Mary Damiano Photo by David Vance

 Mary Damiano’s Arts Scene

I felt like quite the social butterfly since the last issue of MiamiARTzine was published.  Art openings, receptions, fundraisers, plays---the carousel just kept going round and round.   It’s been a whirlwind and I can hardly wait to tell you all about it.

Tony Chimento with his award-winning painting, Pink, at Art Explosion 2007

Art Explosion 2007
I found myself at ArtServe on Saturday, March 3 for the opening reception of Art Explosion 2007.  I’ve been attending Art Explosion for years, and boy, has it grown.  Presented by ArtsUnited, what began as a one-night-only spotlight on the many talents of the gay and lesbian community has turned into a two-week festival with events all over town.  Hundreds of people attended the opening reception, which featured some exceptional art.  Check out Tony Chimento’s award-winning painting Pink, in which he painted his daughter.  One of the sweetest moments of the evening occurred after Chimento received his check and certificate and then posed for photos with his son and daughter in front of the painting.  In addition to the artwork in the main room, there was a separate erotic art room, with lots of provocative pieces.  Entertainment included a performance by the newly formed In Harmony, a mixed chorus.  There was also a separate room for writers to read from their work.  Art Explosion concludes Saturday, March 17, with a night of gay comedy at Broward Center for the Performing Arts, featuring Marga Gomez, Madame and Joe Kovacs, Greg Walloch.  artexplosiononline.com.

Linda Bernhard, Stuart Meltzer and me at the Theatre Festival Kick-off Party at China White Photo: Michael McKeever

Theatre Festival Reception
The South Florida theatre community got their groove on at the opening reception for the two-month long South Florida Theatre Festival, which runs through May.  The party had the most perfect setting, China White in downtown Fort Lauderdale, a hip, ultra-exotic club that oozed theatrical atmosphere.  Guests mingled and munched on yummy sushi and appetizers courtesy of Galanga in Wilton Manors.  The reception featured the unveiling of the winning poster for the festival, by neo-pop artist Ed King, who has been featured in MiamiARTzine’s Artist Spotlight.   After some announcements, and the presentation of a lifetime achievement award to senior cultural administrator of the Miami-Dade Cultural Affairs Department Rem Cabrera, the DJ pumped up the dance tunes and the booty shaking began.  For more on the theatre festival, read the front page story.  To see more photos from the reception at China White, check out the photo gallery page.

Me and Noel, in front of Las Hermanas III, the painting that he finished just hours before the Thursday opening reception of his new show Photo: Henry Perez

Noel’s Opening
A few nights later, on Thursday, March 8, I headed down to Miami to attend the opening of one of the most anticipated art exhibitions, Noel’s show at 1dd Studio Gallery at 55^th Street Station, behind Soyka.  While Noel is one of the most popular artists based in Miami, this show was special, and featured not only paintings but his first two sculptures, which drew raves from the many fans and friends who were there to witness the beginning of this new chapter of his career.  The sculptures exhibited Noel’s trademark movement and theatricality; one sculpture of a seductive woman with her finger to her lips looking like she was warning the viewer to keep her secret, reminded me of silent movie star Louise Brooks.  The other, of a woman caught up in a swirl of draped fabric reminded me of Isadora Duncan and her infamous scarves.  And Noel is a man of his word.  If you read the lead story about Noel in the March 2 issue of MiamiARTzine.com, you read about the painting that Noel had not yet finished for the show.  He promised that he would do whatever it took to get that painting on the wall, and that he and I would have out photo taken with it at the opening.  He made good on those promises, as you can see by the photo.  Noel’s exhibition runs through March 25 at the dd1 Studio Gallery.  Check out more photos of the opening reception for Noel’s new exhibition on the photo gallery page.

Me, Miriam Kulick and Ryan Capiro, two of the cast members of “Miami Stories”, Friday’s fundraiser for New Theatre Photo: Henry Perez

Miami Stories
When New Theatre throws a party, they really throw a party.  Such was the case with the second annual “Miami Stories”, the fundraiser for New Theatre held Friday, March 9 at the Grand Bay Club on Key Biscayne.  A unique event, “Miami Stories” featured short plays by three local celebrities, Senator Gwen Margolis, man of books Mitchell Kaplan and flutist Nestor Torres.  The plays were performed by a cast of talented actors amongst the sold-out crowd of nearly 200 guests right after dinner.  The plays covered different subjects: Margolis’s play dealt with her contributions over the course of her career and the state of civil rights; Kaplan’s play was a thoughtful piece about faith and science in the time of the Comet Kohoutek in 1973. and Torres’s play cast him as a homeless musician whose life is changed by his number one fan.  Torres was probably the biggest surprise of the night: we all knew the Grammy winner could toot his flute better than anyone, but the guy can act too, and did a great job. “Miami Stories” was a wonderful event.  The evening began with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres outside, against the gorgeous backdrop of the ocean at sunset and to the accompaniment of Peter Betan and Mark Berner.  Dinner was a buffet; my personal fave was the yummy chicken schnitzel.  Then, everyone enjoyed the offerings of the bounteous dessert table as they watched the plays.  “Miami Stories” is quickly becoming one of the top arts events of the season, so be sure to get in on the action next year.  For more “Miami Stories” pix, visit the photo gallery page.

Nicolle Guillemet and Patrick de Bokay, the past and present directors of the Miami International Film Festival Photo: Henry Perez

Miami Film Fest Names New Director
The 24^th annual Miami International Film Festival has wrapped, but not before naming Nicole Guillemet’s successor.  Guillemet, who has directed the festival for five years, says she’s enjoyed her time with the organization but is leaving for personal reasons.  Patrick de Bokay has been named new director of MIFF.  De Bokay brings three decades of experience to MIFF with a background in both film and marketing and advertising. During his film industry career, de Bokay has held several important positions including executive director of the first Bangkok International Film Festival, director of marketing for Twentieth Century Fox Theatrical in Paris, and vice president of international marketing for Turner Picture Worldwide Distribution.  During his years at Fox and Turner, he worked on the releases of more than 100 films including Braveheart, My Cousin Vinny, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Speed. In addition, he coordinated publicity and talent tours for actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Robert Duvall, John Travolta, Andie MacDowell, William Hurt, and Anjelica Huston.  “I look forward to continuing the strong programming that Nicole and the team have put in place over the last several years. I also look forward to bringing the Festival even closer to the dynamic community where it resides,” says de Bokay. To see more photos of the Miami International Film Festival, visit our photo gallery page.

Ben Sivells, a mosaic artist who will participate in the Surfside Arts Festival, March 24 and 25 in the Town of Surfside

Surfside Arts Festival
Is there any better way to spend a South Florida weekend than at an outdoor festival?  You’ll get your chance to get in on the ground floor of a new event, the Surfside Arts Festival.  Surfside Tourist Bureau has planned a two-day event on Saturday, March 24, noon to 5 p.m. and Sunday, March 25, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a variety of visual arts, crafts, vintage collectibles and wearable art. Ninety-fifth Street will be closed from Collins Avenue to Abbott Avenue, and will become Arts Street Central for this weekend. Saturday evening, the Twilight Wine Tasting benefits the Log Cabin Nursery and features dance and musical performances, a silent auction, wine and champagne, tasty treats and a Surfside Merchant Coupon Book for every guest. There will be an emerging artist area for Surfside residents on Sunday, an amateur sand sculpture contest Sunday morning, and a performance stage located at the Abbott end of the street for on-going entertainment throughout the festival weekend. Kids can enjoy arts and crafts with Artcenter/South Florida and Miami Children’s Museum. Local merchants will get into the act with special sidewalk sales.  Artist Ben Sivells is one of the many artists who will be exhibiting and selling his work at the Surfside Arts Festival; Sivells just happens to be the featured artist in this issue’s Artist Spotlight.  townofsurfsidefl.gov.

Woman-centric Exhibition
Arts at St. Johns is teaming up with the Miami Beach Botanical Garden for “A Girl and a Garden”, an exhibition of arts dedicated to women in celebration of Women’s Awareness Month.  The opening reception is Thursday, March 15, 7 p.m to 9 p.m, at the Miami Beach Botnical Garden across the street form the convention center in Miami Beach.  The work of several artists will be featured, including Barbara Frank, Marielle Gomez-Kaifer, Ed King, Arlend Berry, Deborah Holt, Louis Ulman and Jean Villamizar, who curated the show.  The opening reception will feature several performers, including Hanan, a belly dancer who will show a 10-minute clip of her Cuba Dance Empowerment project documentary and dancer Charmille Waters.  The reception is free, and the exhibition will run March 19 through March 24.  artsatstjohns.com.

Kevin Reilley and Mathew Chapman of A Number, Caryl Churchill’s play about cloning, now playing at The Promethean Theatre. Photo: George Schiavone

Theatre Openings
The Promethean Theatre is taking on the issue of cloning with Caryl Churchill’s play A Number, which opens at Promethean’s Nova campus space in Davie.  A Number runs March 16 to April 1. theprometheantheatre.com.  Avi Hoffman is back in The Rise of David Levinsky at the New Vista Theatre Company in Boynton Beach.  It’s an immigrant story and is close to Hoffman’s heart; when the play originally premiered in New York he played the young David Levinsky, now he’s playing the role of the adult David Levinsky.  The Rise of David Levinsky runs March 22 to April 1.  newvistatheatre.com. Backwards in High Heels opens March 23 at the Florida Stage Theatre in Manalapan; it’s a musical about Ginger Rogers, who, as the saying goes, had to do everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in high heels.  It runs March 23 to April 29. floridastage.org.

The Goldiggers

The Gold-Diggers
The theatrical troupe The Gold-Diggers will bring their new show, 30 Years of Razzle Dazzle: What We Did for Love, to the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Miami March 23-25.  The Gold-Diggers perform in support of various charities, including the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America, South Florida Chapter, and the Food for Life Network.  The Gold-Diggers, Inc. was founded by seven women in the Miami area back in 1976, whose love of theater inspired them to put on a show, a la the Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland musicals of the past. They recruited members, and in May of 1976 presented their first production. The Gold-Diggers come from a broad spectrum of backgrounds, age groups, vocations and performing experience. Volunteers do it all, rehearsing, building scenery, making costumes and selling tickets in order to make each show a success, and their shows are seen by more than 5,000 people each year. To date, the Gold-Diggers have raised more than $1 million for charities. The primary charity is the Leukemia Society with other charities also the beneficiary of funds. For more info on 30 Years of Razzle Dazzle: What We Did for Love, visit gold-diggers.org.

Ceramicist Christine Federighi

Spring Into Art
The legacy of ceramicist and University of Miami faculty member Christine Federighi will be honored at “Spring Into Art, Wednesday, March 21 at the Lowe Art Museum on the University of Miami Campus in Coral Gables. A new tradition in the making in the life of the University and for the community-at-large, "Spring into Art" has become an annual event on the social and art collecting calendar. Federighi, who was professor of ceramics an UM before she lost her battle with cancer in 2006, founded “Spring Into Art” as a way to showcase students’ work.  “Through her vision and hard work, “Spring Into Art” became the venue where her students had their first opportunity to publicly exhibit and sell their work,” says Myrna Palley, one of the event’s founders and organizers. “The event is an excellent opportunity to connect collectors and University of Miami supporters with original works created by local artists, while investing in the education of the next generation of artists.”  To honor Federighi, many of her colleagues from around the country have donated works for the auction, including Susan Banks, Linda Behar, Cal Cushing, William D. Carlson, Debra Fritts, Marilee Hall, Richard Jolly, Thomas Mann, Duncan McClellan, Richard Notkin, Marc Petrovic, Bonnie Seeman, Rob Stern, Paula Winokur and Brent Kee Young.  Other artwork for auction includes handcrafted tables by furniture maker Les Cizek of Four Sister Woodworking, which have been transformed by local artists. All of the proceeds from “Spring Into Art” benefit the Christine Federighi Art Education Fund/ Department of Art and Art History, the Lowe Art Museum, and the Francine and Lee Ruwitch Educational Endowment.  Spring Into Art  2007 will be held Wednesday, March 21, 7 p.m., at the Lowe Art Museum, 1301 Stanford Drive, on the University of Miami campus in Coral Gables. Tickets are $150 per person, and include the silent auction, cocktails and gourmet food prepared by Jay Caplan.  For more information, call 305-284-6756.

Ballet Gamonet
Miami Beach audiences will be treated to a special program of original dances presented by Miami’s own Ballet Gamonet at the Colony Theater on Lincoln Road Friday, March 23 and Saturday March 24 at 8 p.m., with a Sunday matinee on March 25 at 2 p.m.  The company will perform four works, The Cyclical Hour, Aria, Prokofiev Piano Concerto and But I Never Saw Another Butterfly Again, which will feature Miami’s prima ballerina Iliana Lopez.  Tickets are $15 to $35, and Miami Beach residents will receive $5 off a full price adult ticket with proof of residency. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster or at the Colony Theater box office.  For more info, call 305-259-9775, or visit balletgamonet.org.