Miami, where Arts, Culture, and Enterentaiment Mingle with Sunshine and Sea Breeezes by Fatima Canovas
Downtown Miami at Night (Photo Credit Jorge Molina) Miami, “The Magic City” - home of the Tequesta Indians, gateway to Latin America, gracious hostess to Art Basel and dozens of satellite art fairs, home port to all major cruise lines headed to the Bahamas, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Cuba… It’s Downtown flourishing with magnificent new buildings, parks, museums, theaters, a performance arts center, art galleries and studios, restaurants and hotels. The courthouse building - affectionately referred to by the growing Cuban immigrant population of the 1960’s and 70’s as, “Cielito Lindo” (“Pretty Little Sky”), because of its prestigious status of being the tallest building in Downtown Miami, is now completely hidden from view by all the new development that surrounds it.
Brickell (Photo Credit Daphne Collazo) With Brickell on one side - boasting a main road lined with glass walled sky-scrapers, beautiful water view condominiums, restaurants, a bustling night life, and fantastic walkability and public transit options. And the Design and Wynnwood Art District on the other – beaming with the most prestigious brand name stores and boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, the world-famous Wynwood Walls, and elegant condominiums that intermingle with the amenities in perfect harmony. Downtown Miami serves as the perfect center stage for visitors and tourists alike; boasting the largest concentration of cultural institutions, events, hotels, and restaurants in the entire city; and in par with many other major cities around the country.
Wynnwood Walls (Photo Credit Jeremiah Garcia)
PAMM, The Perez Museum Downtown Miami (Photo Credit Dan Lundberg) The heart of Downtown Miami is home to several important museums that greatly enrich the visitors’ experiences: The Perez Museum, PAMM, Miami’s flagship modern and contemporary art museum dedicated to collecting and exhibiting international art of the 20th and 21st centuries and offering an educational and civic forum; with exhibitions that highlight the city’s pivotal geographic location at the crossroads of the Americas, as well as its diverse community. The spectacular views of Biscayne Bay and the hanging gardens can be enjoyed while dining at the waterfront Verde restaurant. Their gift store offers a unique selection of art books, handmade items, and furnishings. Patricia and Philip Frost Museum of Science, designed to provide a welcoming environment in keeping with South Florida’s unique subtropical climate, the museum incorporates advanced communications and energy-conservation technology,; as well as a host of visitor-friendly features. Structured around a lushly landscaped indoor and outdoor ‘living core’ of terrestrial and aquatic exhibits, featuring one-of-a-kind aquarium components, a state-of-the-art digital dome, and hands-on exhibits and interactive digital technology, Frost Science offers one of the world’s most exciting museum experiences. Every aspect of the three-story, 250,000-square-foot building is designed to inspire the mind, engage the senses, and stimulate the imagination. History Miami, part of the prestigious Smithsonian Institution Affiliations Program, this impressive museum gathers, interprets, and presents the history of Miami and the greater South Florida region as a cultural crossroads of the Americas through collections, exhibitions, and publications that provide visitors with meaningful ways to learn about and connect to the rich past and ever-evolving future of the area and its diverse and ever-expanding population.
MDC Museum of Art + Design, Miami Dade College's flagship institution dedicated to the presentation and exhibition of visual art and design is housed within the National Historic Landmark Freedom Tower at Miami Dade College in Downtown Miami; providing visitors access to unique cultural, historical, and educational exhibitions that enrich the greater community while building and preserving an expansive permanent art collection, Freedom Tower archives, and newly established design collections. The museum is one of the most accessible institutions in South Florida; with the ability to reach diverse audiences, and where encounters with great works of art, design, and culture happen around every corner; free for all passengers. Miami Center for Architecture and Design MCSAD, the place for everyone interested in design and the built environment, with community meeting space and educational programs to enhance public appreciation for architecture and design; housing flexible exhibit/gallery space that accommodates lectures, seminars and meetings, space for urban lab studios and flex meeting rooms.
The SeaFair Downtown Miami (Photo Credit Kara Franker) An abundance of Performance Centers is another indication that the city has most definitely reached its “cultural maturity�: The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts; from opera to Broadway, dance to drama, symphonic to pop concerts, cabaret to comedy, jazz to world music and beyond, this center is home to the greatest artists and productions from around the world. With three state-of-the-art theaters: the 2,400-seat Ziff Ballet Opera House, the 2,200-seat Knight Concert Hall, and the intimate Carnival Studio Theatre; the beautiful Thompson Plaza for the arts - designed as a perfect stage for outdoor performances; a street-level Bombay Sapphire Lounge housed inside a historic Art Deco Tower and Prelude by Barton G, and a full-service upscale restaurant - this is a premiere showcase for the performing arts and all types of events. The American Airlines Arena, that since its spectacular grand opening on December 31, 1999, has become one of the nation's premier facilities in sports and entertainment; as well as a center of activity in South Florida. The impressive 19,600-seat arena ranks among the nation's top 10 venues annually for total ticket sales and among the top 5 for Latin entertainment. The Olympia Theater, tucked into Miami's contemporary skyline, is an enchanting Mediterranean courtyard with shimmering stars and golden balconies. Majestic turrets and towers suggest another era when performances were events, and grand theaters provided a
dream-like escape from the modern world. The Center is not just a "venue", but rather the jewel of South Florida arts and entertainment facilities; affording its diverse community and international guests a unique cultural experience that defies comparison. Teatro Prometeo, the only conservatory-style Professional Actor Training Program in the nation. Since its inception 40 years ago, its mission has been focused on preserving Hispanic culture through theatre. Instituto Cultural de Mexico, part of the Consulate General of Mexico, has as its mission the dissemination of the cultural richness and diversity of Mexico in South Florida. In its new location in the Brickell area, it has an art gallery and a library with publications on art, history, and literature; among other subjects; in the gallery, visual arts exhibitions, conferences, book presentations, movie screenings, and more. ICM Miami also promotes the presence of Mexican artists and productions in festivals, art fairs, and other projects. McCormick Place, built in 1924 as a US Customs Warehouse of confiscated goods and a lookout post for the nefarious characters entering Downtown via Biscayne Bay and The Miami River, McCormick Place now serves as a mixed use of creative space available for events, gallery, and artist studios. The venue features indoor and outdoor areas for cocktail receptions, performances, and exhibitions. Exterior murals created by Stephen Gamson and Eleazar Delgado, as well as by Miami International University of Art & Design adorn its facade. SeaFair, based in Bayfront Park, is Miami's newest year-round cultural venue for events, and private corporate meetings. Designed and owned by Lee Ann and David Lester - founders of Art Miami, Art Palm Beach, Art Boca, and Concept Fairs - SeaFair is the world's first mobile mega yacht venue, as well as one of the ten largest privately owned yachts in the United States ground breaking in scale, ingenuity and style.
The Artisan Lounge Downtown Miami (Photo Credit Sri Prabha) Private Collections, Not-for-Profits, and Foundations are woven into the fabric of downtown’s cultural landscape: CIFO is a non-profit organization established in 2002 by Ella Fontanals-Cisneros and her family to support art and artists who are exploring new directions in contemporary art. The foundation fosters cultural understanding and educational exchange through primary initiatives: Grants and Commissions programs for emerging and mid-career visual artists from Latin America; an exhibitions program showcasing work by Latin American artists and international contemporary art from the Ella Cisneros-Fontanals Collection at CIFO Art Space; and foundation-initiated support for other arts and culture projects.
Aluna Art Foundation is a non-profit organization created to widen the margins and thoughts on contemporary art in Miami; whose curatorial vision has been devoted to supporting the development of contemporary artistic practices within the city, provoking constant dialogues. The Artisan Lounge, a new and innovative studio and gallery space for both - emerging and seasoned professionals - supported by Christ Fellowship Miami, who believe in the power and importance of the arts and community. The Artisan Lounge exists to serve Miami artists, and to be a catalyst and influence the growth of the community. Cannonball is a non-profit arts organization known for its advocacy and innovative programs to support today's artists. Core initiatives include: SeminArt, providing free educational and professional development services to artists; LegalLink, an in-house legal advice and referral service for artists and arts organizations; and the Residency Program, which offers long-term live/work space for local artists and short-term residencies for visiting cultural producers. CCEMiami, Centro Cultural EspaĂąol de Cooperacion Iberoamericana, is a non-profit organization that aims to promote and make tangible the cultural presence of Spain and Latin American countries in Florida by means of a culturally relevant and multidisciplinary annual program that emphasizes the support of local creativity, collaboration with other cultural local institutions, and the promotion of those values that contribute to the improvement of coexistence and respect of human and cultural rights; founded in 1996, the center belongs to the network of Cultural Centers that AECID (Spanish International Agency for Cooperation and Development) has throughout Latin America. National Young Arts Foundation, identifies and supports the next generation of artists, and contributes to the cultural vitality of the nation by investing in the artistic development of talented young artists in the visual, literary, and performing arts; providing emerging artists with life-changing experiences with renowned mentors, access to significant scholarships, national recognition, and other opportunities throughout their careers to help ensure that the nation's most outstanding emerging artists are encouraged to pursue careers in the arts.
Downtown Art House Downtown Miami (Photo Credit Turned-Base Press) Artist-Initiated Spaces add a bohemian atmosphere that lures visitors to embark on the road to artistic encounters and discoveries: Bas Fisher Invitational at DWNTWN Art House, an artist run space dedicated to creativity, experimentation, and discourse in contemporary art that aims to create a bridge between Miami and the International art world by curating a program that alternates between local and global. The space is committed to building the Miami arts community by offering support for artist projects, in particular, WEIRD MIAMI, a platform for exhibitions and public programming that takes a behind the scenes look at the city and its artistic offerings. BFI is a not-for-profit funded primarily by grants, donations, and the sale of print editions. It’s location within the DWNTWN Art Ho is made possible through the support of Miami World Center. Dimensions Variable at DWNTWN Art House, an exhibition space interested in advancing artistic discourse in Miami; providing a forum for contemporary art since 2009. Its focus being that of inviting national and international artists to exhibit and discuss their work alongside locally based artists. The space is sponsored by Miami World Center, and is a Knight Arts Challenge Grant recipient from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Dimensions Variable is run by Adler Guerrier, Leyden Rodriguez-Casanova and Frances Trombly. Turn-Based Press at DWNTWN Art House, a membership-supported community print shop currently set up in the DWNTWN Art House, sponsored by Miami World Center; the Press' founder, Kathleen Hudspeth that received a Knight Arts Challenge grant in 2009 for the idea to start Turn-Based Press. In January 2010, the press was gifted four etching presses and some other equipment by the Ebgi family.
Avant Gallery Downtown Miami (Photo Credit Pedro Riveiro Simoes)
Downtown Miami galleries cement the year-round artistic presence in the Magic City’s heart: Artopia Arts Center is a multidisciplinary space offering visual arts education, programming, and entertainment for all ages; forging a new framework for understanding the momentous changes in Miami's cultural life; with a program that promotes cultural development in the art community by supporting innovative visual art projects. Avant Gallery is a 3,000 square foot showroom that offers a curated selection of extraordinary ‘objet d’art’ with limited availability and unlimited personality that exhibits an evolving collection of furniture accent pieces, lighting, sculpture, wall and floor decor, fine art, photography, mixed media design, and other unique collectibles by world-renowned; as well as emerging talent. The gallery’s mission is to make work that falls within the disciplines of art, design, and manufacturing accessible; and to electrify the spirit by delivering inspiration through forward-thinking art and design. CU-1 Gallery, founded by a group of individuals from Germany - all of whom met through photography - places an emphasis on the integration of art and life. Rather than a gallery where art hangs lifelessly on walls, the gallery encourages a holistic experience of the works on view. As part of its mission to celebrate art and bring it to life, CU-1 will offer events on a regular basis in conjunction with its exhibitions, such as wine tastings, live music, fashion happenings, dinners, and more; much of it in partnership with other local establishments. Lou La Vie Gallery. The entrance to the gallery is in the parking lot of the 1444 building, which makes it feel like you are coming upon a hidden gem. The large gallery showcases a wide selection of Pop-inspired canvases by Ecuadorian-born, Downtown Miami-based artist, Leonardo Hidalgo. Using diverse media that ranges from photography, to computer generated graphics, fabric, and paint, Hidalgo creates iconic pop culture assemblages; often of famous faces - some of whom have commissioned the artist for their portrait. These works are exhibited amongst a bevy of shiny exotic cars including Ferraris and Lamborghinis that the space also rents to the likes of Justin Bieber and other aspirants. If nothing else, Lou La Vie gallery is worth a visit for its star-studded appeal. Nina Torres Fine Art, inaugurated in 2011 at a new location on North Bayshore Drive - at the center of Miami's most important cultural area: The Arts & Entertainment District. As the only waterfront gallery to open in the city, it aims to serve the local and international community as a meeting point where art enthusiasts, collectors, and the general public gather for interactive events in a bright welcoming space. Primary Project is a multidisciplinary project space - positioned at the heart of the Miami World Center in Downtown Miami - which aims to explore and promote multiple forms of aesthetic expression from established and emerging artists by utilizing extensive and wholly specific experience in producing street-level curatorial endeavors in Miami; the creative forces behind
Primary unite the commercial and critical efforts of artists, curators, critics, professionals and patrons, the result of which is the vital presence of an intelligent, alternative arts environment with a bold urban sensibility delivered through a diverse range of media.
Concept Fair Miami (Photo Credit Concept Fair) Art Basel Week Art Fairs are now also part of the Downtown Miami Scene each year during Miami Art Week in December: Concept Fair, debuting in Miami November 30 to December 4, 2016, at the spectacular space: “Waterfront Fair in the Round� in the very heart of the Downtown Miami artistic/museum district with a focus on contemporary art; offering and extraordinary opportunity for exhibitors to showcase for art lovers and collectors the work of emerging 2oth and 21st century recognized emerging artists.
Spectrum Miami. Re-located in 2015 to the Arts and Entertainment District, which has recently seen a renaissance of creative energy with the advent of Miami’s premier performance space (The Adrienne Arscht Center), and the opening of hip restaurants and speakeasy-inspired bars; there’s no doubt that its location just minutes from all of Miami’s hottest neighborhoods (including Wynwood, Design District, Downtown and South Beach) make the Arts and Entertainment District Miami’s next big discovery. Still being defined by the burgeoning creative scene, the Arts and Entertainment District is poised for exceptional growth in the coming years. Red Dot Miami. Also re-located in 2015 to Miami’s Arts and Entertainment District; a 7.5-acre cultural oasis in the heart of the city sets the stage for Red Dot Miami, which offers onsite parking and close proximity to hotels and restaurants. Taking place in a 55,000-square-foot structure adjacent to Spectrum Miami, the show draws visitors from all over the world with its wide variety of art exhibitions, museum and performing arts events, and other attractions.
Downtown’s two major parks beautifully add to the “flair for the outdoors” inherent in a city located in the Sunshine State:
Museum Park Downtown Miami (Photo Credit Phillip Pessar) Museum Park, Overlooking Biscayne Bay, includes public gardens and sculpture installations. A vibrant mix of green space and cultural offerings, the park represents Miami's urban redesign vision for the area formerly known as Bicentennial Park. This vital downtown park, a catalyst for the transformation of the district, is central to efforts to strengthen Greater Miami’s momentum as an emerging global capital. The park is the landmark for PAMM and the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science.
Julia Tuttle Statue Bayfront Park Downtown Miami (Photo Credit Phillip Pessar) Bayfront Park, nicknamed by Cuban immigrants in the 1960’s and 70’s as “El Parque de las Palomas” (“Pigeon’s Park”) because of its now absent abundance over-abundance of pigeons redesigned in the early 1980’s by Isamu Noguchi - is a 32-acre site located in the epicenter of downtown Miami on Biscayne Bay; bounded on the north by Bayside Marketplace (an open-air festival style mall that attracts 12 million people per year), on the south by InterContinental Hotel, and on the west by Biscayne Boulevard (downtown Miami’s “main street”).
The Design District (Photo Credit Daphne Collazo) The variety of choices for eating and shopping in Downtown Miami make the area virtually irresistible to visitors and tourists:
Bayside Marketplace Downtown Miami (Photo Credit Mark Goebel) Bayside Marketplace, located on Biscayne Bay - in the very heart of Downtown Miami - is the number one most visited tourist and locals attraction in the city for experiencing real Miami. Home to impeccable international cuisine, fine shops, and exotic music in a beautiful waterfront setting, this two-level, open-air festival center features more than 150 shops including unique and national retailers, 12 delicious restaurants, and an international food court; as well as a place for lively performances from Miami's best local musicians, and the place to hop on a refreshing Bay cruise or the Xpress Water taxi service from Bayside to Miami Beach Marina, Key Biscayne, Fontainebleau hotel, Eden rock Hotel, and Coconut Grove..
Brickell City Centre, Miami, Florida (Photo Credit Luxe Properties) Brickell City Centre, a $1.05 billion mixed-use development running for 9.1acres along South Miami Avenue between Eighth and Sixth Street, with 5.4 million square feet of office, residential, hotel, retail, and entertainment space; in addition it has a two-level underground parking garage that spans seven acres below the property, and an environmentally progressive climate ribbon architectural feature that will provide innovative climate control so that shoppers can walk in comfort between stores and restaurants. Strategically located in the center of the Brickell financial district, it is the single largest project currently underway in downtown Miami; anticipated to bring a whole new level of urban living and sophistication to the area. The project incorporates key transportation centers with the Miami Metromover. while offering easy access to Interstate 95.
Macy’s Downtown (Photo Credit Phillip Pessar) Downtown Miami’s Shopping District, located in historic Flagler Street, the heart of the City of Miami, hundreds of stores and shops make up the Downtown Shopping District; anchored by Macy's, Marshalls, Ross Dress for Less, and La Epoca (imported from Havana). Visitors can shop all day, lunch on food from almost anywhere in the world, visit art and historical museums, or just stroll the streets of Miami's historic district; also, the destination for world-class jewelry shopping; including the Seybold Building which boasts more than 280 jewelers.
Cvi.che105 Restaurant Downtown Miami (Photo Credit Ines Hegedus-Garcia) Downtown Miami Restaurants. Miamian’s love eating out, and with all that there is to do in Downtown Miami, tourists, and locals tend to stay in the area a while; so over 478 restaurants in and around the perimeter should be able to satisfy every craving and eating preference.
The Intercontinental Hotel Downtown Miami (Photo Credit Phillip Pessar) Downtown Miami Hotels. With almost 80 hotels in Downtown Miami – some with breathtaking ocean views, and others intertwined into the hustle bustle of this lively city - there is no doubt that visitors and also locals who want to get away and be tourists in their own town can find the perfect place to rest and relax after a busy day of sightseeing, shopping, fair going, or evening at the opera, a show, or dinner at one of the many area restaurants.
Free and Fanciful Transportation (Photo Credit Phillip Pessar) Transportation is plentiful and fanciful: The picturesque free trolley offer rides that take visitors back in time, while the Metrorail and People Movers propels them into a futuristic frame of mind. Of course, there are other options such as: bus and taxi service, Uber, and car rentals; transportation available during Art Basel Week to all Miami Beach Satellite Fairs.
Historic Freedom Tower Building Downtown Miami (Photo Credit Ed Webster) Take the Downtown Miami Partnership historic walking tour: The Downtown Miami Historic District is a U.S. historic district (designated as such on December 6, 2005) located in the CBD of Downtown Miami, Florida. The district is bounded by Miami Court, North Third Street, West Third Avenue, and South Second Street, and contains 60 historic buildings. A large portion the buildings in the historic district were built during the Florida land boom of the 1920s, when Miami experienced rapid population growth. Many of the older structures from before the 1920’s, were smaller scale buildings and homes from the Miami pioneer era of the mid and late-19th century. Palm Cottage, built in 1897, is a home from the pioneer era that is still standing; however, few of these original homes remain.