Conservation International's new Nature Is Speaking campaign seeks to redefine the conversation about the relationship between people and nature. In a series of short films, celebrities lend their voices to parts of nature, such as the rainforest, ocean and redwood. All deliver an important message everyone needs to hear: Nature doesn't need people. People need nature.
This week's film features Julia Roberts as Mother Nature. Watch below and learn more on natureisspeaking.org.
Just because it's officially fall in Miami doesn’t mean your sense of style has to feel staid. Add the right pieces to your wardrobe and you’re good to go. Here, a few of our fall favorites.
Ludlow Fielding suit jacket in Italian corduroy, J.Crew ($425). 726 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, 305-673-9806
Corduroy may seem stodgy, but the look is entirely on trend this fall. In a light, neutral shade and breathable Italian cotton, this classy corduroy jacket is fit for work and play.
Roth Brushed twill tie, Jack Spade ($98). jackspade.com
Tired of your current lineup of silk ties? 'Tis the season to try a new textile—like twill. Since gray is one of our favorite colors this season, this hand-finished cotton twill tie fits the bill.
iPhone 6 case/wallet folio, CaseMate ($60). Bloomingdale's, The Falls, 8778 S.W. 136th St., Miami, 305-252-6300
Once you get your hands on the new iPhone 6, you'll need a masculine case to keep it scratch-free and safe. Of the few available now, our pick is this simple black folio made from glossy leather.
Five-button cardigan, Perry Ellis ($98). perryellis.com
Casual Friday is no excuse to look sloppy. Dress down but stay styled up by putting this comfortable cardigan over one of your new dress shirts.
White leather and snakeskin high-top sneakers, Gucci ($550). Bal Harbour Shops, 305-868-6504
When you're not at the office, stay casual in a pair of clean, crisp high-tops that'll brighten up any outfit. We know you're not supposed to wear white after Labor Day, but when Gucci says it's okay, we can't argue.
Crocodile Art Bag, Billionaire Italian Couture ($42,595). billionairecoutureusa.com
Every jet-setter needs a carryall that looks as good as he does. This fall make an investment in a sleek man bag—like this one made from textured ostrich leather—that's the perfect size to make a quick getaway. The sturdy handles and roomy interior can handle a few outfits, shoes, and toiletries.
Find out what's new on Miami's culinary scene this month.
Chef Tim Andriola at Basil Park.
Little did Timo Executive Chef Tim Andriola know that when he took a nutrition class, it would spawn an entirely new restaurant. That class prompted him to change his outlook on food, as well as create the casual, nutrition-focused Basil Park in Sunny Isles. “I take things in their most pure state so that they are minimally handled and the nutritional value is at its peak,” he says of the restaurant’s cuisine. The eatery is a celebration of nature: Spherical vases sprouting micro basil accent the interior—that is until Andriola cuts the microgreen and juices it or props it on a zucchini, summer squash, and portobello “lasagna.” 17608 Collins Ave., Sunny Isles, 305-705-0004
After a decade in Brickell, David Bracha is bringing his mollusks back to where they belong—the Miami River. Come winter, The River Seafood & Oyster Bar will join the Garcia’s and Casablanca’s neighborhood. The fresh seafood-centric menu and unbeatable happy hour will remain the same, with one small adjustment—alfresco seating overlooking the river. For those craving Bracha’s delicacies right now, his Oak Tavern, a Design District dining destination known for its great courtyard, lively bar, and delicious, clean flavors, is open for business. The River Seafood & Oyster Bar, Flagler on the River, 340 W. Flagler St., Miami, 305-530-1916
Summer roots and shoots.
Rooted in Midtown, Seed Food and Wine Festival’s five-day run makes it the largest plant-based festival Florida has yet to see. The nutritious extravaganza, taking place October 15-19, includes cooking demos and lectures, beachside brunch, yoga, and meditation. A highlight of the festival is a dinner by James Beard Award nominee and the world’s leading raw chef, Matthew Kenney, on Saturday, October 18.
A new kind of Temple is in town, and it’s a place of worship—for your body. Walking distance from Sunset Place, the fast, casual, whole-food plant-based (WFPB) sanctuary is headed by Olivier Jardon-El Hiny, a three-time Ironman whose love for Mother Nature is shown in Temple’s nutritious but hearty fare. Playful names—Q&A is the quinoa and arugula, while Kale to the Chief is a kale smoothie—whimsical cutlery, and spirited cuisine make intimidating ingredients approachable and easy to digest. Think quinoa, smoothies, juices, and tons of veggies. 5831 Sunset Dr., South Miami, 305-397-8732
L’echon’s navarin d’agneau (braised lamb shank).
The Pubbelly boys emphasize pork, which is exactly what Jose Mendin, Sergio Navarro, and Andreas Schreiner have done with L’echon Brasserie, their new venture in the Hilton Cabana Miami Beach. From the name to the catchphrase prompting your drink order—“Care to start with something to wet your whistle?”—the trio’s latest concept honors French technique while adding the Pubbelly twist: The L’echon roasted pork burger on a brioche bun is paired with mojo onions and tarragon aioli; foie cuddles up with Nutella on toast; and the skate comes with capers, pistachios, and cranberries. 6261 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 786-483-1611
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM ARBOGAST (ANDRIOLA); JUAN FERNANDO AYORA (L’ECHON); BRETT HUFZIGER (TEMPLE); MATTHEW KENNEY (ROOTS); STACY CRAMP (KENNEY)
Veuve Clicquot is delivering bubbly by truck this week—plus more food and drink happenings around Miami.
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We love food trucks here in Miami, but what about Champagne trucks? We'll take them, too. This week the Veuve Clicquot mail truck rolls into town as part of its cross-country tour. The signature yellow vehicle begins its Miami visit this Thursday, October 9 at Villa Azur with a branded photo booth, live music, and Yellow Label drink specials from 7-10 p.m. It will then make its way to The Conrad for happy hour on Friday from 5:30-8:30 p.m., Seasalt & Pepper on Saturday for Champagne pairings and small plates from 4-7 p.m., and The Dutch on Sunday with fried chicken and bubbly from 5-8 p.m.
To celebrate Oktoberfest, Wynwood Brewing Company is hosting its very own beer garden on the alfresco terrace at The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove. Stop by Saturday, October 18 or Sunday, October 19 from 3-9 p.m. for made-in-Miami craft brews—including Oktoberfest special Wyntoberfest—and German-themed tapas like chicken schnitzel sliders and beer-braised grilled bratwurst from Chef Ramesh Kaduru. 3300 S.W. 27th Ave., Coconut Grove, 305-644-4680
Yardbird Southern Table & Bar is turning three years old on Thursday, October 9 and celebrating with a three-hour shindig from 5-8 p.m. Swing by for Southern favorites like beer, bourbon, and Mama's chicken biscuits at exclusive prices. 1600 Lenox Ave., Miami Beach, 305-538-5220
Pasta and Wine Pairing at Cavalli
This year National Pasta Day falls on Friday, October 17—the perfect evening for Cavalli Restaurant & Lounge to toast its Italian heritage with a four-course pasta and wine dinner. Travel through Italy with tasting dishes like warm taragna polenta; carnaroli rice with white asparagus tips, shaved Norcia truffles, and mascarpone moose; and organic pan-roasted filet mignon roped with foie gras, all paired with Cavalli and Tenuta degli Dei wines and grappa. 150 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, 305-695-4191
See Miami's best bourbon bartenders in action at the Manhattan Experience cocktail competition presented by Liquor.com and USBG and sponsored by Woodford Reserve.
Miami is full of rising-star bartenders, but who is the best with bourbon? We're about to find out. After a nationwide search by Liquor.com in conjunction with the USBG to find bartenders who are passionate about bourbon, the Manhattan cocktail, Woodford Reserve, and what it means to create a truly meaningful cocktail experience, eight Miami finalists have emerged.
Join Woodford Reserve this Monday, October 13 as these finalists go head to head in the Miami qualifying round. They'll show off their skills to a panel of local judges to compete for the Miami Woodford Manhattan Title and a spot in the semi-final educational event in Kentucky with other regional finalists from across the country. Of these champs, six will be chosen to compete in the final event for the chance to be crowned winner of the Manhattan Experience.
The smallest and oldest operating distillery in America, Woodford Reserve bourbon is handcrafted in small batches at the historic Woodford Reserve Distillery in Kentucky. Its bourbon has been triple-distilled in copper pot stills and aged in heat-cycled warehouses, making it a top choice among the country's most talented bartenders.
The Manhattan Experience competition is 7-9 p.m. at Blackbird Ordinary, 729 S.W. First Ave., Miami, 305-671-3307; RSVP to wrmcmiami@gmail.com.
PHOTOGRAPHY VIA FACEBOOK.COM/WOODFORDRESERVE
Legendary steakhouse The Forge strikes again with a new top chef.
Miso-marinated Chilean sea bass with baby bok choy, shiitake mushrooms, and a yuzu-ginger reduction at Miami Beach mainstay The Forge.
Traditional, staid steakhouses have become an endangered species in a culinary environment ruled by innovation. The Forge, long-standing and often dominant in the Miami steak scene, could fall into that trap, but the family-owned restaurant has evolution as part of its character. To that end, owner Shareef Malnik has recently brought in Executive Chef Christopher Lee, a Michelin-starred toque who’s honed his considerable skills at some of Manhattan’s most elite eateries, including Aureole, Gilt, and Oceana. Despite the accolades, Lee is an approachable character (unless you’re a purveyor—if those tomatoes aren’t perfect, don’t even bring them through the door). Rejecting deliveries, he notes, is one way to train food providers to bring only the best.
At The Forge, this trait is expressed by elevating classic steakhouse staples without pretense. Malnik selected Lee for his maturity and finesse after a rigorous nationwide search. But it was Lee’s culinary agility and farm-totable ethos that ultimately set him apart, says Malnik, whose mission is to evolve the family business while upholding the significance of what his father created in 1968. “We want to push The Forge into the next 10 years, into the next chapter of what The Forge can be,” says Lee. “It’s bigger than any one of us.”
An unexpected pastrami duck breast elevates the traditional deli staple.
But don’t get too attached to one particular menu item. “In most steakhouses, you can run a popular dish forever, regardless of its seasonality,” the chef says. “Here, I adjust to make sure the food is always at its freshest.”
Thankfully, the steaks stick around, though. The 16-ounce dry-aged strip “Super Steak” and the 40-ounce dry-aged Prime tomahawk chop will continuously grace the menu, among a handful of others. Lee has worked his New York connections to source these prestigious cuts, along with nine other steaks, from famed butcher Pat LaFrieda.
He’s also come up with an array of steak accompaniments, vibrant creations like the garden-vegetable chimichurri (a nod to Miami’s South American population) or the Rossini of foie gras and black truffles (a tribute both to Lee’s classical French training and to the Italian composer). His signature steak sauce, a mouthwatering accouterment made with 13 top-secret ingredients, is kept “off the menu” yet served regularly.
Michelin-starred Executive Chef Christopher Lee honed his skills at some of New York’s most esteemed restaurants.
Beyond steak, the composed entrées show off Lee’s range—from the elegant miso-marinated Chilean sea bass with baby bok choy, shiitake mushrooms, and a yuzu-ginger reduction to the playful pastrami duck breast with braised cabbage, lemon cornichon sauce, house-made Russian dressing, and rye gnocchi in place of the classic pastrami on rye found at a typical Jewish deli.
Of his philosophy with The Forge, Lee recalls a lesson he learned from renowned chef Thomas Keller: “Keller says your palate only appreciates the first few bites before flavor saturation sets in. My goal is to expand on textures and acids without excess to keep guests wanting more.” Seems like The Forge has found its route. 432 41st St., Miami Beach, 305-538-8533
Romero Britto and his perpetually happy art have charmed the world. We take a peek inside the machine.
Romero Britto at work in his 50,000-square-foot Wynwood studio. “I never thought I would do what I now do with my art,” he says.
Walking into Romero Britto’s 50,000-square-foot Wynwood production facility, I’m overwhelmed by wall after wall of photos—Britto with Bono, Hillary Clinton, Pope Francis, Prince Charles. Turn a corner and there’s an invite to Michael Jackson’s Neverland Valley Ranch for a Britto birthday bash back in the day. Another wall is covered in the artist’s candy-colored Disney tchotchkes. “Welcome to the Britto compound,” coos Paula Moscoso, Britto’s elegant studio manager. The place is abuzz with several of the company’s 93 employees—lawyers, logistics people, young art workers. The product is Britto, more specifically his original paintings, reproduction prints, and colorful collectibles, many of which will be shipped globally.
Despite Moscoso’s concern about interrupting him, when we walk into Britto’s inner sanctum, a room littered with Sharpies, memorabilia, and new paintings, he’s as warm as can be. Dance music plays in the background as he uses a silver marker and quick strokes to sketch a portrait of a coy girl. “This is from my new series,” he says.
Weekends, when the studio is empty, are the time when Britto is most creative.
The work is indeed different, if you’re accustomed to two decades of his vibrant Pop Art. The largest piece is a woman who looks more crazy than happy, drawn in bold strokes over newsprint detailing the chaos of the world. Others have layers of rust-colored resin and gold or silver leaf topped with quick face sketches so minimalist as to border on abstract. “I’ve done in the past a lot of work on newspaper,” Britto says of his early days selling art on the streets of Miami. “I painted on newspaper because it was so cheap. I grew up worried about tomorrow—always worried about something. But I never thought I would do what I now do with my art.”
A tour with 300 signed prints shipping out today, he’s got some busy work to do. First he wants to show off his “closet,” though, a room full of hundreds of shirts, slacks, shoes, and sunglasses, all arranged by color. He holds up a zebra-striped Dolce & Gabbana blazer. He’s a collector of luxury, as if to demarcate his journey, yet he also collects Depression-era glass. In the next room, a scruffy 20-something assistant meticulously pours gold dust onto a series of 50 coffee-colored prints, each of which will take an hour. Nearby, we walk past Britto’s favorite painting, a dark, cloudy green and white storm of an image quite different from his own. The artist? Bubbles, Michael Jackson’s chimpanzee.
Inside the signing room, inventory manager Lyonel Denis has lined up hundreds of puppy prints, and Britto embellishes each with a flourish of silver, then adds his signature. From here, the prints will go to his Lincoln Road gallery or other galleries worldwide. “It’s like a treadmill,” says Moscoso, who rattles off a typical Britto day—he wakes up at 4 am, works out, by seven he’s having a coffee with his licensing manager and best friend Alina Shriver, 8:30 is creative time, 9:30 he’s in meetings, interviews, signing, branding, and business discussions. He might show a high-end client around the compound, then it’s off to his Lincoln Road gallery. His best creative time is on weekends, when the compound is deserted.
Denis carries a tray of prints with the utmost care. “I protect joy,” he says without me asking. “If I can giggle [because of the colors] and I’m a grown man, imagine what it does to everybody else.”
Customers agree. Beyond prints, his Britto-ized collectibles, plates, glasses, ashtrays, and ties are sold globally. He’s huge in Germany, France, Brazil. Now he’s really focusing a lot of his efforts on Asia.
Sharing a meal with friends at Zuma.
Off to dinner-Britto has some friends in town, Yair Kagan and his wife, Claudia. Yair is having three Britto images tattooed around his right shoulder and arm. To celebrate, they head to a packed Zuma (270 Biscayne Blvd. Way, Miami, 305-577-0277), where Britto wades through a gauntlet of hellos from the waitstaff, whom he seems to know personally. Before long, the artist is playing host, doling out sashimi to his table guests, including Dr. Jeremy Green, a family friend he met through charity work with the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, and Green’s fiancée, Allie Brede. Britto’s assistant brings over some teens visiting from Mexico City who wanted to meet him; now he’s hugging the sommelier.
Yair Kagan showing the area where three Britto images will be tattooed on his shoulder and arm.
“Do you ever just want to be alone?” I ask.
“Not unless I’m with the right person. I don’t like it that much; it’s not fun to be alone. I love to be around people, friends. You care; they care about you.” Dr. Green chimes in, “He exudes positivity from every pore. That’s why he’s fun to be around. From a selfish standpoint, you go out with Romero, and you’re happy.”
Britto looks around the table at his collection of friends and cracks a smile that is oddly humble, as if he still needed to paint on newsprint, then raises a toast.
Watchmakers find inspiration in everything from nature to architecture in order to craft revolutionary timepieces sure to wow the Miami collector.
The art of watchmaking is a nearly 500-year-old tradition. Still, artisans continue to produce ever more beautiful, intricate, and mechanically innovative timepieces that are truly works of art. In the beginning, inspiration was drawn simply from the revolutionary ability—thanks to the development of the mainspring—to build these cutting-edge devices. But as time and technology progressed, watchmakers became more creative in their designs. Today inspiration can come from a host of sources: For some, it is architecture and design, for others, it is the heavenly skies and the natural world, the power of machines or the richness of history. Here, a look at several stunning creations where inspiration has been channeled into an artful wristwatch.
From cars to planes, rocketry, and even high-tech bicycles, watch designers take a cue from the automated innovations that are among man’s greatest achievements.
FROM LEFT:
1. This Omega Speedmaster Mark II ($6,250) is a reissue of the original 1969 Mark II model, a prototype that was intended for NASA testing. This incarnation features a pilots case and offers an automatic movement and tachymetric scale on its sapphire crystal that is illuminated from beneath by an aluminum ring filled with SuperLuminova. It houses the coaxial caliber 3330 self-winding movement with a si14 silicon balance spring and column-wheel chronograph. Aventura Mall, 19501 Biscayne Blvd., 305-931-8788
2. As official timekeeper and sponsor of the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique since 2002, Chopard takes inspiration from its deep association with classic auto racing. This Grand Prix de Monaco Historique Chrono ($7,640) is crafted in stainless steel with a 44.5mm titanium case. It features a silver dial with yellow racing accents and houses a mechanical self-winding movement. Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-868-8626
3. Hamilton first took to the air with the American airmail postal service in 1919 as its pilots flew their fledgling runs between New York and Washington. For nearly 100 years, the brand’s strong aviation involvement has shaped both form and function. Hamilton’s Khaki Skeleton watch ($1,295) features a skeletonized H2O movement with propeller-like accents that pay homage to this unique history and love of aviation. Watch Time, 139 E. Flagler St., Miami, 305-539-0515
4. From David Yurman, this Revolution Chronograph ($6,400) offers a design influenced by the world of muscle cars and auto racing. It is crafted in stainless steel with a bold 43.5mm case and steel bracelet and offers chronograph functions for split-second timing. Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-867-1772
Sometimes a look into the archives provides all the inspiration a watchmaker needs to create timepieces that take the best design elements from the past and blend them with the most up-to-date innovations.
FROM LEFT:
1. This Hermès Dressage L’Heure Masquee ($43,750) recalls the brand’s origins, when it created equestrian-inspired accessories. This new 18k rose-gold Dressage watch features an inventive complication that “hides” the time. The watch’s natural state only displays the hour hand, with the minute hand hidden behind it. With the push of a button on the side of the case, the minute hand moves to display the full time. The watch also features a dual time indicator. Only 500 pieces will be made. Miami Design District, 175 NE 40th St., 305-868-0118
2. From Rolex, the Oyster Perpetual Explorer watch ($6,550) is a nod to the brand’s adventures in the Himalayas and pays tribute to the first successful ascent of Mount Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary, who famously reached its summit in 1953 with a Rolex Oyster on his wrist. The watch is crafted in steel with a perpetual mechanical self-winding movement and is a COSC-certified chronometer that is fitted with a steel Oysterlock bracelet. Rolex Boutique Luxury Swiss, Miami Design District, 135 NE 39th St., 305-576-5391
3. Vacheron Constantin has the distinction of being the oldest Swiss watch brand continually in production. The company was founded in 1755 and is noted for excellence in its movements and craftsmanship. Today, the brand recalls its rich history with the American 1921 in 18k rose gold ($36,800). The watch is reminiscent of the Roaring Twenties with its cushion-shaped case, and it houses a manually wound movement with 127 components and 65 hours of power reserve. It holds the Hallmark of Geneva certification. Tourneau, Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-866-4312; Miami Design District (opening November), 140 NE 39th St., 877-701-1755
4. The new Montblanc Homage to Nicolas Rieussec Limited Edition ($11,500) honors the French watchmaker who patented the chronograph in 1821 as a means to precisely measure the running times of individual horses at a race. This rich history led the brand to create an entire collection with distinct manufacture movements. The watch’s unmistakable appearance combines an off-center hour circle in the upper part of the dial and the chronograph’s elapsed-time displays in the dial’s lower portion. As on the 1821 original, elapsed time is shown on two rotating discs, above each of which a motionless hand indicates the passing seconds and minutes. 7481 SW 88th St., #1940, Miami, 305-669-5152
5. Inspired by the peerless ultrathin watches it developed in the 1950s, Piaget returned to the drawing board and took three years to build this radical new Piaget Altiplano 38mm 900P ($27,800). The brand even named the new watch based on subtleties from the past (the original ultrathin caliber released in 1957 was called the Caliber 9P). This new 38mm white-gold watch is record-breakingly slim, just 3.65mm, with movement parts actually merged with the case in a revolutionary design. Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-861-5475
The sun, moon, stars, and planets have all exhilarated watchmakers differently, yielding a wealth of heavenly renditions. From moonphase timepieces to watches that depict the zodiac to those designed with global elements, this category is as vast as space itself.
FROM LEFT:
1. From Jaeger-LeCoultre, this Duomètre à Quantième Lunaire ($42,700) houses an extraordinary Dual-Wing movement that offers two independent power supplies. The watch displays the date and age of the moon for the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, synchronized through the jumping seconds hand mechanism, which displays 1/6th of a second increments. 254 Worth Ave., Palm Beach, 561-833-0801
2. From Greubel Forsey, this platinum GMT watch ($630,000) depicts the Earth in all its glory, as seen from above. The watch, with rotating globe, offers a day/night indicator, world time display, and inclined tourbillon. The terrestrial globe completes each counterclockwise rotation in 24 hours. The complex caliber is comprised of 443 components. Les Bijoux, 306 Plaza Real, Boca Raton, 561-361-2311
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:
1. The Moonstruck watch from Ulysse Nardin ($97,500) is an astronomical delight. It offers a second time zone adjuster and ultraprecise moonphase indicator. The handpainted dial features an Earth disk around which the outer moon disk revolves; additionally there is a sun disk. Together these three bodies enable the visual indication of time, moonphases, neap and spring tides, and more. The watch houses the in-house-made UN-106 caliber that is contained in an 18k red-gold and ceramic case. Just 500 pieces exist. Aventura Mall, 19501 Biscayne Blvd., 305-830-1786
2. A. Lange & Söhne’s Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase ($48,200) is crafted in 18k pink gold with a solid silver argenté dial. The moonphase indicator is made of solid gold and features a patented coating process. The watch also offers big date indication, up/down power reserve indication, and a subsidiary seconds dial with stop seconds. 252 Worth Ave., Palm Beach, 561-833-0803.
3. From Arnold & Son, this HM Perpetual Moon watch ($29,950) is crafted in 18k 5N rose gold. The 42mm watch features a guilloché blue lacquered dial and rose-gold perpetual moon indicator. The mechanical Caliber A&S1512 offers 80 hours of power reserve. East Coast Jewelry, 16810 Collins Ave., Sunny Isles Beach, 305-947-8883
Where did Eva Longoria enjoy a meal with beau Jose Antonio Baston? Find out in this week's celebrity news.
Eva Longoria
The actress/activist was seen on a date with Jose Antonio Baston, president of Televisa, at Seasalt and Pepper on Sunday, September 28. The couple kissed throughout dinner while trying a slew of dishes, including Osetra caviar, fresh albacore tuna salad, pata negra ham, Chilean sea bass casserole, and Alaskan black cod casserole.
After attending the Marc Anthony concert on Saturday, October 4, Grammy-winning singer Carlos Vives and wife Margarita Rosa de Francisco celebrated her birthday at Seasalt and Pepper, sitting at a large table in the center of the restaurant with Anthony himself and Pitbull, who arrived via yacht and took photos with the staff. They were later joined by Seasalt and Pepper owner Carlos Miranda, also celebrating his birthday. The group stayed past 3:30 a.m.
On Thursday, October 2, actor Steven Seagal arrived at Seasalt and Pepper by boat Boss Man with a group of friends. They feasted on items like octopus à la plancha, organic filet mignon, lobster risotto, oysters, and chocolate truffles while drinking Cristal.
While in town for the group's tour, the One Direction member was spotted at Bianca at Delano on Saturday, October 4 having dinner with a party of seven.
That same evening, Golden State Warriors power forward Jermaine O'Neal was seen partying with a group of 10 friends at FDR at Delano. The group sipped Cîroc Peach, Don Julio Tequila Silver, Red Bull, and Voss water and stayed until 3 a.m.
The supermodel joined friends for brunch on Steak 954's terrace twice over the weekend—on Saturday, October 4 and Sunday, October 5.
Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union Lunch at Wynwood Kitchen
The newlyweds swung by Wynwood Kitchen & Bar on Thursday, October 2 and ordered the tropical salad, devilish eggs, grilled chicken, 48-hour crispy pork, flash-fried bok choy, and grilled asparagus.
The eight-months-pregnant actress took a VIP tour of Jungle Island on Wednesday, October 1 with husband Wladimir Klitschko. Panettiere received a painting as a baby gift from orangutan Hannah.
While in town to promote her fashion line for HSN, the Fashion Police host stopped by Mansion on Friday, September 26 to catch friend Skrillex and host a birthday bash for her employee, Holly Moss. The group ordered multiple bottles of Cristal to celebrate.
On Saturday, September 27, retired basketball stars Nick Van Exel and Michael Finley were spotted partying with friends at Rec Room and dancing into the early morning hours.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF JOSHUA BLANCHARD/GETTY IMAGES
In Miami, fall is less about the weather and more about the fashion. These six hot items are the must-haves of the season according to local fashion bloggers.
Blogger: Kelly Saks from Kelly’s Kloset
Fall Favorite: Houndstooth Pants
Scout houndstooth suspender pants, Rachel Zoe ($250). Nordstrom, Village of Merrick Park, 358 San Lorenzo Ave., Coral Gables, 786-999-1313
Why She Loves It: "I thought I would be over black and white by now, but the minimalism movement is hanging around for another season. I can't get enough of these tailored menswear-inspired trousers from Rachel Zoe, who epitomizes chic. The suspenders are a welcome accessory, allowing you to change up your look by wearing them up or down. The perfect pant to amp up your office style, I would pair them with a white pussybow blouse and classic black Manolos for a look that says 'I mean business.'"
Blogger: Ashley Brozic from Racked Miami
Fall Favorite: Asymmetrical Skirt
Asymmetric fold skirt, Nicholas ($330). Intermix, Bal Harbor Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-993-1232; 1005 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, 480-991-0365; 634 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-531-5950
Why She Loves It: "I'm letting this Nicholas skirt be the reason I wear white after Labor Day. There's no possible way to dress it down, and why would you want to? The fold adds drama to an otherwise classic, body-hugging pencil skirt, so I'd let it take center stage with a simple, sleek crop top and strappy sandals. Wearing white year round is one of the perks of living in America's tropics, so take advantage."
Blogger: Ginger Harris from Electric Blogarella
Fall Favorite: The LBD (Leather Black Dress)
Parker Tegan dress ($594). Jessie Boutique, 1708 Alton Road, Miami Beach, 305-604-7980
Why She Loves It: "For me, black is always the new black. It’s the shade that takes up 75 percent of my closet. But not just any LBD will do. This Parker dress manages to take everything I love about modern design—in leather nonetheless—and still gives it this overtly feminine quality. The frill in the skirt pleases my inner retro girly-girl, while the texture and top detail give it rock ’n’ roll edge. Feminine and edgy aren’t an easy combination to come across."
Blogger: Nicholl Vincent from The Chiffon Diary
Fall Favorite: Haircalf Flats
Printed haircalf cage ballet flat, Valentino ($1,495). Intermix, Bal Harbor Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-993-1232; 1005 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, 480-991-0365; 634 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-531-5950
Why She Loves It: "I love these Valentino Rockstud flats because this season we are seeing more and more that fashion needs to be comfortable. These calf-hair leopard flats serve as both a statement and a neutral, adding luxury, edge, and feminism to any chic fall outfit."
Blogger: Maria Tettamanti from The Wordy Girl
Fall Favorite: Geometric Sunglasses
Edged zig-zag optyl cat’s-eye sunglasses, Fendi ($495). Saks Fifth Avenue, Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-865-1100
Why She Loves It: "Every season I splurge on a novel heel, handbag, and pair of sunnies. When I spotted these faux trapeze diamond-embellished cat-eye sunglasses on Fendi's recent runways, I nearly keeled over with joy. The zig-zag arms add a major dose of fun and the pink mirrored lenses are unequivocally on-trend. The pièce de résistance are those mammoth diamond-shaped crystals. My husband thinks they're completely over the top—and that's a good thing, obviously."
Blogger: Annie Vazquez from The Fashion Poet
Fall Favorite: Leather Shirt
Menz leather shirt, Karina Grimaldi ($394). Jessie Boutique, 1708 Alton Road, Miami Beach, 305-604-7980
Why She Loves It: "I love this top because it's versatile enough to wear with anything from denim to a skirt to nice pants, or even with cute overalls. It's also a timeless piece that will get put to use in seasons to come. Plus, black is so easy to work into your wardrobe, making it a must-have."
Conservation International's new Nature Is Speaking campaign seeks to redefine the conversation about the relationship between people and nature. In a series of short films, celebrities lend their voices to parts of nature, such as the rainforest, ocean and redwood. All deliver an important message everyone needs to hear: Nature doesn't need people. People need nature.
This week's film features Harrison Ford as The Ocean. Watch below and learn more on natureisspeaking.org.
III Points headliner Duke Dumont sat down with us before his set to talk about what's changed since his rise to fame.
Duke Dumont.
Grammy-nominated British DJ and producer Duke Dumont has had a breakthrough year with "I Got U" featuring vocals by Jax Jones. But just because his hit single has gone mainstream, the 32-year-old chart-topper assures us that he isn't in it for the fame or the money; he's playing it cool, even at 1 a.m. on Saturday morning before his set at Wynwood’s III Points festival when we chatted with him about embracing his success, performing in Miami, and his favorite cereal.
Your single “I Got U” has skyrocketed in popularity. How has the past year been for you?
DUKE DUMONT: The past year has probably cut off about 10 years of my life, but I’m happy to do that (laughs). I’m having fun. I’m happy to work to the pressure I’m under. In the UK, it’s the second No. 1 I’ve had on the Billboard charts, so that kind of took me to a different category. What’s funny is that I’ve got one on the club side and one on the real commercial side; it’s a bit schizophrenic, but I love my club music. I’ll never stop DJing or making club music. But ["I Got U"] is taking me to a different arena.
How does it feel to hear your music spread around the world so quickly like that?
DD: Right at this point in time it makes me really, really happy that as many people can hear it as possible. When it first started happening, it got me a little bit nervous because my ego was telling me that I’m this type of artist, I play in this type of club, but over time I started to appreciate everything else, too. It actually gives you more choices. You’re not just limited to that arena—there’s a whole other world out there with bigger festival shows. And I’m comfortable with that. As long as I do it on my own terms and don’t change my musical taste and style to chase the big dollar. I’m really embracing it.
What’s been one of your biggest influences in life, and in music?
DD: My biggest influence in life the older I get is the more relaxed I am about things. I have a record label called Blasé Boys Club, and the term blasé is kind of a shrug of the shoulders...It’s about having fun and not caring about the other things. On a musical level, I’m influenced in the studio by working with a good musician. That inspires me. The reason I got into the game was because of other people’s music—I loved it so much and wanted to try to do the same thing. Fifteen years of hard work in the studio started because of the music I loved.
Who are you listening to right now that you’re really enjoying?
DD: I just did a season in Ibiza, so it’s more like guys who don’t have a back catalog of albums, but they have one incredible track that I’ll play. There’s a guy I just signed to my label called Kiwi; he's the middle ground between Daniel Avery and myself. We’re all connected.
Is this your first time playing in Miami? What was the appeal for you about III Points?
DD: It’s probably the best lineup I’ve seen in the U.S. for a festival, for me, personally. I mean it’s egotistical and arrogant to say it for everyone else because everything’s relative, but for me, the best lineup I’ve seen or been on in North America.
It’s about my fourth time in Miami. [My first time was] Winter Music Conference in 2007. I played Slap & Tickle and that was great...I played a pool party after WMC. I tend to boycott [WMC] after my first experience, because back then obviously no one knew who I was, which is a good place to be because you get a true feeling of how it’s like. My feeling of it back then was just a bunch of DJs with their egos, saying "Oh, what hotel you staying at? What party you playing at?" It was all competition; it wasn’t actually fun. When I did it all those years ago, it wasn’t about music—it was about prestige and hierarchy and the lineup. So every time I come to Miami, it’s always been outside WMC, but I probably will be doing [it] next year. My attitude towards it has changed.
What was your favorite cereal as a kid?
DD: In the UK we used to have generic cereals, so it’d be a knockoff of Lucky Charms. That’s the most evil cereal—it’s not normal is it? It’s the worst thing you can give someone for breakfast. I grew up on fast food, but I haven’t had it for about 20 years.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF FACEBOOK.COM/DUKEDUMONT
These Miami foodie events are fleeting, so get in on them quick before they're gone.
Love all-things pork? Crave a hearty Italian meal? If you answered yes to both of these questions, you'll want to reserve a seat at the latest 50 Eggs Guest Chef Series, when Chef Michael Pirolo of Macchialina Taverna Rustica joins forces with 50 Eggs Executive Chef Partner Clayton Miller to serve a five-course dinner with wines by Premier Beverage and cocktails by Ancho Reyes. It all goes down Thursday, October 23 at 7 p.m. at pork haven Swine Southern Table & Bar. 2415 Ponce De Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, 786-360-6433; Purchase tickets here
James Beard House Menu at Mandarin Oriental
Chef William Crandall of Azul and Executive Chef Diego Oka of La Mar by Gastón Acurio displayed their culinary skills at the renowned James Beard House in New York on Saturday; this week Miamians get a taste of what the duo created over the weekend through exclusive menus at their Mandarin Oriental restaurants. From Monday, October 13-Monday, October 20, head to Azul for consomméof lobster and blanquette de veau, or stop at La Mar for Wagyu beef tiradito or octopus anticuchuro. 500 Brickell Key Dr., Miami, 305-913-8358
Pop-Up Picnic Benefit for PAMM
On Saturday, November 8, be there for the first PopUp Dinner Miami presented by Acura, hosted by Hand Made Events, and benefitting Pérez Art Museum Miami. The white-themed evening requires attendees to dress for the occasion (in white) and bring their own chic picnic basket filled with table décor, food, and drinks. While you set up your own lavish meal, DJ Zen Freeman will provide the entertainment. There's just one catch: ticket-holders won't know the location of the pop-up picnic until two hours prior to the event. Add your name to the guest list here
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF DOUG CASTANEDO
Sexy is in this year as Halloween takes over Miami.
Halloween at the Delano, 2013.
For many creatures of the night, Halloween marks the beginning of the party season, and while the lines at Miami’s most fancy fêtes can seem frightening at times, those in the know are certainly in for a treat this year.
The Halloween Sundowner at Vizcaya(3251 S. Miami Ave., Miami, 305-860-8420) is where locals let loose in some of the most eccentric costumes this side of The Palace. In its 28th year, the evening never disappoints; tickets are $130 at an early-bird rate and $160 closer to the big night.
The Little Lighthouse Foundation’s annual Nightmare on the Beach Halloween event has an alien invasion theme this year. (Think E.T., not Elian.) The crowd is always packed with socialites, and proceeds benefit The Little Lighthouse Foundation, which supports children and their families who struggle with educational, financial, and medical hardships. The party continues into the late hours at the official afterparty at SET nightclub (320 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, 786-735-1900).
Also raising money for charity is the ultra-VIP party at the home of Dr. Lenny and Lisa Hochstein. Last year the décor was terrifying, but the crowd was enchanting, as the plastic surgeon and his Real Housewives of Miami wife welcomed stars like Stacy Keibler and Jeremy Shockey.
The ghosts of Playboys past make their way to SLS South Beach (1701 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-455-2990). Playmates will be partying, cocktail waitresses will don bunny outfits, and the Hyde Beach pool turns into Hugh Hefner’s grotto for the night.
After House of Pleasure and Creepy Circus themes in the past years, Soho Beach House (4385 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 786-507-7900) is trending more glamorous for 2014, with a Stardust Discothèque Halloween soirée. Put together your best Andy Warhol costume or hop on the Soul Train for this mem1bers-only party that will also feature a performance by Midnight Magic.
Hometown hero Cedric Gervais will spin Halloween night at Storynightclub (136 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-538-2424), while Luciano brings his talents to South Beach for a wild evening at LIV(4441 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-674-4680), with the scariest part being the way you’ll feel the morning after!
PHOTOGRAPHY BY WORLDREDEYE.COM
The New World Symphony presents a new season of concerts (with some upgrades) under the stars at Soundscape Park.
A New World Symphony Wallcast takes performances outdoors.
Although Beethoven may not have meant for his “Moonlight Sonata” to literally involve moonlight, the New World Symphony certainly saw potential. This October, the concert hall kicks off its third season of outdoor Wallcasts, inviting culture aficionados to spread out on the grass in SoundScape Park and enjoy the magic of live symphonies projected against the backdrop of a starlit Miami Beach.
On show nights, the buzz builds as concertgoers—a cross-section of locals and out-of-towners, families and first dates, skaters and bodybuilders, and the occasional celebrity—canvas the 2.5-acre lawn with blankets and folding chairs before the show lights up the center’s 7,000-square-foot wall. Although European fare is available for purchase inside at Thierry’s (the glass-and-titanium lit bar located on the first level of the Atrium), most attendees opt to pack their own picnic for a fully customized classical music experience.
“I even know people who plant their gardens to be able to harvest them and make fresh dishes specifically for these events,” says Craig Hall, NWS’s vice president of communications. “It’s yet another way in which people can make these events their own. What food goes best with Bach? What wine do you like to drink with Beethoven? It’s all up to the concertgoer.”
For many, viewing the concert alfresco is just as delightful as seeing one performed inside the Frank Gehry-designed building. It’s certainly a different experience; for one, Wallcasts are free. And come fall, the evenings are cool and crisp, and attendees aren’t restricted by a dress code. Plus, while there are 756 seats in the concert hall, SoundScape Park can fit many times that number, giving guests a chance to mingle with those around them. “Ultimately, we wanted to develop a connectedness, a relationship, that wouldn’t be possible in a traditional building,” says Hall.
This year, NWS has upgraded its already high-quality park equipment to 4K projectors and cameras, which have four times the resolution and quality of HD to deliver a more dynamic visual experience. The first Wallcast, on October 11, will be conducted by NWS cofounder and Artistic Director Michael Tilson Thomas, and accented by a special video accompaniment created for Antheil’s A Jazz Symphony, one of the works on the program.
“For some performances, we might have special giveaways, and other Wallcast concerts might be preceded by a culinary event on the plaza,” says Hall. “We’re upping the ante and creating even more opportunities for people to have a multifaceted experience at the New World Center.” 500 17th St., Miami Beach, 305-673-3331
Fashion designer John Varvatos brings his music-driven style to the Magic City with a new concept store at Bal Harbour Shops.
John Varvatos’s rock star-worthy designs have garnered him fans the world over, including right here in Miami.
Designer John Varvatos’s eponymous brand may be only 14 years old, but his impact in the men’s fashion space is already legendary. The Detroit-born designer is heavily influenced by the rock ’n’ roll community, which is reflected in his work every season in some way, from ad campaigns featuring ZZ Top, Alice Cooper, Willie Nelson, and The Roots to his boutique in what was once famed New York music venue CBGB.
For fall, Varvatos riffed off his Spring 2014 campaign subjects, Gene Simmons and Kiss. “When I was doing my runway show in Milan [earlier this year], Kiss was playing there the same week,” says Varvatos. “There were like 35,000 people. Here’s Kiss, who hasn’t had a radio hit in years, and I asked myself what makes them so iconic to another generation? At first, yes, it’s the music, but they are somewhat superheroes in their stage persona and their look.”
Varvatos’s new Bal Harbour boutique shows off the designer’s more luxurious side.
The Fall 2014 collection emphasizes little details that Varvatos calls “magic dust.” “Whether it’s the way we finish our boots with a little more of a chunky tread, or shoulders on a garment or a fun feather effect, it’s still very beautiful and very elegant,” says the designer of his current rock star-worthy looks, which can all be scooped up at the label’s newest store at Bal Harbour Shops. “Lincoln Road [was] mirrored off our New York store and the Bowery—it’s much more casual and a little beach,” Varvatos says of his first South Florida boutique.
In contrast, “Bal Harbour is one of the greatest shopping centers in the country, and it gave us the ability to do a very luxury-oriented store,” he explains. “It’s fun to be able to have two worlds of John Varvatos. I love having the ability to have different personalities of the brand down here.”
The new boutique, which was inspired by typical apartments one might find in New York’s Upper East Side neighborhood, has a residential feel. Designed by Varvatos himself with his inhouse team, it boasts custom leather furniture, midcentury lighting, handpicked vintage pieces, and a ceiling made up entirely of concave mirrors. The walls will act as a gallery space, periodically rotating rock ’n’ roll photographs from Rock Paper Photo (which are all for sale).
The entire store reflects the elegant side of Varvatos, who is also introducing a made-to-measure program this fall. “There’s a return to elegance and dressing up,” he muses. “It’s even evident in the Kiss ads—how elegant they were. Guys have been so casual with casual Fridays and whatever, but they’re really enjoying a moment to dress up again,” he says.
And while Miami is growing up, it’s good to see we can still rock and roll, all night long. Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-866-0162; 1020 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, 305-674-7917
Convenient, comprehensive communities are the draw for a visionary commercial real estate pioneer and luxury residential specialist—and their clients.
Dan Hechtkopf and Michael Comras at the offices of Comras Company in Miami Beach.
As Miami matures into a cosmopolis, residents are looking to buy into a sense of place within the city that they can call home. Michael Comras, president and CEO of Comras Company, and Dan Hechtkopf, partner at HH Luxury Real Estate, SBI Realty, explain how the relationship between residential and retail real estate creates a desirable, vibrant community.
Michael Comras: I’ve watched things evolve over the years. In Midtown, to change the vibe we put in restaurants—all different kinds. We took the property next door [to Panther Coffee in Wynwood], put in all new storefronts, and released it out to a series of cafés, galleries, and showrooms. We’re spending a lot of time in Midtown, downtown, Brickell; we’re working on a huge project on 36th Street right up against the Design District, called District 36. The project is a really cool, creative, new showroom space on two levels. It creates a third node for home furnishing by having 60,000 square feet on an entire block at the entrance of the Design District. We’re able to create the critical mass of great retailers, [and from there] you can have a variety of different tenants that all work together to make [a neighborhood have] a better synergy.
Dan Hechtkopf: You’re right. It’s the commingling of residential and commercial. South of Fifth is a great example. The demand for this area is high right now because everything is so convenient. You go home, you walk outside, you walk to restaurants, to shops.
MC: Exactly. The South of Fifth neighborhood is very much like the Sunset Harbour area.
One of Comras Company’s upcoming retail projects in Midtown at 3100 North Miami Avenue.
DH: Eight years ago, Sunset Harbour was nothing. Condos were going for $300,000 for a two-bedroom. They started building all these restaurants, and now it’s this little pocket that everybody wants to be in.
MC: It’s having the right mix of tenants to create a lifestyle and a sense of place. Residential continues to get better—that’s the driving factor. People buying units and spending $1,000, $1,500, $2,000 a square foot want to go to quality places, new restaurants, and new services.
DH: You get the best of both worlds.
MC: Mixed use is really the point of it all. To me, it was all about quality of life. I live three and a half minutes [from my office]. I can go out on the boat, ride my bicycle; I can walk—it’s the best of everything. Comras Company, 1261 20th St., Miami Beach, 305-532-0433. HH Luxury Real Estate, SBI Realty, 1680 Meridian Ave., Ste. 102, Miami Beach, 305-532-7771
Locust Projects’ Executive Director Chana Sheldon spills the details on Smash & Grab, one of this month’s most explosive art fundraisers.
Executive Director Chana Sheldon at Locust Projects.
Forget your notions of the sedate gallery event, all polite chatter and echoing halls. At Smash & Grab, the annual raffle-style fundraiser held by nonprofit Locust Projects—an exhibition space helmed by Executive Director Chana Sheldon and dedicated to providing contemporary visual artists the freedom to experiment with new ideas—attendees literally push, shove, and climb their way to a prized piece by a leading artist on the rise. As one of Locust Projects’ largest initiatives, the event supports the organization’s exhibitions and programs for the coming season, all while giving new and established collectors the chance to walk away with a masterpiece—and some raucous memories.
Where did the name “Smash & Grab” come from?
Chana Sheldon: Let’s just say it’s a pretty high-energy event. Every raffle ticket holder is guaranteed a work of art, but when their name is pulled at random, they have less than one minute to choose their piece and run up and claim it. This year, there will be more than 120 works that will all be raffled off very quickly—within one hour. That’s what makes it so, well, smashing. Because the works can be previewed at the gallery on October 17 from 6:30-9:30 pm, attendees have plenty of time to make their hit list and get excited.
How will the funds from Smash & Grab be used?
Locust Projects does six rotations of exhibitions a year, so a major portion of the fundraiser goes into supporting the creation of new work. Initiatives include our LAB [Locust Art Builders] Program, which gives young artists in the community a chance to make a real-life exhibition; the Locust Talks project, where we invite internationally renowned directors and curators to speak; and the Locust Roundtable series, a community-initiated conversation where artists have an open dialogue about ideas and how they can take form. It’s all for a good cause, but there are some steals to be had. Some of the works are valued at more than $4,000.
An installation view from the Locust Art Builders (LAB) exhibition at Locust.
What types of art will be up for grabs?
Contemporary art—painting, collages, drawing, sculpture, photography—everything you can think of. We’ve even had video and sound-based work in the past.
How do you choose the artists that will be featured at the event?
Each year, we try to rotate the artists and focus on young and emerging talent. Some have exhibited with us before, and others know the caliber of supporters who attend the event and realize there’s a lot of opportunity for exposure.
What type of people watching can we expect at the party?
It’s a very eclectic crowd. We get some of Miami’s top art collectors, art enthusiasts, young collectors who know they have the chance to get a great work of art at a pretty amazing price, and, of course, the artists themselves.
The 12th annual Smash & Grab takes place on October 25; the ticket price admits two and is $495 for members, $550 for nonmembers, and guarantees an artwork. Locust Projects, 3852 N. Miami Ave., Miami, 305-576-8570
Former art world bad boy Julian Schnabel makes a bid for the canon at the NSU Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale.
Julian Schnabel, Untitled (Self Portrait), 2004.
“If you live long enough, it can work out nicely,” quips Julian Schnabel when asked to survey his career as a painter. “I had a lot of success early on, and when you’re young and that happens, it pisses a lot of people off...Time goes by and things become a part of the new augmented language of what art is.”
There’s more than a hint of vindication in his voice—and deservedly so. No figure dominated the 1980s New York art world more than Schnabel, and no other figure received more critical abuse. When he wasn’t being pilloried for the soaring six-figure prices his canvases commanded from speculators—many flipped at auction seemingly before their paint was dry—he was drawing fire for being, as The New York Times groaned in one of its many attacks, “overhyped” and “preposterously portentous.” Of course, Schnabel himself didn’t calm matters by famously declaring, “I’m the closest you’ll get to Picasso in this life.”
Francis Picabia, Autoportrait, circa 1940–42.
Three decades on, the curatorial jeers have been replaced by applause, most notably in the form of “Café Dolly: Picabia, Schnabel, Willumsen,” an exhibition opening October 12 at the NSU Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale. Positioning a wide array of Schnabel’s portraits alongside early-and mid-20th-century figurative paintings by Denmark’s J.F. Willumsen and France’s Francis Picabia, the exhibit spotlights these three artists as kindred spirits. Indeed, the show’s cocurators—fellow painters Claus Carstensen and Christian Vind, together with Anne Gregerson— see their featured trio as forging and then refining “an unblemished and spotless hyper-modernism.”
It’s best not to ponder this notion too deeply. In a head-spinning catalog essay, Carstensen begins by citing questions of authenticity invoked by the cloned sheep in the show’s title. Gathering theoretical steam, he’s soon hailing Schnabel as having picked up the aesthetic tasks of Leon Trotsky’s revolutionary socialist Fourth International, and saluting him for now carrying the banner for a new “silent Fifth International.” Only in the milieu of contemporary art can the squire of a seven-and-a-half-acre oceanfront estate in Montauk, as well as a three-story luxury compound in the West Village, be deemed a bomb-throwing Bolshevik—even a “silent” one.
J.F. Willumsen, Woman Playing with a Black Cat, 1945.
Instead, the true value of “Café Dolly” is simply that it brings a batch of all too rarely seen artwork to South Florida. Willumsen’s paintings, little known on these shores, are the discovery of the season, marrying sly humor to a visceral visual punch. Picabia may be better known in America, but seeing his giddily louche portraiture in person is always a treat. And the local arrival of Schnabel’s handiwork, now freed from old debates, offers the opportunity for a fresh, unjaundiced look—particularly for those eyes more familiar with his career’s ’90s turn to feature filmmaking.
Julian Schnabel, Untitled (Self Portrait with Big Girl, Montauk), 2004.
As for the connections across the years between the three artists, count Schnabel among the intrigued—but he’s willing to play along. “Willumsen died in 1958. Picabia died in 1953. I was born in 1951,” he muses. “So it’s pretty interesting when you think that these guys never knew what I was going to do. But time is incongruous to art, art keeps going...It’s bigger and more sprawling than what’s contained in the linear thinking of people that are trying to put things in boxes.”“Café Dolly: Picabia, Schnabel, Willumsen” is on display October 12 through February 1, 2015, at the NSU Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale, 1 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 954-525-5500
Artist Scott Armetta paints eerie but gorgeous subtropical landscapes.
Artist Scott Armetta at his studio in South Florida’s Palm Springs.
Forget about gently swaying palm trees or sun-dappled waves rolling onto a sandy beach. Scott Armetta’s sumptuous landscape paintings certainly evoke an unspoiled South Florida, but it’s a vision of Sunshine State wilderness that rarely finds its way onto tourist postcards. “That was part of the challenge,” the West Palm Beach-based Armetta explains. “To take a landscape so imbued with clichés and still try to capture what I love about living here.” The goal, he continues, is to avoid “just regurgitating old experiences, but to add something new in the process. It’s important to recognize the mortality of natural life.”
That dichotomy between life and death within nature practically sings out from the best of Armetta’s paintings, such as his Sunrise Event, where a mist-enshrouded shoreline seems disturbingly peaceful, as if the dawn’s surf was slowly reclaiming post-apocalyptic terrain from a now-vanished civilization. Dead Alligator Found in Lake Okeechobee Shore makes that cyclical relationship more overt, with the deceased gator in question both viscerally striking and mournfully evocative; its carcass lies splayed out on an otherwise barren swath of swamp, alone except for a few tufts of grass and an odd blue light beckoning in the distance.
Armetta holding his brushes. “I try to amplify the mystery of whatever I find intriguing,” he says.
Armetta’s paintings are even more impressive when viewed against the post-Art Basel backdrop of South Florida. It’s not simply that his eyebrow-raising technical skills are increasingly rare in local circles—skill itself has become suspect in many curatorial corners. And few styles arouse more theoretical suspicion than a finely crafted landscape. Call it the New Earnestness—an approach Armetta fully embraces. “You have to be careful so it doesn’t become corny,” he concedes.
But that hasn’t stopped him from using vintage frames—many of which are broken or barely hanging together—to further accentuate an air of visual decay. “I’m not doing this to be kitschy,” he explains. “I try to amplify the mystery of whatever I find intriguing about a setting.”
However, this isn’t the attitude he began with. Upon his 1998 graduation from Boca Raton’s Florida Atlantic University, Armetta joined the then-usual exodus of local artists relocating to New York City. “I wasn’t there long enough to get jaded,” he recalls with a laugh of his 12 months up north.
Armetta’s Sunrise Event (2012) suggests the surf reclaiming a postapocalyptic landscape.
Armetta enjoyed the city’s cultural offerings, as well as the studio space he shared with fellow painter and FAU graduate Aramis Gutierrez (whose Guccivuitton gallery in Little Haiti is currently exhibiting Armetta’s work). Yet Armetta noticed his own paintings—then focused on abstraction—were stylistically akin to what he was seeing at studios and galleries throughout the city. “A lot of what was happening in New York were variations on Gerhard Richter’s ‘squeegee’ paintings,” he remembers. And while Armetta may be a fan of Richter’s abstractionist handiwork, he hardly felt the need to try and improve on it. “Sometimes being in the middle of what’s happening makes you susceptible to trends...It’s too tempting to become a follower,” he cautions.
After being accepted to graduate school at Manhattan’s Hunter College, he returned to West Palm Beach. The plan was to stay for a year and sock away some money for his MFA. Instead, he found himself wandering around Palm Beach County’s less-traveled edges, becoming enraptured with vistas his teenage self had taken for granted. “When I was walking around here, I hadn’t yet seen in other people’s paintings what I wanted to bring out.”
An artist’s residency at West Palm Beach’s Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts—the magnet high school where Armetta had been part of the initial 1994 graduating class—further delayed grad school and eventually became a full-time teaching gig, one he’s remained happily ensconced in for over a decade. “I always think, How would I have wanted to discuss a subject?”
Yet as much as he enjoys teaching, he’s even more grateful for the financial security it provides. “Part of having a job I really like is that I can just make work that I want to look at myself,” Armetta offers. “That’s not to say I don’t want to communicate with a contemporary audience, I do! But what may seem ‘hot’ to other artists is honestly on the very, very low end of the list of things I concern myself with.” “10a/10b,” a solo exhibition of Scott Armetta’s artwork, is on view through November 1 at Guccivuitton, 8375 NE Second Ave., Miami
