 Giving” works:  you buy forty (40) 400 Level tickets for $1,000 that will be donated to the military and their families and in return, receive four (4) floor concert tickets valued at $395 at no additional charge.  What a great deal!  Use the tickets yourself or donate them- either way, you win.  To make it a “Good, Good, night for members of our troops and your fab four, visit: http://www.sunlifestadium.com/Tickets4Charity or call 305.943.1501.  This offer is not available through Ticketmaster.

Oh Jack Ambassadors

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

While the biggest frights this Halloween weekend came courtesy of the weather, enthusiastic partygoers braved gale force winds, torrential downpours, lighting and floods to get their spook on.  Some of the best parties included the Heroes and Villains bash at Soho Beach House, the “Oh Jack”— Jack the Ripper-themed Halloween party at Highbar at Dream South Beach, the Little Lighthouse Foundation’s “Nightmare Above Lincoln Road” at the garage at 1111 Lincoln Road and Michael Capponi and the Opium Group’s Angels and Demons party in a mansion on Pine Tree Drive.  But, regardless of the party’s theme, Halloween means one thing on South Beach- “Go naked!” (and accessorize)- Making for lots of treats and tricks on this hallowed weekend.  So, in the spirit of all of the ghoulish fun, enjoy the photos of the Cheap Tricks, Eye Treats, and Freaks- who came out at night- in droves.

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David Furnish and Sir Elton John

On Friday night, comedian Kevin Hart hosted a party at Club Play, alongside up-and- coming rapper Kendrick Lamar. NBA Superstar Dwyane Wade, close friend of Hart, joined actor Morris Chestnut and former Destiny’s Child member Michelle Williams along with fellow athletes, comedians, and rappers for the night.

Chalk Ping Pong and Billiards Lounge managing partners Joseph Blount and Sayra Moto, along with local tastemakers, Nick D’Annunzio, Tara Solomon, Jose Ortiz, Sean Drake and Michelle Leshem attended Sir Elton John’s “An Enduring Vision” gala last Wednesday, at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. Blount, a major philanthropist, along with his latest venture Chalk, were official co-sponsors of the event, which supports the Elton John Aids Foundation.

Last Tuesday night, singer Josh Groban was seen dining at Mondrian South Beach’s Asia de Cuba. After nibbling on Lobster Pot Stickers and Calamari Salad, Groban checked out Mondrian’s inventive vending machine, Semi Automatic, which sells everything from toothbrushes to cars.

Team Up For Toys

On Thursday, November 3, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., Team Up For Toys and Moonshadows at Hollywood Beach Golf & Country Club host a night of shopping, music, and support benefitting Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Foundation. Founded in 2007, Team Up for Toys has grown to be one of the largest toy collections the hospital receives, bringing smiles to children that are admitted throughout the year during their birthdays, special occasions and the holiday season. This year, in addition to collecting new and unwrapped toys, tax-deductible cash donations and sponsorships are being accepted to support programs and purchase new equipment for the Foundation’s Child Life Department. Tickets are $20 and include a glass of wine and delicious hors d’oeuvres. To purchase tickets visit .

Bass Museum Presents Laurent Grasso: Portrait of a Young Man

The Bass Museum of Art will host an artist reception for its newest exhibit Laurent Grasso: Portrait of a Young Man on Friday, November 4, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. coinciding with the opening of French Week Miami. For his solo exhibition at the Bass Museum, open to the public on October 29, Parisian artist Laurent Grasso juxtaposes historical works from the museum’s permanent collection of Renaissance and Baroque art with his own series of paintings, sculptures, videos and neons. The artist provocatively forms literal and figurative connections between the past and present and investigates shifting and multiple time frames in his conceptual art practice. French Week Miami is organized by the French-American Chamber of Commerce with the support of the French Consulate in Miami and showcases the diversity and richness of the French presence to the community of South Florida. This event is actively supported by the Consulate General of France, www.Frenchweekmiami.org. ; Guests will enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres by A la Folie Café and cocktails. The reception is free to members and bass-pass members and $8 for non-members. French week participants can RSVP at faccevents@faccmiami.com for free admission to the reception.

Miami Science Museum’s Reptile Day

Those who are reptile lovers or simply want to learn more about the fascinating creatures are invited to attend Miami Science Museum’s Reptile Day on Saturday, November 5 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Merging two of the Museum’s most popular events, Snake Day and Lizard Day, Reptile Day will include entertaining and interactive activities about many different reptile species. New to the event this year is the Turtle and Tortoise category. During the event, attendees will have the opportunity to see, touch and experience several different lizard and snake species, while the reptiles’ enthusiastic owners share details about their pets. The pet reptile competition will give select owners a chance to show off their scaly sidekicks, and compete for People’s Choice Awards such as The Largest, Best of Show, Most Unusual, People’s Pick and Junior Herpetologist. Guests will also enjoy a reptile trivia contest, live demonstrations, face painting, build-a-snake or lizard activity, snake personality quiz, and a sampling of “Insect Cuisine” prepared by a professional chef. Reptile Day is sponsored in part by GEICO, Tom Crutchfield, Zoo Med, and United Pet Group, Inc. For more information about sponsorship opportunities, contact Rachael Sablotsky at rsablotsky@miamisci.org. Entrance to the event is included with Museum admission. Students (with valid ID), seniors (62+) and children 3 – 12, $10.95; adults are $14.95. Admission is free for MiaSci members and children under 3. Parking is free.

Sleepless Night at the Betsy Hotel

The Betsy Hotel, a hub for arts and culture on South Beach, will take part in Sleepless Night; Miami Beach’s all night arts festival, on Saturday November 5, with a series of events that exemplify the hotel and its leadership team’s firmly established commitment to philanthropy, art, music and literature. In cooperation with The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, a state of the art mobile recording studio and video production facility, The Betsy Hotel will host a dedication ceremony for a tree that it has donated to the City of Miami Beach in honor of Yoko Ono’s interactive artwork, Wish Tree. Located in Lummus Park, directly across the street from the hotel at 1440 Ocean Drive; the community is invited to attend the dedication and plaque installation beginning at 6:00 p.m. The Wish Tree has been integral to many of Ono’s exhibitions around the world in museums and cultural centers where people have been invited to write their personal wishes for peace and tie them to a tree branch. The first 100 guests to add their wishes to the tree will have their photograph taken by one of several professional photographers (including Robert Zuckerman) and exhibited on board the Lennon Bus. For a full schedule of the evening events, contact the Betsy Hotel at 305.531.6100.

11:11:11

The Wolfsonian Visionaries will host 11:11:11, the second annual Visionaries’ fundraiser to benefit The Wolfsonian–Florida International University. The event will run from 7:00-11:11pm on Friday, November 11, 2011, at the landmark 1111 Lincoln Road garage. The evening, which also marks The Wolfsonian’s 16th anniversary, will feature signature dishes from Miami’s top restaurants and caterers, as well as top shelf spirits from Bacardi. DJ Mauricio Parra will curate the music, and the images of artist Emilio Chapela will be on display in a site-specific installation. The evening will also include a surprise interactive event to mark 11:11pm. 

The evening features an impressive selection of tasting tables from Le Basque, Lovely Daze Desserts, Lyon + Lyon, Meat Market, Petit Pois, Ortanique, Rosa Mexicano, Shake Shack, Stella’s Sweet Shoppe, and Thierry’s Catering. Additional confirmed event sponsors include The Shore Club, Alhambra Antiques, ArtNexus, Fiction Events, and Jacober & Associates. 

The Wolfsonian Visionaries is comprised of young professionals from Miami’s arts and business communities who are committed to promoting The Wolfsonian through innovative events and design-related programming. The 11:11:11 host committee includes Olga Granda-Scott and Douglas Scott, Aimet and Josh Oberhausen, Jaime Odabashian, Lucia Schito, and Jose Zaldivar. Tickets are $150 per person. Tickets may be purchased online at https://fiualumni.com/SSLPage.aspx?pid=1020 . For further information about 11:11:11, contact Nelly Farra at nelly@thewolf.fiu.edu or 305.535.2626.