ABOUT WMC

Winter Music Conference

Winter Music Conference, in its 30th consecutive year, is a pivotal platform for the advancement of the industry. During WMC, music enthusiasts, artists, DJs and industry delegates from over 70 countries converge on Miami Beach for a concentrated schedule of more than 400 events, parties, seminars and workshops.

Established in 1985, WMC is the largest longstanding EDM and dance music industry gathering of its kind in the world. As one of the most publicized annual events in the industry, WMC generates over a billion unique viewer media impressions each year. Over 2,000,000+ visitors from 209 countries and territories logged on to the WMC web site during the 2014 season. Over 1,900 artists and DJs participated in 390+ performance events presented at 110 venues during the 29th Annual WMC Week in Miami Beach & Miami.

Event Attendees at WMC 2014

Industry Delegates at WMC 2014

#WheretoBe Miami!

Up All Night Tour 12/19/14

Liv w/ DJ Irie

4441 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, Florida 33140

Come out to Liv to listen to the beats of the Heat’s official DJ

Website

La Fiesta Navideña by Locos por Juana 12/20/14

T

HIS ARTICLE WAS ADOPTED FROM: http://www.miaminewtimes.com/bestof/2014/award/best-mural-4129151/

Wynwood may be the heart of a growing global graffiti movement, but some of its murals are surprisingly soulless. Whether they depict a cool-ass dragon perched atop a mountain peak or cartoon characters committing acts of violence, many are brilliantly drawn but little more, like flashy wallpaper for warehouses. Few of the works strive to stir something inside passersby. On the southwest corner of NW Third Avenue and 27th Street, towering gold letters spell “I remember paradise” against a rainbow background. The mural, by Londoner Lakwena Maciver, is meant to invoke human longing for a lost era. “We all have this sense that there is something wrong with the world but that once there was something perfect,” Maciver told New Times. It’s a beautiful painting, and one that has formed the backdrop for Beyoncé Instagrams and glossy magazine spreads. But it’s actually the mural cater-cornered that makes us nostalgic. There, a heavily tattooed man holds a gorgeous woman in a tender embrace. A shuttered doorway is transformed into a birdcage. The mural, by Peruvian duo Entes y Pésimo (Beings & Dreadful), perfectly captures modern-day Miami: young, Hispanic, interracial, part tattooed thug, part tender romantic. The man’s face is pensive, his stance protective. The woman, unashamedly in love, stares straight out at you. How wonderfully disarming to walk through Wynwood on a weekend night, past posturing dudes and pretending chicks, and stumble upon such intimacy.

THIS ARTICLE WAS CREATED BY http://ncoc.net/ttcrelease

MIAMI, FL – January 24, 2011 – A new report released today shows Miami is the least civically engaged in the country compared to Minneapolis-St. Paul, the most engaged metropolitan area. The report helps to shed light on the contributing factors behind each city’s civic engagement in an effort to improve civic health. Researchers say that while the two areas differ demographically those differences do not explain the gap between their civic engagements.

The report, entitled A Tale of Two Cities: Civic Heath in Miami and Minneapolis-St. Paul, traces the factors of civic health, measured by civic indicators like volunteering, community engagement, voter turn out, and one-on-one interactions with neighbors, in Minneapolis-St. Paul and Miami and found that on in terms of civic health, the Twin Cities are well above the United States average, whereas Miami is well below. The report follows the September release of the report Civic Life in America: Key Findings on the Civic Health of the Nation, released jointly by NCoC and the Corporation for National and Community Service, which provides an annual measure of civic habits, much as the government measures economic behavior.

Key Findings
While the two metropolitan areas differ in many ways, including the demographics of their populations, the report found that these differences do not explain the disparities in their civic engagement. In both communities and nationwide, people with more education and income typically engage more in civic affairs. However when comparing the Twin Cities with Miami, individuals in Minneapolis-St. Paul who are in the lowest income group are more likely to be civically involved than are people in the wealthiest tier in Miami. Further, an individual with a high school education in Minneapolis-St. Paul is about as likely to be engaged as an individual with a college education in Miami. These findings indicate that the somewhat higher levels of income and educational attainment in the Twin Cities cannot explain why that community is so much more civically engaged.

Harry Boyte, Director of the Center for Democracy and Citizenship at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, traced the Twin Cities relative success to “a culture of civic empowerment, which teaches the skills of collaborative work across differences, connects institutions to the life of communities, and generates a spirit of optimism that people can shape their future together.”

In taking a closer look at the differentiating factors that contribute to the culture of civic empowerment and civic health in Minneapolis-St. Paul versus Miami, researchers identified the following key areas:

• Education in Minnesota appears to be more “civic.” In other words, the Twin Cities’ schools collaborate more with other community based educational institutions and engage adult citizens in ways that build their satisfaction and trust. While schools don’t perform better in the Twin Cities than those in South Florida, Twin City institutions do a better job of teaching specifically civic knowledge and connecting to other civic learning experiences in communities.

• Twin Cities residents appear to have stronger social networks than do residents of Miami. More of them have meals with other members of their households (92% vs. 84%), use the Internet to connect with family and friends (64% vs. 55%), and talk to neighbors (51% vs. 45%). The single exception is Miami residents are slightly more likely to exchange favors with neighbors than Minneapolis–St. Paul residents are (16% vs. 19%).

• Levels of trust and satisfaction are much higher in the St. Paul area than in the Miami area; 42% of St. Paul citizens generally trusted the local government, compared with just 24% of Miamians. Thirty-two percent of St. Paul citizens felt the leaders of their community represented their interests, compared with just 18% of Miamians. Furthermore, satisfaction with police, schools, and parks is much higher in St. Paul than in either of the south Florida cities. The Twin Cities has a long history of civic and public institutions as being embedded in community life and serving as meeting grounds for diverse people.

• Twin Cities residents were more than twice as likely to volunteer than Miami residents(37% vs. 15%), and 45% of Twin Cities residents had participated in at least one community group vs. 22% of Miamians. This may be due to the fact that non-profits, which are an important resource for civic engagement, are much more extensive, better resourced, and more community connected in the Twin Cities than Miami. In fact, there are almost twice as many non-profits per capita in the Twin Cities and they have accumulated almost five times more financial assets, on a per capita basis when compared to Miami non-profits.

The findings suggest that the relative strengths and weaknesses of community institutions associated with civic engagement, such as schools and non-profit organizations, may contribute to the low levels of engagement in Miami’s urban center. Miami also appears to be more divided and less reliant on citizens, suggesting the need to strengthen civic engagement across its diverse and varied communities in order to rehabilitate the city’s civic health.

“It is important to understand these underlying factors that contribute to the vitality of a civic culture of engagement,” said Bob Graham, former U. S. Senator and life-long Miami resident. “While Miami’s unique demographics do not fully explain its low level of civic engagement, the combination of rapid growth and extraordinary diversity define a social, economic, and political context within which citizens and community leaders must find a way to create a culture of engagement. Over the next generation, America will look more like Miami than Minneapolis, and the challenge of empowerment in the face of change and diversity that Miami faces today will be echoed in communities across the nation. The lessons learned here will have important implications for the future.“

As cities create new strategies in the 21st century to remain competitive and economically healthy, it’s also important that they consider more than just the financial market and government. Ensuring the right infrastructure is in place to support civic health will be critical to future success and growth.

“Just as competitive instincts between Miami and the Twin Cities are brought out by a Dolphins-Vikings game, A Tale of Two Cities can encourage both cities to be stronger,” said NCoC Chairman Michael Weiser, a Miami resident. “Such comparisons can encourage healthy competition between American cities to strengthen civic life.”

A Tale of Two Cities: Civic Engagement in Miami and Minneapolis-St. Paul is the result of collaboration among four partners: the National Conference on Citizenship, The Florida Joint Center for Citizenship, and the Center for Democracy and Citizenship at Augsburg College in Minneapolis. The Florida Joint Center for Citizenship is a partnership between the Lou Frey Institute at the University of Central Florida and the Bob Graham Center at the University of Florida. Assistance was provided by CIRCLE (The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement) at Tufts University.

THIS ARTICLE WAS CREATED AT: http://miamimusicweek.com/2014/12/04/interview-marco-bailey-mb-elektronics/

While Marco Bailey was in town last night, we took a moment to sit down and talk to him about his record label MB Elektronics, his new project MBR, managing studio time on the road, and lots more.  Here’s what he had to say…

Marco, you have a relentless touring schedule that takes you around the world almost non-stop.  How do you find the time to produce music & operate a record label in the middle of all that traveling?

When producing songs, I usually start them when I am flying in a plane, and then in the few days when I am at home I go to the studio and make the final mix. 

For the label I have a good record company, News, they help me a lot, but of course the A&R I do myself so listening and deciding what comes out on my label is only done by me!  For this, I always take time when at home or on a plane.  I have a bunch of great fresh talents making great tunes & music all the time: Mattew Jay from Italy, Filterheadz, Simone Tavazzi, Hans Bouffmyhre, and many more!

Your record label MB Elektronics is basically a “who’s who” of Techno.  Artists like Adam Beyer, Carlo Lio, Nic Fanciulli, Pig & Dan, Christian Smith, and many others have all released music on that imprint, but recently you have started another label, MBR Limited.  What was the reasoning behind this new project?  Will you be taking a different approach with this one?

With the New Label MBR Limited I want to release mainly my own music and in a slightly different direction of Techno from what you hear on MB Elektronics, MB Elektronics is my main label and is known for Energetic Peak Time tracks that are funky &  powerful, but still TECHNO with force (and not to much Tech House).  MBR limited is the deeper & darker side of Techno. 

MBR Limited will also be releasing on vinyl again as well, while MB Elektronics is more digital releases orientated.

What advice would you give to an up-and-coming producer trying to get their music heard & released by a label such as MB Elektronics?   

I only can recommend that upcoming producers don’t release to fast, and that they listen to their music over and over, testing it out to really be 100% sure.

This mistake I have done in the past, that I have released to many things too fast.  Less is sometimes more. Quality over Quantity.

On Wednesday you return to Treehouse in Miami during Art Basel, which is sure to be an incredible event.  Treehouse, one of Miami’s favorite venues for underground music is renowned for its vibe, which is somewhat due to the fact that it is a smaller venue.  How does playing to a more intimate vibe influence your sound?  Will you play any different in Miami than how you play oversees? 

I really love the venue Treehouse in Miami.  Ever since I played there the first time I felt at home.  I really love playing in smaller clubs, because its intimate and you have more contact with the crowd than sometimes playing on big stages and festivals.  

During your career you’ve had the opportunity to see many different trends in dance music come & go.  What do you think the state of electronic music will be in 10 years?  Do you think it will be recognizable from what it is today?

At the moment i think Electronic Music scene is more popular then ever!!!  A tune from David Guetta I think is as popular as a track from, say, Madonna back in the days.  Because of this popularity, festivals are getting bigger and bigger crowds with mostly only DJ acts and of course also other cool genres like my sound Techno or Tech House or Deep House.  If it continues this way i only can say that future is bright definitely in the next 10 years too! 

Lastly, you are well known for being very versatile as both a DJ and a Producer.  What other artists excite you right now?  Who is really pushing the envelope these days, doing something different, and paving the way for the future? 

I like so many artists’ music, not only Techno but many other genres.  Aphex Twin is my ALL TIME hero in music, but also Recondite is delivering great work, and so is Mattew Jay from my Team.

Some other artists I think are outstanding in Techno are guys like Black Asteroid or Flug from Argentina, so many people to name, too much! 

CONNECT WITH MARCO BAILEY:

http://www.facebook.com/officialmarcobailey

#WHEREtoBE in Miami

Friday December 12th

The Mad Zoo Winter Roadshow

The Mad Zoo Winter Roadshow 2014
Friday, 12/12/2014 – 11:00 pm –

Grand Central Miami
697 N MIAMI AVE,
miami, Florida 33136
Webpage Link
Cost: $20

Mat Zo will be taking Mad Zoo on its first roadshow across North America this winter.

“This whole genres business is like the Berlin wall, and I’m there with a forklift and a wrecking ball” –

 

Saturday, December 13th

Eddie Essa this Saturday at Ivy NightClub – Miami Beach
Saturday, 12/13/2014 – 12/14/2014 11:00 pm – 05:00 am
Ivy Nightclub
1045 5TH ST,
Miami Beach, Florida 33139
Eventbrite Link
Cost: Complimentary Admission on David Garay’s VIP List from 11pm-12am`

IVY
On DAVID GARAY’s VIP list: Complimentary Admission for Gentlemen until 12am

Dress to Impress
Sounds by:

Eddie Essa

Andolini

INFO & RSVP

Call/Txt 786-985-3520

http://www.DAGPROMIAMI.com/
Like us: http://www.facebook.com/DAGpro
Follow us: http://www.twitter.com/DAGPROMIAMI
IVY- Miami Beach

1045 5th Street, Miami Beach, FL

 

Sunday December 14th

Ciclovia Miami 

December 10, 2014 by calendar

Ciclovia Miami
Sunday, 12/14/2014 – 09:00 am – 01:00 pm
Ciclovia Miami
SW 8 Street from SW 9 Ct to SW 22 Avenue,
Miami, Florida 33135
Facebook Link
Cost: Free

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is excited to announce that together with local partners, we are bringing Ciclovia to Calle Ocho on Sunday, December 14 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. SW 8 Street from SW 9 Ct to SW 22 Avenue will be open to the community to enjoy as a park. We invite you to come walk, ride your bicycle, dance and explore all the sounds, flavors and culture of this historic Miami place.

Free Yoga by Domino Park at 10:30 a.m. (Please bring mat)

Cars will be temporarily re-routed along SW 7 Street as Calle Ocho becomes a park.

Monday December 15th

“A Respect for Light: The Photography of Mario Algaze”

10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. every Mon., Tue., Wed., Thu., Fri., Sat. until January 18, 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. every Sun. until January 18

HistoryMiami
101 W. Flagler St. Miami, FL
305-375-1492
Price: $8

Mario Algaze

“Cotton candy,” San Angel, Mexico, 1981

A Respect for Light

Carlos Suarez De Jesus

Mario Algaze is the rare lensman with an innate talent for harnessing the subtle interplay of light and shadow to capture his subjects in a poetic and timeless fashion. The prominent Cuban-American photographer is celebrating“A Respect for Light: The Photography of Mario Algaze” at HistoryMiami (101 W. Flagler St., Miami), which features more than 150 of Algaze’s attention-commanding images shot throughout Latin America and the Caribbean over the past 40 years. The sprawling show, which marks his most ambitious exhibit to date and his first retrospective museum exhibition in more than a decade, will also include some of the shutterbug’s early concert photography, offering a rare look at South Florida’s vibrant musical history. Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m., you can catch Algaze’s intimate portrayal of life in Bolivia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Cuba, as well as other countries in the hemisphere, where Algaze has documented the people and places he’s visited soon after daybreak in the luminous conditions he favors. “The most important ingredient in my photographs is a very early-morning light, a magical light, which on most days only allows you about an hour to work,” Algaze explains. “There’s a certain quality before 9:30 in the morning, where light hits in a 45-degree angle and there are long shadows and soft light. If I could, I would light every scene, but I can’t. I have to rely on Mother Nature,” Algaze writes in the forward to his new book, A Respect for Light: The Latin American Photographs 1974-2008, which is being released in conjunction with the exhibition. Admission to the opening reception is free and includes complimentary wine, gourmet cheeses, and live music. Call 305-375-1492 or visit historymiami.org.

Tuesday, December 16th

Andrew Hamilton Quartet at LILT Lounge

December 11, 2014 by calendar

Andrew Hamilton Quartet at LILT Lounge
Tuesday, 12/16/2014 – 09:00 pm – 12:00 am
Lilt Lounge
270 Biscayne Way Blvd.,
Miami, Florida 33131
Webpage Link
Cost:

Having played in the biggest jazz venues in Chicago and with Grammy Award-winning Brian Lynch, Trombonist and Composer Andrew Hamilton will be showcasing his rich jazz tunes and Latin-influenced pieces. LILT Lounge brings the first high-design lounge to downtown Miami with nightly live music curated by Kristian Caro and creative cocktails by Dean Feddaoui. Lounge opens at 7p.m. with social bites by acclaimed executive chef Wolfgang Birk including charcuterie & cheese, oysters & caviar, lobster cocktail and tuna tartare gazpacho.

 

Wednesday, December 17th

Italiany by Alexo Wandael 12/4/14 – 12/17/14

November 11, 2014 by calendar

Italiany by Alexo Wandael
Tuesday, 12/04/2014 – 12/17/2014 09:00 am – 09:00 am
The James Royal Palm
1545 Collins Ave,
Miami Beach, Florida 33139
Webpage Link
Cost: Free

Italian fine art and fashion photographer Alexo Wandael will launch the latest chapter in his project ITALIANY, on Dec. 4 at The James Royal Palm Hotel, coinciding with the Miami Art Basel festival. The exhibition is in partnership with Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Italy’s No. 1 premium beer as the first part of the brand’s two-year Storie di Stile campaign that spotlights stories of talented Italians in the United States and their impact on style and culture.

ITALIANY is a visual celebration of influential Italians in the United States, manifested through a series of bold black-and-white portraits.

Some of the Miami identities that Wandael has captured include hotelier Miky Grendene of Casa Tua, founder of Del Toro accessories Matthew Chevallard, hospitality icon Nicola Siervo, Wolfsonian curator Silvia Barisione, style leader and heir to La Perla Martina Borgomanero Basabe and photographer Luca Artioli.

Thursday, December 18th

Ladies of Manure 2015 Calendar Launch Party

December 10, 2014 by calendar

Ladies of Manure 2015 Calendar Launch Party
Thursday, 12/18/2014 – 07:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Nugbrand Clothing Co. Store
2324 North Miami Avenue,
Miami, Florida 33127
Facebook Link
Cost: Free

Join us for the launch of the Ladies of Manure Calendar for 2015!

It’s been a long road and we finally made it! We’re ready for the New Year with 12 months of beautiful eco-conscious women spreading the message of turning waste into treasure.

Enjoy FREE drinks and fun tunes hosted at the NugBrand Clothing Co. store located at 2324 North Miami Ave.

Meet the ladies behind the poop and get your copy ($20) for the new year!

All proceeds benefit Fertile Earth Foundation.

Miami protesters shut down traffic on I-195

12/05/2014 6:42 PM

12/06/2014 1:33 PM

Hundreds of protesters marched through Miami streets Friday evening and onto Interstate-195, jamming the highway, Midtown and Wynwood for hours as part of a national response to police-involved killings.

The Shut It Down rallies, which broke out this week from coast to coast, followed the recent decisions of grand juries in New York and Ferguson, Mo., not to indict police officers who killed unarmed black men. In Miami, protesters also remembered local teen and graffiti artist Israel “Reefa” Hernandez Llach, who died more than a year ago when he was Tasered by Miami Beach police following a foot chase.

The Miami event began at about 5 p.m. in Midtown at Northwest 36th Street and First Avenue, where a mostly young, multi-cultural crowd of dozens, some in Guy Fawkes masks, silently gathered and then grew in numbers and volume. A crowd numbering several hundred walked down the street, onto an on-ramp and up into traffic on Interstate-195, which leads to and from Miami Beach.

“Shut it down! Shut it down!” they chanted.

Waving “Brutality” banners and signs bearing Hernandez Llach’s face, they stood arm-in-arm and blocked east- and west-bound lanes, the latter clogged for miles back onto Miami Beach. One man with a sign that said “Black lives matter” pressed his sign up against idle car and bus windows as he passed by.

A cadre of Florida Highway Patrol and Miami police stood by and watched in the blue and red of flashing police lights.

Earlier in the day, another graffiti artist had been taken to the hospital after being struck by a police car during a chase.

Friday’s march was the first incident of post-Ferguson protest in Miami, a city known more for cocktails and parties than activism, at least in recent years. The rally, organized on Facebook, drew national media attention along with rallies in Washington D.C., New York and Chicago, where traffic was also intentionally gridlocked. In terms of garnering attention, it was perfectly timed to disrupt Miami amid Art Basel and scores of satellite fairs.

The rally was embraced by some who were inconvenienced.

“I understand it. I agree with it,” said Betty Hechavarria, who was late for a nail appointment and running out of gas.

After about an hour, the group marched briskly back onto Biscayne Boulevard and again through Midtown, continuing to block traffic while chanting “Reefa lives.” Marchers mostly shut down Midtown and then Wynwood, where bemused Baselers snapped photos and gallery owners watched from their shops.

In front of a BET party, the group shouted “Hands up, don’t shoot,” a phrase that emerged after Michael Brown was shot dead in a conflict with a Ferguson officer. Around 8 p.m., scores simply laid down on North Miami Avenue in silence for close to five minutes.

“We’re out here to let people know that there are people here who care about this issue,” said Ernisha Randolph, an African American and director of social action for the Woodson Institute in Miami. “It’s only a matter of time before this situation hits home for us.”

Hashim Benford, a member of the Power U Center, addressed the crowd as the protest ended, saluting the large turnout.

“Miami has never been shut down like we shut it down,” Benford said. “Tonight we shut down Art Basel.”

He added: “Tonight is not the end. If we’re satisfied with this [showing], there will be more Reefas, more Michael Browns, more Trayvons.”

Envisioning a Museum, the Sky’s the Limit

In Miami, the Bramans Plan the Institute of Contemporary Art

MIAMI — Norman Braman, the auto dealership magnate, has just uttered the words every contractor dreams of hearing: “Whatever the cost is, we will be building it, period.”

Sitting with his wife, Irma, on the patio of their Indian Creek Island home, off Miami Beach, he has been outlining their plans to single-handedly fund the design and construction of South Florida’s newest major museum, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami. It could be a cultural game changer in a city crowded with four significant private museums, two more on the way and three public ones all focused on contemporary art.

With Mrs. Braman as co-chairwoman of its board, the plan is to build the museum on a lot in the Miami Design District donated by the real estate developer and fellow art collector Craig Robins, occupying 37,500 square feet across three floors. It will also have an adjoining 15,000-square-foot sculpture garden created by the Bramans’ purchase (and imminent razing) of three neighboring homes. Its opening is timed for the Art Basel Miami Beach fair in December 2016, with the promise of significant art loans from the Braman collection. Just don’t ask to see an actual budget.

“We haven’t even priced out the fire extinguisher system yet, because it doesn’t use water so it won’t damage the art,” Mrs. Braman said. “It’s still a bit of flying blind.”

This might be cause for taxpayer alarm, but Mr. Braman, a fixture on Forbes’s “400 Wealthiest Americans” list — which estimates his current net worth at nearly $2 billion from his auto dealerships, his former ownership of the Philadelphia Eagles, and one of the most impressive art collections in the country — insisted that “not one cent of taxpayer dollars are going into the construction, or the acquisition of properties for the sculpture garden, or anything.”

With estimated annual operating expenses of $5 million, the Bramans say they already have commitments from other private backers to ensure the museum’s first decade of operation. Mr. Braman waves off concerns about funding an endowment. “If an institution has not made it after 10 years, it shouldn’t be around anymore,” he said.

Don’t even ask about naming rights. “It’s the I.C.A. Miami, it’s not the Braman I.C.A. or anything like that,” Mr. Braman said, in a not-so-subtle swipe at the Pérez Art Museum Miami, a public-private partnership which led to the renaming of the city’s Miami Art Museum in honor of contributions from the developer Jorge M. Pérez, and which just celebrated its first year in its new waterfront home.

The Bramans’ insistence on footing the bill contrasts starkly with the shaky fiscal health of several local museums. While the Pérez’s attendance and museum memberships have exceeded initial projections, according to Michael Spring, director of Miami-Dade County’s Department of Cultural Affairs — who called the museum’s first year “a rip-roaring success” — its endowment stands at $14 million, well below its announced target of $70 million. The museum operates with a reduced staff and a permanent collection often seen as lackluster.

This fall, the Pérez museum requested additional county funds to raise its annual subsidy to $4 million from its current $2.5 million, a request that fell on deaf ears amid a county budget crunch that saw both public librarians and the police facing layoffs. Critics noted the $100 million in construction money already provided by the county, as well as the marquee site donated by the City of Miami. Wasn’t that enough?

“The vast majority of cultural institutions in this community are supported through a blend of public and private funds,” countered Thom Collins, the museum’s director. “This is because they offer a broad public benefit, and people understand that.”

To be sure, money continues to pour into Miami’s real-estate-focused economy, as do prominent art world figures, including the New York über-dealer Larry Gagosian and the Russian art patron Maria Baibakova, who both have homes here.

Yet while many arrivals are quick to pose for Art Basel photographers, some museum trustees say these newcomers turn shy when it comes to writing checks to public museums. “The wealth in Miami, by and large, is used more for self-aggrandizement than civic support,” observed Lang Baumgarten, a Miami Beach developer and former Miami Art Museum trustee who said that he donated $400,000 and artwork before its renaming. “I wish the real money would step up to the plate.”

A lack of financial support led to the creation of the Institute of Contemporary Art, whose board previously managed the Museum of Contemporary Art, owned by the City of North Miami. After voters in the largely Haitian-American community rejected a $15 million bond issue to expand the Museum of Contemporary Art in 2012, its director, Bonnie Clearwater, left to head the Nova Southeastern University Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale. The fight over naming her successor mushroomed into bitter turmoil between museum board members and City Hall. A legal settlement last month ended with an entirely new city-appointed board at the museum.

“The team that’s reconstituted itself at MOCA seems to be going in a good direction,” said Mr. Robins, who is providing the Institute with temporary rent-free exhibition space while doing double duty as a Pérez trustee. “I hope the I.C.A. will motivate the people behind PAMM to do even better,” he said, adding that he hoped to see more donations to support world-class art purchases.

Mr. Spring denied any disappointment with the pace of fund-raising. “They’re hitting their marks,” he said.

Still, the Pérez may be in danger of being overshadowed: Art lovers craving an encounter with contemporary masterworks mostly absent from local museums — where even 1980 often feels like ancient history — may find the Institute more to their liking. The Pérez recently trumpeted a donation of a Jasper Johns print. The Bramans own his seminal 1962 painting “Diver,” as well as blue-chip works by de Kooning, Rothko, Warhol and what is called the finest array of Calders still in private hands.

The Bramans said that they look forward to lending many of their works to the institute. “If the curator and director of the museum want to have a show on the New York School of Artists, we’d be very happy to cooperate,” Mr. Braman said, referring to a hallowed era of Abstract Expressionists they’ve avidly collected. He also dangled the possibility of donating some paintings “in the future.”

Now 82, Mr. Braman recalled that he and his wife “said to ourselves: ‘What’s success all about? What’s philanthropy all about? Let’s think of our legacy, following in the footsteps of some great Americans like the Carnegies and the Mellons who used their wealth for quality purposes.’ ”

Mr. Collins was asked if the Pérez had sought its own modern-day Mellon. Why not tap Ms. Baibakova, whose recent Art Basel party featured white truffles, which fetch roughly $200 an ounce? “If you could make those introductions for me, it would certainly take a lot of pressure off,” he replied.

 JC Bravo was born in 1974 in Ica, Peru. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Florida International University. His artworks are influenced by his experiences growing up in the dichotomous countries of Peru and United States.Bravo’s works include painting, drawing and installation. They are influenced by the “opulence and underside of American Culture”.  His “Cabezones y Narizones “(Big Heads and Big Noses) are trademarked characters with exaggerated and disproportionate features.  Bravo explains, “These iconic characters with their swollen heads and bulbous noses personify abundance and sensuality.” Bravo uses these characters to …”express emotions, while creating surreal narratives that use irony and humor as tools to create social commentary. His work references Pop culture, religion and art history, as well as his own life.”.

When asked about his inspiration, Bravo explains “my inspiration comes from my life experiences. I love creating images that are inspired by dreams, memories and the people I encounter on a daily basis. I believe art has the power to transform our mundane experiences into something magical, it is like turning ashes into gold. My work is also influenced by art history and pop culture. I love watching films by David lynch and Federico Fellini, reading art biographies, listening to punk rock and browsing the internet for powerful images.  Surfing also inspires my art. I have been surfing since I was 15 years old and I have experienced many poignant and beautiful moments in the beach which have shaped my aesthetics.”

Bravo’s thoughts on the Miami art scene are that “…the Miami art scene is flourishing. It is wonderful to be able to go to museums and galleries all year round and see quality art. It’s also a tremendous gift to have art Basel in Miami; every year we have the privilege to be able to witness the best of the best displaying their work. All the street art is super exciting, it makes commuting quite enjoyable. My favorite places to visit in Miami are the Bakehouse Art Complex, the De La Cruz Collection and Lowe Art Museum. So much art to see and so little time!”

When asked how we can help the scene grow, he says ” I think we can make it grow by creating strong art; art that the world cannot deny will bring more critical attention to our city. By that I mean that we cannot just focus on creating decorative and colorful work. For the art world to take Miami seriously we need to create art that resonates with current issues and deals with the human condition, less vanity and more substance. There also needs to be more support from local artist from Miami collectors, that way artists can have more opportunities to explore and create without selling their souls. Instead of just buying work from known international names, collectors need to take a chance and Support local galleries and artists.”

So what’s next for JC Bravo?  He says, ” I am currently working on a new series of large surreal paintings that deal with my obsession with the ocean and post-apocalyptic movies. This series is going to be called “Waterword” and it will be my most radical work to date.  This new body of work will be exhibited at a solo show next year. Also, for next year I plan to unveil my fine art store called Bravo Arts were we will be offering Limited edition prints and original works for sale.”

 

Medium:

Oil on Canvas

MIAMI, FL – Nov. 3rd, 2014 – As part of the director’s collective effort to continue shedding light on the history behind Miami’s up-and-coming arts district, short film Right to Wynwood will now be available for online streaming to the general public. Winner for ‘Best Documentary’ at the 2013 Miami Short Film Festival, Right to Wynwood explores the causes and effects of gentrification, documenting how a Puerto Rican neighborhood became purposely unaffordable for its low-income residents and morphed into profitable opportunities of redevelopment for the money hungry.

After a series of interviews with developers, gallerists, artists, Puerto Rican residents and community leaders, producer Camila Álvarez and photographer Natalie Edgar carefully observed and documented the rapidly changing patterns of the community in Wynwood and saw the need to tell the story behind the so-called new Arts District in Miami, FL.

Although both Álvarez and Edgar are keen advocates of the opportunities that Wynwood brings to artists, they feel that creating awareness of how gentrification in Wynwood was developer–led instead of it being artist-led, as it happened in places like Soho in New York, or in Berlin, was necessary.

Even though street art started appearing in the neighborhood organically, when local art collective Primary Flight saw the opportunity to make Wynwood their playground, it soon became a marketing tool, when their efforts were co-opted by developers who realized that “including culture and arts in change was the best way to get the most bang for your buck,” as stated by David Lombardi, one of the first developers to start buying properties in the area, said Camila Álvarez, producer and co-director of the film.

The 21-minute documentary can be streamed online at: www.righttowynwood.com