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COMMUNITYNEWSPAPERS.COM
August 31, 2009
VIZCAYA, from page 1 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– PRIMATES, from page 1 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– lived at Vizcaya from 1916 until his death in 1925. To bring his dream home to fruition, Deering engaged the assistance of Paul Chalfin, a young New York painter, to supervise the entire project. Deering and Chalfin traveled throughout Europe surveying residential architecture for ideas and design elements, such as doors, wall panels, mantels and ceilings for incorporation into the proposed home. Also engaged to work on the project were architect F. Burrall Hoffman and Colombian landscape architect Diego Suarez. The house was intended to appear 300 to 400 years old and as if it had been occupied by several generations of a family. The Main House has 34 decorated rooms with nearly 3,000 art objects, spanning two millennia. The expansive gardens combine Italian and French designs with an American context. Suarez and Chalfin worked for several years, perfecting the design of the gardens as vast and distinct outdoor rooms. The documentary details the process of designing and building Vizcaya, which was no easy task. At the time of Vizcaya’s construction, Miami’s population was around 10,000. More than 1,000 workers were hired, including laborers and craftsmen from the Caribbean and Europe. In addition to the house and gardens, the complex
included a farm, livestock, and a variety of other service facilities covering 180 acres on both sides of South Miami Avenue. It took almost 10 years to construct Vizcaya — the architecture, gardens and fountains, to acquire the art and to hire artisans to create the masterpiece we now know as Vizcaya. Deering passed away in 1925. His heirs, Marion Deering McCormick and Barbara Deering Danielson, contacted Chalfin to oversee the first renovation of Vizcaya, in 1933-1934. The McCormicks and Danielsons attempted to open the estate to the public, but another major hurricane in 1935 overwhelmed their efforts. Eventually much of the land was transferred and, in 1952, Deering’s heirs conveyed the main house and formal gardens to Dade County. In 1955, the county exercised an option to acquire the village as well. Deering’s heirs donated the estate’s substantial furnishings and art to the county on condition that Vizcaya be used as a public museum in perpetuity. In order to tell the story of Vizcaya, Corley conducted extensive interviews with a wide array of sources: authors Witold Rybczynski and Laurie Olin; historian Arva Moore Parks; University of Miami professor of Architecture Joanna Lombard, and Vizcaya curator Flaminia Gennari-Santori.
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with a housewarming ice cream social. Guests on hand for the celebration included Suffolk Construction and subcontractors who worked on the job, local orangutan enthusiasts, media and members of the Boys and Girls Club of Miami. “We wanted Pumpkin and Peanut to have a new home to provide them with further enrichment,” said Linda Jacobs, Jungle Island’s orangutan head caretaker and “Orangutan Mom.” “This home has tires for the orangutans to play in along with ropes and other things for them to swing from. This new home is also elevated, thanks to Suffolk Construction, and won’t flood when it rains.” During the celebration, Jacobs presented a set of canvas paintings, which were painted by all seven of Jungle Island’s resident orangutans, to Suffolk Construction vice president of Miami operations Tim Sterling, senior project manager Scott Prince, and project manager Paul McNamara. “It’s not every day you get to build a home for celebrities,” said Tim Sterling, vice president of Suffolk Construction’s Miami operations. “For our team, this will be one of our more memorable pro bono projects. Everyone involved enjoyed participating every step of the
way and this was our only project on record in which the future tenants didn’t have anything to say about the construction process.” Refreshments for the ape-centric event included Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey Ice Cream, miniature pumpkin muffins and peanut butter cookies. Jungle and monkey-themed background music, such as (theme from) The Monkees and In the Jungle, contributed to the party’s festive atmosphere. In addition to exploring their new home, Peanut and Pumpkin received many housewarming gifts — reduced fat peanut butter, non-toxic paints, children’s bubble bath, garden gloves, blankets, and dried fruit — from guests including Suffolk Construction hardhats and T-shirts. Jungle Island is promoting Peanut and Pumpkin’s housewarming celebration to park visitors in August and visitors also will be invited to bring items used for orangutan enrichment. Information about these products can be found on the Jungle Island website at <www.jungleisland.com>. For more information on Suffolk Construction, visit online at <www.SuffolkConstruction.com>.
ART FAIR, from page 1 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– with the Midtown Miami Arts District to host the fair in the same location as last year for the next three years. “Foremost, the partnership brings financial strength, strong leadership and a serious commitment to quality at all levels. said Korniloff, show director. “The partner’s share an understanding of the collector’s mentality, insight into the challenges facing today’s marketplace, and the marketing expertise to insure the fair’s success in attracting the most important galleries and collectors.” Korniloff will continue to oversee the overall development and artistic direction of the fair while maintaining the established relationships with the art world’s leading galleries. Korniloff’s involvement in the contemporary art scene dates back to the early 1990s when he helped produce and promote the first Art Miami. “We are singularly focused on extend-
ing the reach of the fair as a destination for serious collectors, and have placed an emphasis on quality and on enhancing all aspects of customer service and communication for collectors and galleries,” Korniloff said. “This is our only project by design and we are committed to creating a platform for dealers to extend their client base internationally and increase their sales during their participation in Art Miami.” In celebration of the fair’s 20th anniversary and the tradition of Art Miami, the fair will continue its relationship with Constance Collins Margulies’ Lotus House Woman’s Shelter as the opening evening beneficiary and will work to secure additional, mutually beneficial relationships that will enhance the excitement and ambience of the fair. For additional information, visit online at <www.Art-Miami.com> or contact Nick Korniloff at <nkorniloff@artmiami.com>.