@UNTITLEDmiami #ARTBASEL2013 Recap by #SobeSavvy

December 12, 2013SobeSavvy Leave a comment

UNTITLED International Contemporary Art Fair held December 4 – 8, 2013 at 12th Street & Ocean Drive, Miami Beach centers around emerging and mid career contemporary art in collaboration with international galleries and nonprofit art spaces. With an exciting expansion of over 90 galleries from 19 countries, I was thrilled for UNTITLED’s return to Miami Beach in a pavilion designed by the renown architecture firm K/R. This year’s art fair featured special performances and events including shows by the TM Sisters and Jacolby Satterwhite, installations by Santiago Sierra, Björn Schülke, and others, and a scheduled conversation with photographer and media artist LaToya Ruby Frazier.

Curated for the second time running by Omar Lopez-Chahoud, Untitled 2013 was an innovation of the traditional art fair model placing emphasis on the quality of the viewer’s experience and the contextualization of the artworks exhibited.

Here is my photo recap of Untitled taken Tue, Dec 3 , 2013 12pm – 3pm, during the Press Preview! Enjoy!

Leslie Heigh ~ Lovely Leslie
Follow Twitter/Instagram @IJust_LoveThis #sobesavvy

“Social Butterfly News for South Beach and Beyond”

Recap of @SelectFair as seen by #SobeSavvy!

December 10, 2013SobeSavvy Leave a comment

SELECT FAIR MIAMI ( http://www.select-fair.com/miami/) is a contemporary art fair featuring the work of only the best selected galleries, collectives, print publishers and solo artists. SELECT focuses on introducing progressive concepts in art to the international community and providing a platform for acquiring dynamic new works of art.

SELECT showcases a wide variety of marketable works more indicative to the expanding boundaries present in the contemporary art world. At SELECT you can expect to view paintings, sculptures, photography, videos, fiber art, performance art, ceramics, installations, street art, outsider art, etc.

SELECT is centrally located at The Catalina Hotel on the highly popular Collins Avenue strip. This prime location puts art lovers just two blocks from Art Basel and the Convention Center and one block from the sands of South Beach. Combined with the Catalina’s central location on Collins Avenue, SELECT Fair guarantees to be the most dynamic and eventful satellite fair in South Beach!

Here is my photo recap featuring some of the artwork seen at Select Fair Miami 2013! Enjoy!

‘Lovely’ Leslie Heigh ~ Follow @IJust_lLoveThis #SobeSavvy

“Social Butterfly News for South Beach and Beyond”

#SobeSavvy Interviews famed artist, @HebruBrantley at @Hublot Event

December 10, 2013SobeSavvy Leave a comment

SobeSavvy had the pleasure of attending a cocktail and networking event at Hublot’s Bal Harbour Boutique. We had the opportunity to meet and interview famed artist Hebru Brantley on Fri Dec 6, 2013 . Hublot partnered with Brantley and the Mourning Family Foundation for Art Week Miami. There were art pieces on display and he donated an original piece to Tracy and Alonzo Mourning to benefit Mourning Family Foundation.
Mr. Brantley’s art can only be described in one word. Different.The famed Chicago-based artist transformed the luxury Swiss watch boutique into his own palette of imagination.
His website www.http://hebrubrantley.com describes it as..”a creative process akin to free-form journaling, using a variety of surfaces and media including wood, spray paint, coffee and tea. His work delves into political and social issues with a conscious focus on playful insight and the optimism and possibilities of youth”. I found his work colorful, playful and striking.

I interviewed Mr Brantley at the event:

What convinced you to partner with Hublot Watches ?

..”They are not a conventional brand and I am not a conventional artist so it is perfect for me.”

Do you ever fear that commercialization will ever overshadow your actual art?

..”No, with me it is integrity first. I partnered with a brand like Hubolt because they are a luxury brand, They are not a Coke or Pepsi . My art may be whimsical or playful but my fans and buyers are serious collectors who have serious collections so I do not worry about that.”

Have you ever considered doing an animated series or short films ?

” I am working on it. Most people outside of America get their initial knowledge about America from cartoons and animated films.I want to do something that while it may be aesthetically pleasing more importantly I want it to be thought provoking.”

Enjoy the pics from the event and I want to say a special thank you to Mr Brantley who took time out of a very busy day for the interview.

‘Lovely’ Leslie Heigh ~ Follow @IJust_LoveThis #SobeSavvy
“Social Butterfly News for South Beach and Beyond! ”

@AquaArtMiami Recap as seen by #sobesavvy

December 10, 2013SobeSavvy Leave a comment

AQUA 13 Art Miami was held from December 4 – 8, 2013 at the Aqua Hotel, located at 1530 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139

AQUA 13 Art Miami celebrated its ninth consecutive installment this December and its first as one of the Art Miami LLC family of fairs. It is one of the best fairs for emerging art during Miami's Art Week. Over the years, the fair has been recognized for presenting vibrant and noteworthy international art programs with a particular interest in supporting young dealers and galleries with strong emerging and early-to-mid-career artists.

Set within a classic South Beach hotel with spacious exhibition rooms that open onto a breezy intimate courtyard, Aqua's surroundings was certainly a favorite gathering spot not only for fun and relaxation during the busy week but also as a place to exchange and disseminate new contemporary art ideas. And with its close proximity to Art Basel and continuous shuttle service to Art Miami and CONTEXT Art Miami, Aqua Art Miami transformed into one of the top attended satellite art events for collectors, artists, curators, critics and art enthusiasts alike!

On Wednesday, December 4th, 2013, I attended the VIP Preview: Access for Art Miami, CONTEXT and Aqua Art Miami VIP Cardholders and Press. Aqua Art Miami featured 45 dynamic young galleries from North and South America, Europe and Asia; and innovative special programming including performance art, new media and solo installations. With this commitment to artistic excellence, along with building a dynamic young marketplace with new and increased opportunities around marketing and audience services, Aqua Art Miami surpassed all expectations! For more information, go to http://www.aquaartmiami.com and Follow @AquaArtMiami.

Here is a photo recap of some of my favorite art featured at AQUA 13 Art Miami ! Enjoy!

'Lovely' Leslie Heigh ~ Follow @IJust_LoveThis #SobeSavvy
"Social Butterfly News for South Beach and Beyond! "

@SLSSouthBeach Presents @LeiMarco for #ArtWeekMiami, Recap by #SobeSavvy

December 5, 2013SobeSavvy Leave a comment

On Tuesday, December 3, Guests arrived at SLS Miami Beach, 1701 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach for a fashion show like no other !

The theatrical couture designer, LeiMarco strutted his stuff at the hippest hotel in town while presenting his 2014 Pret-A-Couture MMXIV Collection for both men and women during Art Basel Week. LeiMarco got his inspiration for his new 2014 collection from world events, especially the oppression of women in the Middle East. Burkas like you have never seen before will cover gorgeous models. As the show reaches a crescendo, the beautiful bodies will no longer be hidden, but in plain sight. The underlying message is that women should be allowed to showcase their bodies proudly with freedom of expression and not hide their beauty. Women should come out of their cocoons and fly free in the world like a beautiful butterfly waiving their colorful wings. Red is focal color for the collection as it stands for strength and power! Also, amazing sparkling sheer fabrics have been personally selected by LeiMarco to show off the female form. Couture prices start at $5000 on up with the sky the limit depending on the client’s desires.

LeiMarco’s fashion events have always maintained their status as the most glamorous and inspiring events in the industry with a combination of cutting edge fashion and an eclectic mix of prominent guests. Expect no less during this dynamic Art Week show in Miami. For LeiMarco’s Couture Show, Anastasia the Great will do a live art performance creating one of her signature style portraits of Lei Marco using real 24 carat gold foil as her paint.

Here are a few pictures from this fashion show event. Enjoy!

‘Lovely’ Leslie Heigh~ Follow @IJust_LoveThis #SobeSavvy
“Social Butterfly News for South Beach and Beyond”

‘CURVA’ Exhibit by Wendy White, presented by @SCADdotedu for #ArtBasel #SCADMiami13 Recap by #SobeSavvy

December 5, 2013SobeSavvy Leave a comment

On Tuesday, December 3, 2013, I attended the press preview for Wendy White: CURVA presented by the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). This solo exhibition of recent works by Wendy White was held at the M Building, 194 NW 30th Street, Miami, FL. Invited guests boarded the ” BUS of Dreams”, A free SCAD shuttle, which runs from UNTITLED Art Fair to the M Building . The bus was filled with SCAD swag and a flat screen for us to sit back and watch informative videos while on the way to the exhibit.

I had the pleasure of meeting and celebrating SCAD alumna Wendy White (B.F.A., fibers, 1993), who has received international acclaim for her large-scale paintings and installations that merge the mediums of painting, sculpture and architecture. CURVA , on view Dec. 4 – 20, 2013, comprises the works from White’s 3-stripes, Multiple-canvas, and PVC series, highlighting her ability to distill text-based symbology into both complex palimpsests and hybrid constructs. Her work can also be seen at UNTITLED Art Fair during Art Basel.

Here is my photo recap of the press preview of this special installation, now on view until Dec. 20, 2013.
Enjoy!

Leslie Heigh ~ Lovely Leslie
Follow Twitter/Instagram @IJust_LoveThis #sobesavvy
“Social Butterfly News for South Beach and Beyond”