INDULGE December 2020/January 2021

INDULGE DECEMBER 2020 / JANUARY 2021 / $6.95 MIAMIINDULGE.COM

Women in Art Festive Tables Luxe Gifts

Artful Holidays 2020 Issue

A Creative Display Miami serves up a new kind of art week

in this issue

FEATURES 66 THE SHOW MUST GO ON How a global pandemic and the cancellation of Art Basel united Miami’s arts community.

72 INNOVATION IN THE TIME OF CORONA Key players in the South Florida art scene reimagine a future for the arts by showcasing local talent.

78 CUBAN CURRENCY Unexpected art influencer Leonardo Rodriguez dishes out a colorful assemblage of exclusive Cuban art through The Rodriguez Collection, found at Kendall Art Center.

82 LAY IT ON THE TABLE Celebrate the holidays in style with tips from South Florida’s top events industry pros on how to create a festive holiday table.

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Women in Art Festive Tables Luxe Gifts

Artful Holidays 2020 Issue

A Creative Display Miami serves up a new kind of art week

ON THE COVER (Top to bottom) Original plates by artists Milena Martínez Pedrosa, Gary Anuez, and Carlos Estévez, featured in the exhibit Fine Arts on the Plate by the Rodriguez Collection at Kendall Art Center.

Photographed by Felipe Cuevas.

in this issue

THE LOCAL 17 GRAPHIC CONTENT Unique, art-inspired gifts for the person who has everything.

18 DEVIL MAY CARE Surrender to fall’s most tempting proposal: dramatically different red and black neutrals.

20 LAUNCHING NOW Where to buy tickets for SOBEWFF; a Miami Beach hotspot gets a makeover, and more.

22 CULTURE Art aficionados can head to multiple exhibits that will quench their thirst for creativity.

24 BEAUTY In a year that could use a makeover, we present our top 20 tried, true and tested items.

26 MY 305 STYLE Top Realtor Chad Carroll not only sells the luxury lifestyle, but he knows how to live it, too.

28 A DAISY THING Renowned facial plastic surgeon Dr. Julio Gallo converts a classic Miami Beach home into an airy backdrop for his extensive art collection.

30 FITNESS Gifts from the heart, that keep your heart pumping, too.

32 PHILANTHROPY South Florida charities embrace a new normal with virtual events.

33 JEWEL BOX Modern designs that display much-desired holiday sparkle.

34 DRIVEN BY STYLE With inimitable Italian flair, the new Ferrari Roma is all about the sweet — and speedy — life.

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36 THE SOURCE Jennifer Coronel-Cueto of I’ve Been Framed II initiates a concierge framing service that adds an elevated level of customer care.

OVR : Miami Beach December 2 – 6, 2020 artbasel.com/ovr

in this issue 56 THE LIFE 52 THE DISH Local dishes created with both artistic flair and tempting flavors, making them the ultimate modern masterpieces.

41 THE MOVERS 41 THE RAINMAKER Executive director of the Cultural Affairs Division at Miami Dade College, Natalia Crujeiras is helping local cultural institutions adjust and grow into stronger beacons of art.

44 THE VISIONARY Superblue Miami’s Shantelle Rodriguez is driving the art center’s mission to bring down the barrier between creator and observer.

54 RECIPE Inventive chef Niven Patel wants you to cook his signature peri peri chicken without following the rules — except one.

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46 THE STORYTELLER Filmmaker Alexandra Codina on her new documentary that follows the tumultuous immigration journey of four Honduran siblings.

56 POUR François-Louis Vuitton collaborates with some of the world’s top winemakers for a collection that is as exclusive as his famous lineage suggests.

58 #FOLLOWINDULGETO Whether you’re chasing snow or seeking sand and sun, these destinations fulfill every winter whim.

59 STAYCATION Painting a picture for a sophisticated art-scape to St. Petersburg.

48 THE CONNECTOR Stefanie Block Reed has helped make Art Basel Miami Beach one of the city’s biggest draws and aims to make this year’s virtual program as successful.

61 ESCAPE Guatemala is now open to visitors, and a world of color and artisanal handiwork awaits.

90 INDULGENCE In the hands of visionary designer Marcel Wanders, a classic chess set is transformed into a genuine collector’s item.

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editor’s letter Unprecedented.

Transformative.

Historic.

Hopeful.

W

hat better way to describe 2020 than with the words most used by the media to illustrate the impactful nature of a year that caused the world to stop, reboot and rethink what truly matters in our everyday lives. As we move into December and step into the new year, what seemed like a never-ending pause to life as we knew it is starting to pick up pace. Businesses have opened up again, people are slowly traveling (safety precautions taken) and a historic election has brought about a new administration calling for unification beyond political party lines. Things are undeniably different, but all that’s new is en vogue — especially where South Florida is concerned.

Back in early fall, we received the news that many of us in Miami were expecting but certainly not looking forward to: Art Basel was cancelled. Almost immediately it became clear that our regional cultural organizations were not backing down after this setback, and instead revamping Miami Art Week. Our Features section (beginning with The Show Must Go On, p. 66, written by INDULGE contributor Erica Corsano) explores how the arts community banded together to save Jenny Starr Perez this all-too-important annual occasion. Equally as refreshing, our cover story (Cuban Currency, p. 78) offers a look at a Editor in Chief local arts center that holds one of the largest collections of original Cuban art in the country — located in Kendall, no less.

Is suburban South Miami the new Wynwood? Perhaps. After a year that has given us so many surprises, nothing seems impossible.

Women are no doubt having a moment, so we would be remiss to not recognize the opportunity to highlight the top female figures contributing to the cultural community in South Florida. In The Movers (p. 41), we profile executive director of the Cultural Affairs Division at Miami Dade College, Natalia Crujeiras; director of the highly anticipated Superblue Miami, Shantelle Rodriguez; award-winning filmmaker Alexandra Codina; and Art Basel’s VIP Relations director, Stefanie Block Reed. These women are using their power to influence the manner in which we experience art in all its forms, suggesting more personal and thought-provoking ways to do so.

While almost every page of this issue is dedicated to the topic of art, it is December and the holidays are upon us. As an extension of last issue’s gift guide, we put together ideas on — you guessed it — art-inspired presents for loved ones who crave a creative boost (Graphic Content, p. 17). On another note, those looking to give the gift of a healthier 2021 can flip over to our fitness section (p. 30) to read up on the ultimate exercise accessories that will get the most dedicated couch potato up and moving in style. As fitness editor Ginger Harris puts it, these are “gifts from the heart, that keep your heart pumping, too.”

Famous author Roald Dahl once wrote, “Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.” If Dahl were alive today, he might have used those words to explain the allure of the artful menu items we spotlight in The Dish (Cuisine Art, p. 52). Food expert Terry Zarikian paints a colorful picture elaborating on how South Florida’s top chefs can be considered artistic masters in their own right — with intricately designed dishes that are as flavorful as they are beautiful as their canvases.

As I (finally) say goodbye to 2020, I’m making it my resolution to take a page out of Dahl’s book and continue to find joy and “magic” in the simple things. There is every reason to be hopeful. Let that hope we found in ourselves and in each other this past year be the one thing we don't leave behind as we enter 2021.

Wishing our loyal readers the happiest of holidays,

KEEP IN TOUCH! For editorial consideration: editor@miamiindulge.com facebook.com/MiamiIndulge @INDULGEmiami @MiamiIndulge

INDULGE EDITORIAL Editor in Chief Jenny Starr Perez Contributing Design Director John Michael Coto Contributing Lifestyle Editor Daisy Olivera Contributing Travel Editor Angela Caraway-Carlton Contributing Senior Fashion Editor Elysze Held Contributing Style Editor Claudia Miyar Contributing Beauty Editor Erin Michelle Newberg Contributing Copy Editor Claudia Killoran Contributing Writers Alona Abbady Martinez, Eric Barton, Shayne Benowitz, Carolina Cardona, Erica Corsano, Christie Galeano-DeMott, Ginger Harris, Christiana Lilly, Miguel Sirgado Contributing Photographers Felipe Cuevas, Nick Garcia, Michael Russell

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NICK GARCIA

A S P E C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N P R O D U C E D B Y

from the publisher

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s I welcome you to our end-of-year Artful Holidays edition, I myself am enjoying a warm welcome in my new role as publisher of INDULGE. I’m truly excited to work with such a talented group of creators and storytellers, diving headfirst into our upcoming issues and making a splash in this fascinating community. Even though I live up the road in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, the team here in Miami have already made me feel like a local, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am.

I’m feeling that same kind of gratitude as December begins and I reflect on 2020. In light of what we’ve been through during the pandemic, I’m thankful for the small things, especially time spent with family and friends, whether virtual or socially distanced. I’m taking a moment every morning to think of three things to be grateful for: a quiet walk on the beach, a wonderful homemade dinner, a good book I can pass along. It helps keep me grounded in a period filled with change.

If, like me, you’re planning to spend as much time as possible with your nearest and dearest this holiday season, don’t miss Daisy Olivera’s very personal Lay It on the Table (p. 82). She and I are both big believers in the art of tablescaping to set the mood for a festive gathering.

Nancy Meyer I particularly enjoy creating the perfect name setting. One holiday, it included sourcing vintage President of Miami Herald postcards from my guests’ places of origin — a worldwide tour and el Nuevo Herald from Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Hong Kong to Iowa, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Mississippi and of course, Florida. I’ve also used everything from gold-plated leaves to artsy wood cut-outs. Etsy.com is my candy store — the temptations are endless!

December is also the season for Art Basel, but it was no surprise when the event and many of the satellite fairs were canceled this year. Nonetheless, the Miami arts community is uniting in the wake of COVID-19, which has taken its toll on many artists and organizations. In her feature The Show Must Go On (p. 66), contributor Erica Corsano brings us a silver lining: the cancellation of the international shows allows local artists and institutions to shine in a way they’ve never been able to before. It’s a testament to the resilience of those who have worked so hard to give the Miami arts scene a worldwide stage, and the results are nothing short of dazzling. I hope you take the time this month to seek out some of Erica’s recommendations and find ways, in person or virtually, to experience them — you’ll be richly rewarded.

Similarly, in his feature Innovation in the Time of Corona (p. 72), contributor Miguel Sirgado profiles artists, curators, gallerists and promoters, discussing the challenges of COVID-19 and their visions for a sustainable future. It’s heartening to know that the pandemic has been a source of creativity for many of them, seeking ways to make their work more accessible, in spite of everything. I’m amazed by the diverse talents and passion of these individuals, and I’m sure you’ll be inspired by them as well.

This month, inspiration is truly found everywhere you turn. For example, the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) has dedicated this year’s Arts, Culture and Heritage Month to the compelling and influential art of the Black diaspora (The Local: Culture, p. 22). They’ve highlighted an array of must-see installations, exhibits and more, prompting me to mark my calendar through the end of January. There’s so much to experience, so little time!

That said, I’m thrilled to be here at INDULGE, to discover all the brilliant facets of Miami, and to share them with you. I wish you a wonderful holiday season, celebrated in the best of health, surrounded by those you love and filled with the hope of sunny days ahead.

INDULGE A S P E C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N P R O D U C E D B Y

ADVERTISING President of Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald Nancy Meyer Associate INDULGE Publisher Kristina Schulz-Corrales Strategic Accounts Director Orlando Comas SMB Managers Donna Boase, Omar Mercado Real Estate Accounts Manager Greg Romanelli Events and Partnerships Director Silvia Larrieu Magazine Coordinator Yvonne Cloud Advertising, sales and distribution information: kcorrales@miamiherald.com / 305-376-2801

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contributors MIGUEL SIRGADO Born and raised in Havana, Cuba, Miguel Sirgado attended the Instituto Superior de Arte and majored in Art History. After working in Public Relations for the National Ballet of Cuba and later Ballet Teatro de La Habana, Miguel left Cuba in 1988 to work for Vogue magazine in Brazil. He moved to Miami in 1994 and was hired by el Nuevo Herald where he wrote about Cuban interests, art, architecture and interior design, among other subjects. Since then, Sirgado has held top roles at People En Español, where he worked as Entertainment Editor, and as editor in chief at HOLA! USA. Sirgado took his talents beyond editorial pages by co-writing and coproducing HBO’s “Patria o Muerte: Cuba Fatherland or Death,” the award-winning documentary about the challenges and hardships of today’s Cubans living on the island. At present he is a contributor for People en Español, and INDULGE, for which he wrote this month’s feature “Innovation in the Time of Corona.”

CHRISTIE GALEANO-DEMOTT A curator of words who has a passion for crafting stories that spark the imagination, Christie Galeano-DeMott believes that art in all its forms is good for the soul. So when she got the opportunity to chat with Natalia Crujeiras, this month’s Rainmaker, about the vital role the arts play in our community, she was thrilled. Galeano-DeMott is also a red wine enthusiast, who is always ready to sip and savor any burgundy concoction from around the world and can’t wait to make this year’s holiday festivities extra merry by pairing a few new wine discoveries with plenty of seasonal dishes.

ANGELA CARAWAY-CARLTON The travel editor for INDULGE, television news producer, and freelance writer has covered luxury travel and lifestyle trends for the last 15 years.

While navigating the new world of traveling in a pandemic hasn’t been easy, Caraway-Carlton is constantly looking for ways to safely visit an undiscovered destination for readers to #FollowIndulgeTo. In this issue, she takes readers on a purposeful yet colorful trip to culturally rich Guatemala and an art-scape to burgeoning St. Pete.

ERICA CORSANO A self-proclaimed “Jackie of all trades,” Erica Corsano has had her hands in many creative projects, including content creation and consulting for media outlets, arts institutions, non-profit organizations and various lifestyle brands. Corsano has contributed to Condé Nast, yahoo.com, Modern Luxury, Jetsetter.com, CNN, NBC, CNBC.com, and served as an adjunct instructor at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. She currently handles all content and communications for Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum FIU and the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU. Her free time is spent with her husband Mark and two Jack Russell Terriers, Penelope and Henri, volunteering for animal advocacy organizations and writing about the arts, philanthropy and travel. She’s a spiritual junkie and makes meditation and healing a priority in her life.

GINGER HARRIS You may know INDULGE Fitness Editor Ginger Harris as the top Miami fashion blogger behind Electric Blogarella, contributing her perspectives on fashion, beauty, travel and Pilates to the blogosphere. It’s a domain she knows well, as she’s spent more than a decade working as a journalist and editor for publications like Visit Florida, Z-Life Magazine (Zumba’s official magazine), Miami Magazine, and the Knight Arts Foundation’s blog. She is also the former Miami editor for DailyCandy and UrbanDaddy. Harris is a certified Pilates instructor, bringing the first-ever Pilates and stretching classes to Soho Beach House. She also teaches online for Kuudose and Now Ahana, as well as private sessions. Between striking poses, holding Pilates poses and typing away on her laptop, Harris takes on her most important roll: mom to a scene-stealing 12 year old who regularly appears on her blog and shoots all of her content.

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the loc local

NEW. NOW. & RIGHT HERE.

By Claudia Miyar

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Graphic CONTENT 5

Unique, art-inspired gifts for the person who may have everything, but could always use a few brushstrokes of color in their lives.

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1-2. Art Making with MOMA: 20 Activities for Kids Inspired by Artists at The Museum of Modern Art, $24.95, and Caracas desktop mobile, $168. MOMA Design Store; store.moma.org. 3-4. Gray Malin backgammon board, $45, and Keith Haring child’s chaise chair, $150. Artware Editions; artwareeditions.com. 5. Louis Vuitton Capucines by Josh Smith, Capucines PM bag in printed and embroidered linen and cotton canvas with pear wood, price upon request. Louis Vuitton. 140 Northeast 39th Street, Design District; 305-573-1366; louisvuitton.com. 6. Rosette rug by Chihuly, limited edition from $4,800. The Rug Company. DCOTA, 1855 Griffin Road, Suite C-116, Dania Beach; 305-576-9868; therugcompany.com. 7-8. Reinaldo Sanguino Tall Functional Scuplture T1, $12,500, and Naihan Li & Zhou Runda Lacquer Screen #1 Egg Shell & Deep Sacramento, $24,000. Design Miami/Shop; shop.designmiami.com. 9. David Hockney: A Bigger Book, Collector’s edition signed SUMO book with Marc Newson bookstand, $3,000. Taschen. 1117 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach; 305-538-6185; taschen.com.

miamiindulge.com | DECEMBER 2020 / JANUARY 2021 | INDULGE

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the local

By Claudia Miyar 3

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Devil MAY CARE

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Surrender to fall’s most tempting proposal: dramatically different red and black neutrals on skin-grazing leather, seductive vinyl and edgy studded pieces.

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1. Runway Fall 2020. Alexander McQueen. 146 Northeast 41st Street, Design District; 786-857-5100; alexandermcqueen.com. 2. Balenciaga Hourglass XS Croc-effect leather bag, $1,890. Moda Operandi; modaoperandi.com. 3. Black leather suit jacket with silver tone studs, $3,650. Balmain at Bal Harbour Shops. 9700 Collins Avenue, Bal Harbour; 305-397-8152; balmain.com. 4. Rockstud calfskin double-strap bracelet, $295. Valentino. 140 Northeast 39th Street, Design District; 305-639-8851; valentino.com. 5. Skinny jeans in red vinyl denim, $850. Saint Laurent. 149 Northeast 40th Street, Design District; 305-704-4144; ysl.com. 6. The Kooples chain belt leather shorts, $428. Saks Fifth Avenue at Bal Harbour Shops. 9700 Collins Avenue, Bal Harbour; 305-865-1100; saksfifthavenue.com. 7. Ulysse Nardin Executive Skeleton X Limited Edition. Available only at MAYORS, $25,000. Mayors Jewelers at Shops at Merrick Park. 342 San Lorenzo Avenue #1000, Coral Gables; 305-446-1233; mayors.com. 8. Chili Pepper patent leather sandals, $795. Giuseppe Zanotti at Brickell City Centre; 701 South Miami Avenue #115, Miami; 786-482-2986; giuseppezanotti.com. 9. Zap belt, $415. Isabel Marant. 175 Northeast 40th Street, Design District; 305-576-7180; isabelmarant.com.

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the local LAUNCHING NOW

John Gidding

By Eric Barton

THE RETURN OF PILATES

Two Decades of Wine and Food (and More Wine)

Once the workout for people of a certain age, Pilates has become hot again, as evidenced at Jetset Miami, a modern Pilates studio with its fourth and largest location now in Sunset Harbor. Jetset uses exercise machines called reformers along with strength training, traditional Pilates and cardio in group class settings, creating a workout definitely not like the one grandma used to do. jetsetmiami.com.

Tickets go on sale this month for the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, which is celebrating a major anniversary: 20 years on the sand and more than $30 million raised for FIU. The 2021 festival, from Feb. 24-28, will include a safety compliance team making sure everything is sterilized and safe, so that your favorite grand tastings and intimate events can return. The roster of talent is focused on the favorite star chefs from the past two decades, including Giada De Laurentiis, who will get a special tribute dinner at the Loews. sobewff.org.

Home-Cooked Heritage Foods Chef Joshua Wahler had a pedigree that was undeniably impressive, with time in the kitchen at Nobu, Spice Market, and Fi’lia. Then 2020 happened, and Wahler found himself putting together cuts of meat and fish for a handful of pals. What was once a side hustle turned into a thing by July, and now it has developed into Wahler & Sons Fine Food, supplying customers with high-end ingredients at affordable prices for homecooked amazingness. Head to the website for wagyu burgers, free-range chicken, heritage pork loin and perhaps the key ingredient in tonight’s restaurant-quality dish you make yourself. wahlerandsons.com.

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WEDNESDAYS WITH MR. PAUER You might know Toto González better by his stage name, Mr. Pauer. Or for pioneering Latin electronica.

Or for winning a Latin Grammy. Or maybe for his re-mixes that spin together his roots in Venezuela with his longtime home here in Miami. But these days, you should definitely get to know him for his Wednesday night residency at the food hall 1-800-LUCKY. You can catch him from 6-10 p.m. ― during which the first hour, you might be glad to know, overlaps with happy hour. 1800lucky.com.

Salsa and Sangria Solving the problem of what you’ll do with the kiddos while you’re trying to live your best life, the Kimpton Epic Hotel in downtown is offering a special that’ll keep you and the little ones occupied. The Crafts in the Cabanas & Salsa and Sangria includes arts and crafts in a private cabana for the kids, followed by socially distanced salsa dance classes on the 16th floor terrace, which includes washing it all down with adult-friendly sangria shots. epichotel.com.

The Mondrian Makeover The Mondrian South Beach is enticing locals back into their lacquered surroundings with a multi-milliondollar property-wide transformation focusing on the new Baia Beach Club, an indoor/outdoor restaurant and bar, membership club, and renovated spa.

“As the audience of the hotel grows up, so should the property,” said co-owner Michael Liebowitz. “Whether visiting as a Baia Beach Club member, dining at our bayfront restaurant, or staying in one of our new guest rooms, Mondrian South Beach will be a new and exciting experience for all.” The hotel, which relaunched in November, also showcases newly designed common areas, guest rooms, and meeting spaces. What remains? That killer, inimitable sunset view. sbe.com/hotels/ mondrian/south-beach.

miamiindulge.com | DECEMBER 2020 / JANUARY 2021 | INDULGE

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the local CULTURE

By Eric Barton

Don’t believe the hype — Miami Art Week is alive and happening. Art aficionados (and those just missing the annual scene) can head to the multiple exhibits and, yes, virtual initiatives, that will quench their thirst for creativity.

Two Months of Miami Culture Visual arts created by the black diaspora will get special recognition during the Miami Arts, Culture and Heritage Months, running now through the end of January. A creation of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau (GMCVB), the program offers special experiences, virtual exhibitions, culinary tours and hotel deals. miamitemptations.com.

EXPLORING AFRICAN HERITAGE

PAMM’s newest exhibit, Allied with Power, showcases 39 artists from the international African diaspora.

Over at El Espacio 23, the studio's second exhibit was envisioned by a Zimbabwean curator and explores the themes of systematic suppression and African identity. pamm.org and elespacio23.com.

The Art Basel of the Future

This year Art Basel is going virtual, but organizers say it’ll be no less compelling, with online viewing rooms of artworks, talks and virtual gallery walk-throughs.

Renamed “OVR: Miami Beach,” the new program will feature galleries accepted to the 2020 show, broken into five sectors from young talents to masters of the last century. VIPs will be able to enjoy exclusive preview days from December 2 through December 4, and eager art lovers can join in December 4 to December 6. artbasel.com/miami-beach.

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Take Home the Walls The shop at the Wynwood Walls is offering up a series of artist collaboration gifts, including coloring books, puzzles and a coffee table book, all curated to please the aficionado on your list. The gifts range from a straight-rimmed Wynwood Walls cap to a special plexiglassenclosed book on the history of the iconic street art center. Your art school-grad cousin or friend in need of whimsical decor will thank you. thewynwoodwalls.com.

Already showcasing some of the most talked about sculptures in the city (like Buckminster Fuller Fly’s Eye Dome and Zaha Hadid’s Elastika) Miami Design District is slated to host Design Miami/ at its original Moore Building location.

Back to its Roots Major international galleries that typically land in the city for Miami Art Week will this year take up an 18-square-block section of indoor and outdoor space as part of Design Miami/. The festival begins Nov. 27 and will spend 10 days hosting cultural events and talks, including some virtual and others in person, with social distancing kept in mind by limiting admission. The fair will launch its new concept Podium in the historic Moore Building, where the fair was originally launched in 2005. miami2020.designmiami.com.

Life These Days Through Art Thirteen artists who won South Florida Cultural Consortium awards explore what life is like these days at an exhibition at NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale. Curated by longtime art champion of local artists Bonnie Clearwater, the show includes works by celebrated Miami artists such as Itzel Basualdo, Franky Cruz and Monica Lopez De Victoria, among others. nsuartmuseum.org.

A GRAFFITI ICON’S NEWEST WORKS Iconic New York graffiti artist Angel Ortiz, aka LA II, will unveil new works during Art Week at the Museum of Graffiti in Wynwood. Ortiz first started tagging in the gritty Lower East Side and first gained fame at 13 when he teamed up with painter Keith Haring. It’s the artist's first-ever solo exhibit in South Florida and can also be accessed online in a 360-virtual tour. museumofgraffiti.com.

miamiindulge.com | DECEMBER 2020 / JANUARY 2021 | INDULGE

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the local BEAUTY

By Erin Michelle Newberg

Top 20 of 2020 In a year that could use a makeover, we present our top favorite tried and true (and tested!) items to close out 2020 in a gorgeous way.

3. Hair Tool Made in Italy, the 8th Sense line by Elchim just launched a top-notch blow dryer you can even monogram, for an extra personal touch. elchim.com.

1. Sunblock True to its name, La Prairie Cellular UV Protection Veil protects your face with a non-greasy formula that provides all-too-necessary SPF 50.

Neiman Marcus, Bal Harbour Shops.

4. Lip Scrub Cuerpa’s Rose de Cristal is a pink pot of paradise that keeps lips kissable and perfectly smooth. cuerpa.com.

2. Lipstick Worth the splurge, the orange packaging presented by Rouge Hermès is as pretty as the pout it provides in any season.

Merci, Hermès!

Hermes.com.

9. Fragrance Alcohol free, natural and vegan, the master perfumer Antoine Lie created a bottle of Maison Sybarite Paris that fits in your carry-on. The Amber Gaze scent is as dreamy as it sounds. us.maison-sybarite.com.

5. Deodorant Madame Lemy’s aluminum free product comes in the most wildly fabulous old-fashioned packaging and equally nostalgic options in lavender, rose, lemon or lime. madamelemy.com.

6. Hair Oil Just three drops of Nuele massaged from your roots to the tips of your mane repairs any damage! Try it and fight us on this. nuelehair.com.

8. Brushes To be clear, it’s this beauty editor’s opinion that GEE Beauty sells the best makeup brushes on the market, hands down.

That’s all. Gee Beauty, Miami Beach.

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7. Body Cream Sweet yet nutty, Mademoiselle Provence’s clean and affordable product makes you feel as if you are in France, with very healthy skin.

Target.com.

12. Nail Polish Who wants to deal with smudging your polish right after you exit the salon? Not us.

Nails INC. London’s speedy gloss dries in 45 seconds and lasts a long time sans chipping. nailsinc.com.

13. Face Oil With serious benefits from coffee berry, grapeseed, pomegranate, almond oil and way too many others to list, Cascara Berry Superfruit Face Oil packs in lots of skin nutrition in a small bottle. cascarabeauty.com.

11. Spray Conditioner Philip Kingsley offers a lightweight leave-in-conditioner that also protects your hair against the sun and heat styling tools. Spray, brush and go!

Blue Mercury, Coconut Grove.

10. Face Wash Augustinus Bader gel removes all of the environmental residue from your face in one wash and is just as effective and gentle on skin with sensitivities. augustinusbader.com.

14. Hair Removal Nad’s Sensitive Hair Removal Cream is a 4-minute solution to shaving and sometimes painful waxing. Apply, let it sit for 5 minutes and wipe away unwanted fringe. nads.com.

20. Quickie Miracle Do you desire that no-makeup, illuminating look? Just a pea-sized drop of Natura Bissé’s C+C Vitamin Sheer Fluid massaged into your skin hydrates and creates an illusion of photo-perfect skin. naturabisse.com.

19. Face Scrub The tiny granules in Georgette Klinger’s super-fine Bamboo Exfoliating Scrub do not damage your skin but instead provide the perfect exfoliation. georgetteklinger.com.

18. Shampoo Julien Farel’s restore shampoo is loaded with a slew of hi-tech ingredients like hyaluronic acid, echinacea stem cells, and resveratrol, promoting follicle strength and antioxidant protection. Believe the science. julienfarel.com.

17. Accessory Like food, beauty products last longer and stay fresh in the cold (just not anything with oils, which freeze). Fill the Cooluli fridge with under eye cream or even sunblock, and apply for instant rejuvenation. cooluli.com.

15. Foundation IT Cosmetics smooth foundation provides perfect, lightweight coverage and is available in 40 shades. The added vitamins E & B5 are a huge beauty bonus.

Itcosmetics.com.

16. Bum Crème If you have any blemishes on your, er, lower backside areas, smooth on this cream by The Miami Beach Bum and say goodbye to the kind of bumps you’d rather do without. miamibeachbum.com.

miamiindulge.com | DECEMBER 2020 / JANUARY 2021 | INDULGE

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the local STYLE

By Christiana Lilly

my 305 style

CHAD CARROLL The president of Carroll Group at renowned real estate firm Compass and the star of “Million Dollar Listing Miami,” Carroll not only sells the luxury lifestyle, but he knows how to live it, too.

THE DINNER SPOT

THE SIP

“I’m definitely a tequila guy. If you come to my house, I probably always have 50 different types of tequila. Don Julio is one of my favorites, as well as Casamigos. But Don Julio is definitely our go-to.” $149.99. Don Julio 1942, Total Wine, 1139 Fifth Street, Miami Beach; 786-276-6545; totalwine.com.

THE BOAT “Boating is a very big part of my

lifestyle — work and personal. I love to show clients property on the water. The Sunseeker Manhattan 52 is a great boat that we can use locally, but also we love to go to the Bahamas.” Nautikos, 2640 South Bayshore Drive, Suite 106, Miami; 305-856-4050; sunseeker.com.

THE ESCAPE

“The Bahamas is in our backyard basically in Miami — it’s so close but yet you feel like you’re so far away. It’s really an amazing experience. Very low key, the water is crystal clear blue.

It’s a remote place where I can go and unwind. Highbourne Cay, Exuma, Bahamas; highbournecaybahamas.com.

THE TIMEPIECE

“I’m selling the luxury lifestyle and I also like that type of lifestyle for myself as well. This Audemars Piguet watch would be my go-to.” $50,500. Royal Oak Self Winding Watch, Audemars Piguet at Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Avenue, Bal Harbour; 305-864-6776; audemarspiguet.com.

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THE SCENT

“CH Men is something I've been wearing for a while.

I wear what my fiancée buys me and what she likes. It’s important to always smell good: Dress well, smell good, and put yourself together nicely.”

CH Carolina Herrera at Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Avenue, Bal Harbour; 305-864-0042; carolinaherrera.com.

THE SIDEKICK “My French Bulldog Max is the office celebrity. Everyone fights over who will get to give him the next belly rub and he has free reign to roam around to say hi to all of his office friends.

He also stars in a lot of our listing video shoots and loves the attention.”

PORTRAIT BY JEFF REMAS; HIGHBOURNE CAY (INSTAGRAM)

THE SHOES

“I have about 10 or 15 different pairs of these shoes and they’re super comfortable and a great everyday shoe.” $970. Louis Vuitton Monte Carlo Moccasin, Saks Fifth Avenue Dadeland, 7687 North Kendall Drive, Miami; 305-666-2938; louisvuitton.com.

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“Bourbon Steak Miami is a great steakhouse close to where I live; it’s very convenient when I have clients in town.

We like to go there, have a cocktail, nice steak, and they always have fantastic service.” Bourbon Steak Miami, 19999 West Country Club Drive, Aventura; 786-279-6600; bourbonsteakmia.com.

the local A DAISY THING

THE

Art OF TRANSFORMATION

Renowned facial plastic surgeon Dr. Julio Gallo converts a maze of rooms in a classic ‘Old Miami Beach’ home, into a bright, airy backdrop for his extensive art collection.

A

quest for privacy and increased square footage brought Dr. Julio Gallo to a highly coveted, winding residential street far from the fray of South Beach, where he lived in a smart, contemporary townhouse for several years. He saw this house in the initial search and went on to look at other properties, “but it kept calling me back,” he explains. “The house was built in 1939 on an oversized lot and has a great vibe.

I love it because the layout is open, which allows for easy entertaining, there are a lot of windows and the garden is lush and beautiful.”

He yearned for an oasis as a respite from his intensive work schedule — and more wall space. “So the art can breathe,” he adds with a smile, referring to the more than 200 pieces in the eclectic collection that is in rotation between his medical practice and the house, with other pieces coming in and out of storage. “I also wanted a lot of indirect, natural light which makes

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the art look better and the house feel happier.”

He has no rules when it comes to collecting.

“I buy what I like. Things that inspire me, motivate me or illicit an emotional response, whether positive or negative. I don't just collect one type of art. It can be grotesque, pretty, satirical, have a social message,” he pauses, “or no message.”

In his collection there are international artists, several Miami artists — some of whom are friends — as well as pieces by his late father, artist Enzo Gallo.

FAMILY PORTRAIT Gallo’s own artistry and his love of art are in his DNA. His father, Enzo Gallo, who was born in Italy, descended from five generations of artists and sculptors specializing in marble. Enzo moved to Cuba as a young man, where he met and married Gallo’s mother and attended the respected San Alejandro School of Art, earning a Masters in Fine Art. “He not only taught me to appreciate

art but how to think in three dimensions,” says Gallo. “When dealing with the length and width of the human face what you do to one area affects all the others. That’s why I love facial plastic surgery, because it is like sculpting.” Gallo has been in practice since 1995 and is now in partnership with the biostation in Midtown. “We do aesthetic medicine and wellness on their side,” he says with a smile. “They rejuvenate the inside, I rejuvenate the outside.”

When Gallo was about ten years old, his father started bringing him to friends’ gallery openings. “On vacation in many countries, we’d always go to museums,” he says. “Because my father also taught art, he made it fun, like traveling with a historian.” The stylish, multilingual doctor, who was born in Hollywood, Florida, after his parents fled Cuba, is also known for his philanthropy, supporting charities that include No More Tears, Angels for Humanity and the Rene Moawad Foundation in Lebanon.

(Opposite page) ‘Chains of Time,’ a sculpture by Enzo Gallo, and metal sculpture by Barrett; Gallo, in his living room, behind him a work by Cuban artist Maria Martinez-Cañas. (Clockwise from above) Sculpture by Enzo Gallo; Gallo and contributing Lifestyle Editor Daisy Olivera in the sunroom; Gallo, with ‘Angel and People,’ a painting by Purvis Young, behind him. In front of the window, a sculpture by Enzo Gallo; a work on paper

by Wifredo Lam, and paintings by Jose Luis Bermudez and Ernesto Capdevila hang in the dining room. On the table, a steel sculpture by Enrique Gay Garcia.

Cloud chandelier by Georgio Ferrara.

A CANVAS OF COMFORT When Gallo bought the four-bedroom home in 2017, he updated it to a warm, contemporary style. Few design elements remained of the home’s original interior architecture, except for the stately, limestone fireplace mantel in the living room. “The hardwood floor is also original,” says Gallo. “It was in great condition, but had a very dark, reddish stain which was sanded down to its lighter, natural color,” he explains. Outdated dark blue and burgundy accent walls were quickly remedied with his go-to paint color, Designer White

by Pratt & Lambert. Extra walls were removed to open up the house to more light. Every hall opening had a door, “so I took the doors out.

Now there are fewer distractions and it maximizes the amount of wall space for the art. Simpler is better and the house feels bigger and more vibrant.” And adds, “Home is where I feel safe and comforted. It’s where I share part of myself and my art collection with friends and invite them into my heart and life.”

WRITTEN AND PRODUCED BY DAISY OLIVERA / PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICK GARCIA

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the local FITNESS

By Ginger Harris

Exercise YOUR SHOPPING SKILLS

THE SUBSCRIPTION

A subscription to Mimi Yoga would do your stressedout friend a world of good. The global online yoga platform is for all levels and led by Mimi Ghandour.

There are more than 100-plus hours of classes with 40-plus hours for beginners. Find three live classes a week with Mimi via Zoom, a special chanting section and daily inspirational info.

Ohm. Mimi Yoga, $75 annual subscription, mimiyoga.com.

Gifts from the heart, that keep your heart pumping, too.

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ondering what to gift that cardioloving, downward dog-doing, gym junkie in your life?

I’ve rounded up a few of my favorite things — 100 percent approved by yours truly — that I can’t live without.

These gifts are all the right moves — in more ways than one.

THE MAT

Everyone can get their sweat on with a basic black mat. But we all have that one friend who lives and breathes Instagram. Enter Babe + Co. The prints keep things fun while they’re on that 60th second of plank. It’s made of vegan suede and paired with natural rubber. It’s also antibacterial and machine washable, because keeping your mat clean is like washing your hands these days. Babe + Co Mat, $69, babeplusco.com.

THE SET

Gift someone confidence before they even elevate that heartbeat with a set from Booty by Brabants. The Mermaid Purple Daisy Leggings are one size fits most (and they truly do), and textured to hide any little imperfections.

The matching top works for sizes A through C. Wearing both feels like nailing that workout like a well-dressed gym goddess. Booty By Brabants Leggings, $80, Matching Bra, $30, bootybybrabants.com.

THE GLOVES

Fans of reformers, barre and yoga (and also gym germ-a-phobes) will adore Props Athletics Freedom fingerless grip gloves. They help you stay in place no matter how sweaty palms get. And, with a ton of styles and colors, it’s easy to complete a gym look in style. Props Athletics Freedom Fingerless Grip Gloves, $38, propsaathletics.com.

THE BAG

Gym bags are great, but many still leave you lugging around your fitness extras. That’s what sets See Feel apart. Equal parts bag and holder, it’s made of 100 percent cotton with a slide-through pocket on the front for your mat. It’s also spacious enough to cram necessities into, while still looking chic. See Feel Canvas Mat Bag, $25, Amazon.com.

THE TOWEL

Workouts are meant to make you sweat. But releasing those toxins isn’t always convenient when you’re on the mat or making your way to another piece of equipment. The simplest solution: a Nomadix towel. Consider it the most versatile towel ever: yoga, beach, travel, camping. And, for your eco-conscious pals: it’s made from recycled plastic bottles. It’s also pet hair resistant, which means when pup does downward dog on the mat, he won’t leave anything behind but inspo. Nomadix towel, $40-$55, nomadix.co.

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the local PHILANTHROPY

By Stephanie Sayfie Aagaard

Social Dilemma South Florida charities embrace a new normal with virtual events. But some philanthropists are missing the party.

I (Top, from left) Marysol Patton, Tara Solomon, Linda Levy Goldberg and Susannah Shubin at the Vizcaya Preservation "Hat" Luncheon on March 10, 2020; (top right) PAMM's Art of the Party 2020; (above) Mireille Chancy Gonzalez, Iran Issa Khan and Amaris Jones at PAMM's Art + Soul celebration in February.

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n a normal year, South Florida’s movers and shakers — the boldfaced names in business and our many celebrity residents — don their most elegant attire to gather at over-the-top galas, designer hat luncheons and fashion-related happenings beginning in fall and carrying on through spring. I can vividly picture it in my head: ladies decked out in their brightly hued long gowns by labels Oscar de la Renta and Valentino, as their Brioni-clad dates converse, cocktails in hand. The room glowing, bubbly flowing, and the reason everyone is present — raising funds for the organization behind the glamorous event.

But 2020 has been anything but normal. Not even close. Since the COVID-19 pandemic zoomed into the world and eventually Miami last March, the annual soirees have been canceled or rescheduled. While these safety measures were indeed necessary, the community support required by organizations like United Way of Miami-Dade, Chapman Partnership, Voices for Children and National YoungArts Foundation cannot be postponed. “Our girls need us more than ever,” said Jennifer Valoppi, Women of Tomorrow Mentor & Scholarship Program founder.

“Events are going to be smaller. People are going to be more cautious and the ones that aren't virtual will be outdoors. But the events will happen in some capacity. People are missing their friends and human contact in general. And we have to raise this money.”

Philanthropist Swanee DiMare chairs Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden’s two major fundraising affairs, Splendor in the Garden Luncheon and their Gala in the Garden, both of which are hosted at the historic property’s lakeside marquee. “One of the advantages that we have is that our luncheon is practically outdoors,” said DiMare. “It’s open air and if need be, depending on what happens, we can always space it out. But what’s been happening is a very difficult, sad situation for all the charities.

We’re all hoping people will continue to donate.”

While recent virtual events have garnered mixed reviews from both organizers and attendees, for the time being, they have become the most efficient way to raise funds for causes closest to our hearts. But that doesn’t mean we don't long for the halcyon days of 2019. The social interaction. The thrill of walking into a lavishly decorated ballroom. The excitement brought about by the event’s music and packed dance floors.

Generous donors publicly stating their pledges as invitees go wild. We are missing the celebration, not simply of a cause but one that celebrates life and the efforts made by South Florida locals to help their own. Now 2021 awaits us, and hopefully it will come with livelier and more personal ways to connect with our favorite charities. A newer normal. My dancing shoes are waiting in the wings.

the local JEWEL BOX

By Claudia Miyar 3

2 1

4

LIVING ON THE

Edge

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The year’s subdued vibes call for jewels that highlight modern designs, while still displaying much-desired holiday sparkle.

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1. Clash de Cartier necklace, medium model, in 18k rose gold, $3,500. Cartier. 147 Northeast 39th Street, Design District; 305-894-2960; cartier.com. 2. Melissa Kaye Lola triple ring in 18k yellow gold, enamel and diamonds, $8,350. The Webster. 1220 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach; 305-674-7899; thewebstermiami.com. 3-4. Lady Stardust cuff in rose gold and diamonds, $85,000, and Vertigo Very Obtuse Hoops in titanium, enamel & diamonds, $43,500. Stephen Webster; stephenwebster.com. 5. Suzanne Kalan baguette diamond cocktail ring in rose gold, $10,000. Neiman Marcus at Bal Harbour Shops.

9700 Collins Avenue, Bal Harbour; 305-865-6161; neimanmarcus.com. 6. Threads diamond necklace, price upon request. Graff at Bal Harbour Shops. 9700 Collins Avenue, Bal Harbour; 305-993-1212; graff.com.

7. Messika “My Twin Diamond Collection” Bracelet, $6,830. Mayors Jewelers at Shops at Merrick Park. 342 San Lorenzo Avenue, #1000, Coral Gables; 305-446-1233; mayors.com. 8. Emily P. Wheeler 18k yellow and white gold baby X earrings, $2,900. Moda Operandi; modaoperandi.com. 9. Nikos Koulis mismatched gold, diamond and ruby earrings, price upon request. Nikos Koulis; nikoskoulis.com.

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the local DRIVEN BY STYLE the legacy of Ferrari upon its sleek shoulders, but seems also determined to forge a path all its own as a distinctive and unequivocal entity.

Upon first glance, the 2021 Roma’s stunning and perforated grille is both a throwback to the Ferraris of yore as well as a firm departure from recent models, which immediately clues you in that this is not at all what you expected. But very much what you desire.

Motor MEETS MIGHT

With its inimitable style and Italian flair, the new Ferrari Roma is all about the sweet — and speedy — life.

A The Roma is categorized as a “grand tourer,” but full-grown adults may challenge this notion when they find themselves seated in the back seat behind a passenger with long legs. Trunk space however is ample for a weekend’s worth of luggage for two.

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h, Rome in the 1950s and 1960s!

A myth is in its inception, a mantra’s in the making, and a new religion gets an origin story. These were the decades that convinced the world that should glamour ever become incarnate, it would surely speak its words with a seductive Italian accent.

Life was meant to be lived out loud and with uncompromising elegance, and the roads were to be driven with the top down and with the roar of an engine that could read your very thoughts.

“La Dolce Vita” was born and Ferrari was king.

This carefree creed, this sworn oath to devote one’s lives entirely to pleasure has now retuned to us as the sole driving force behind the 2021 Ferrari Roma. The most recent model of the legendary car maker is not only poised to carry

A VISUAL WONDERLAND The svelte design of the Roma is a joyful declaration of independence stemming from the innovation and technological strides that have allowed for a more workable gearbox that in turn has granted grace to a gorgeously sculpted profile and silky, smooth lines.

This new mid-front-engined 2 + passenger coupé from the Prancing Horse is athletic, but maintains a relatively smaller profile. Its refined and harmonious proportions are a tribute to timeless design and feel immediately current, graceful and visionary.

Once inside, the carbon fiber-trimmed cabin is instantaneously immersive and otherwordly, with a mild yet seductive 60s retro-futuristic vibe.

The interior offers distinctive driver and passenger spaces, divided by a considerable console for elegant demarcation. The absence of analog controls may unsettle traditionalists who bask in the glory of tactile experiences, but those of us who relish in tech-forward digital displays and even animation are treated to one of the most stunning, seamless, informative and intuitive visual expositions you can find in a car today.

THE ULTIMATE SHOW-OFF Under all that Italian glamour lurks the car maker’s 611-horsepower V8 mid-front-mounted turbocharged Portofino engine, endowed with its own distinctive roar that heralds a brand-new legacy (and a speed that tops at 199 mph.

Instinctual gear shifts and massive driving power let you bask in the glow of speed once you move your Stallion away from the downtown muzzle. Yet, out on the open road, the drive remains taut as the architectural elegance of the vehicle delivers outstanding stability even when “Race mode” transforms your ride from cruising to racing. Corners are delicate and trustworthy as the engine is capable of delivering 560 lb-ft of torque at 3,000-5,750 rpm.

Although this “sweet life” comes to you for no less than $222,630, let’s face it, it’s not every day you meet a hyper car you want to bring home to your mother.

WORDS BY CAROLINA CARDONA

The Ferrari Roma is available at The Collection in Coral Gables. thecollection.com

the local SOURCE

Picturing CREATIVITY Jennifer Coronel-Cueto, owner of I've Been Framed II, initiates a concierge framing service that adds an elevated level of customer care to her years of invaluable expertise.

WORDS BY DAISY OLIVERA / PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICK GARCIA

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hether you are a corporate client with 200 large works of art or you have a small drawing by your sixyear old Jennifer Coronel-Cueto is equally happy to help you at her custom framing store, I’ve Been Framed II, in the Shops at Lakeshore Park, also known as the Bird Road Arts District. “I love what I do,” she says with a smile. “I carry all price points from a simple wood or metal frame on up and can work with any budget to give you the look you want.”

Also known for her design aesthetic, she frequently collaborates with interior designers, becoming an integral part of the process.

But this was not her goal when she graduated from Florida International University with a degree in Public Relations and Journalism in 1996.

Her family was in the framing business, but she wanted a job in her own field. “I got one as the ‘assistant to the assistant’ of an account executive, but I was picking up people’s dry cleaning,” she recalls, laughing at her dismay. At the time, her older sister, Cristina Coronel, who had been in the framing industry for ten years, was opening her own store in a quaint, family-owned building across from where Brickell City Centre now stands. Coronel-Cueto happily joined her and they co-founded the first I’ve Been Framed store (now located at 733 Southwest 8th Street in Little Havana).

Jennifer Coronel-Cueto framed her professional life around what became a family-owned business until launching I’ve Been Framed II.

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SQUARE ROOTS The married mom of two teenagers remained until it was time to venture out on her own, and in May 2018, opened I've Been Framed II as sole owner.

She chose a storefront at Shops at Lakeshore Park in South Miami because the shopping area had evolved into a destination for beautifying the home with decorator fabric, home accessories and antique stores as well as interior design and artist studios. What sets her apart from a chain store

framer is her more than 20 years of expertise.

“And you’re being helped by me, the owner, not a chain store employee who doesn’t know a thing about framing,” she states. “I also have a faster turnaround time because it’s done on site and we make custom mirrors, usually at a lower cost.”

I’ve Been Framed II carries over 1,000 frame styles, from sleek contemporary to traditional and designer collections that few frame stores have, including Larson Juhl (the Birkin bag of the framing world), Roma Moulding and Prestige, a museum-quality line with seamless corners that is hand-gilded with 24 karat gold leaf. Special attention is also paid to archival-quality framing with UV protective glass and mats that are 100% rag conservation quality.

Her vast experience extends to museumquality framing and installation of paintings costing into the millions of dollars including Picassos, Boteros, a Matisse and Cuban masters. Each year, Coronel-Cueto is the framer of choice for over a dozen galleries that exhibit during Art Basel Miami, as well as for other art fairs and local Miami galleries. Other corporate clients include the Miami Heat, Royal Caribbean and projects for luxury condo buildings and hotels.

PICTURE IT The Concierge Framing Service begins with the dynamic Coronel-Cueto going to a client’s home for a consultation and a walk-through. “To get a feel for the décor and to measure the walls,” she says.

“I bring various color mats and frame ‘corners’ in different styles and finishes to explore what

works best with their art. We take the artwork for framing and then deliver to the home where we install it. It’s full service whether it's a small piece or a large one.”

The pandemic affected her business in an unexpected way. “By mid-April, people had been looking at their homes more closely and we did many bathroom mirror makeovers,” she exclaims. “It’s a small ticket item that changes the entire look. Same goes for the rest of the

house. New frames completely revive your artwork and update a room’s decor.” Coronel-Cueto’s store also features a gallery with paintings and other art pieces for sale. “It’s great that I’m able to help local artists and they help me by beautifying my space!”

I’ve Been Framed II in the Shops at Lakeshore Park, 4728 Southwest 72nd Avenue, South Miami; 305-392-0991; ivebeenframedsomi.com.

I’ve Been Framed II carries over 1,000 frame styles for a variety of price ranges; Coronel-Cueto puts together a piece for her client, with artwork by local artists Yoly Recio and Fredy Villamil displayed behind her.

the movers

PEOPLE WHO M OV E M I A M I .

Women in

ART

{RAINMAKER}

Natalia Crujeiras As the executive director of the Cultural Affairs Division at Miami Dade College, Natalia Crujeiras is working with some of our city’s most important cultural institutions to facilitate new ways for them to adjust and grow into stronger beacons of art.

the movers

THE IMPORTANCE OF ART EDUCATION Exposing children to the arts and creative activities can open up their world by introducing them to a variety of civilizations and thus teaching them critical thinking and social skills. According to Crujeiras, in Miami-Dade County almost half of third graders are not reading at grade level. Statistics like these are what fuel her passion to ensure that the Miami Book Fair can not only continue as a fair but also maintain its yearlong programs.

One of those, the Read to Learn Books for Free program, delivers 4,500 complementary books every week to about 65 bookshelves across the county.

ARTS IN OUR COMMUNITY Crujeiras believes that cultural experiences are among the most impactful ways to affect social change. Art allows us as a community to explore ethnic and racial representations, reflect on our history and provides an opportunity for people from different backgrounds to come together in a shared experience.

“Arts and cultural institutions can help uplift, strengthen and unify people and celebrate the complexity of our humanity,” she says. “In dark times, I think artists not only bring light but create light and sustain light. They help us understand what makes us human in the face of uncertainty or fear.

Artists give us the words, music, dance and images with which we can mourn or celebrate.”

As a community that is bursting with so many extraordinary cultures, art also allows us to enjoy that richness and enables us to find commonalities.

As Crujeiras puts it, “art can harness the goodness of mankind towards a worthy goal.”

VITALS 44. The arts have always played a starring role in Natalia Crujeiras’ life.

Growing up in Mexico City, she frequented her grandparent’s farm in Tabasco and fondly remembers her grandfather singing and playing the guitar after the family’s traditional Sunday dinners. Although she didn’t inherit the gift of song, Crujeiras grew up painting with acrylics, studied graphic arts and communication and most recently discovered baking as another way to express her creativity.

Before landing at Miami Dade College, Crujeiras’ impressive resume boasts stints at Univision and Telemundo as a journalist and as a lecturer at the University of Miami, where she also directed her alma mater’s broadcast operations and was instrumental in helping to develop and integrate social media and new media technology into the curriculum.

Within Miami Dade College’s cultural affairs division, Crujeiras oversees the operations and strategic direction of the Miami Book Fair, Miami Film Festival, Live Arts Miami, the Museum of Art & Design, the special collections galleries at the Freedom Tower, the Koubek Center and the Tower Theater Miami.

These cultural powerhouses are run by talented leaders so Crujeiras works tirelessly to support their creative process, respect their artistic freedom, advise them and help integrate each institution’s vision into the college’s mission of serving its students and our community.

“I see myself more as a facilitator. I want to create the conditions for my team of experts to be able to flourish and achieve their potential,” she says.

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WINTER EXHIBITIONS Crujeiras and her team have worked vigorously to ensure that the college’s institutions not only withstand this unprecedented pandemic but pivot in creative ways that enable them to flourish. While this was the first year in its 37-year history that the Miami Book Fair didn’t take place in downtown, the team was able to effectively move from a massive in-person event to a multimedia production. The virtual system that Crujeiras compares to Netflix but for books was created for the fair but will be complimentary and available to the public indefinitely.

The Museum of Art & Design and the Freedom Tower’s special collections gallery have been redesigned for safe viewing and are now open. The museum debuts The Body Electric, an exhibition that looks back at the last 50 years and comments on how technology has affected us. For those who prefer a virtual experience, the museum and the Freedom Tower have launched new websites: the former featuring artist panels, conferences and performances and the latter highlighting the monument’s significance with its collection of historical documents.

THE FUTURE OF THE ARTS Crujeiras’ outlook is positive as she sees arts and culture organizations learning from this current climate and finding new and different ways to connect with their audiences.

“I believe that arts and culture can be bridges,” she says. “To me arts can foster transformation, can bring light to local and global struggles, can allow you to fight for justice, freedom. (Art) is beautiful, it moves you, it allows you to imagine, to create. I see this job as a privilege.”

WORDS BY CHRISTIE GALEANO-DEMOTT / PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICK GARCIA

the movers

M

iami has gone from a culturally dormant community to a thriving art destination and now, there’s a new kid on the art block that aims to further electrify the city’s art landscape. The venue is called Superblue Miami and the goal is to introduce visitors to experiential art, an expression rooted in a fully immersive experience. Miami native, Shantelle Rodriguez, is the art center’s director. She explains the critical role visitors play.

“We like to say that the artists are creating the environment but really, ultimately, the experience and the art belongs to the people.

The experience happens when the visitor actually steps into the room, into the visitor’s mind,” she says.

In essence, the work of art is not complete without you.

APPROACHING THE ASPIRATIONAL Rodriguez, who grew up in a Cuban-American household without an affinity to art, understands how alienating approaching conventional works can be.

“I always felt studying it and getting into it later in life, that it’s very intimidating. It is sort of an elitist culture,” she says. “Superblue is making this the most inviting, welcoming environment you could visit so you don’t feel the way you may feel going into a gallery or museum...where you feel you don’t know enough,” Rodriguez adds.

The center opens December 22 with 3 exhibits chosen to represent experiential art’s extraordinary bandwidth. James Turrell, whom Rodriguez defines as “the godfather of the movement,” will be showcasing “Ganzfeld” — a large-scale installation playing with light and space. Japanese-based teamLab, an interdisciplinary collective of 600 artists, programmers, engineers, and mathematicians — and one of the most recognized in the movement today — will exhibit, “Between Life and Non-Life,” a series of interconnected artworks exploring the relationship between humanity and the natural world.

The third artist exhibiting is Es Devlin, a renowned stage designer for performers like Kanye West, Beyoncé and Adele. Her installation, “New Laybrinthine Mirror Maze,” takes viewers on a journey rooted in the human respiratory process — a timely, but purely coincidental theme for our current times.

“It’s showing the breadth of the movement. It really shows how expansive the medium is,” Rodriguez explains.

{THE VISIONARY}

Shantelle Rodriguez Through her work at the anticipated Superblue Miami, Rodriguez is driving the art center’s mission to bring down the barrier between creator and observer.

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DESTINATION FOUND The Allapatah location was thoughtfully chosen. Superblue defines itself as community-oriented and was drawn to the growing grassroots organizations in the neighborhood. “We’re already working closely with Motivational Edge and Esquina de Abuela. It’s a community that feels more like a family,” Rodriguez says. It’s also across from the Rubell Museum, with which there’s a close relationship.

The name was inspired by a pioneering movement of German Expressionism in the early 20th Century called “Der Blaue Reiter” or “The Blue Rider.” Spearheaded by Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky, the group introduced the avant-garde principle that color, in particular the color blue, carried a spiritual value — an ideology that would serve as a precursor to the abstract movement.

“They used blue as a super natural color and power to change the way we see the world,” Rodriguez says, before emphasizing the importance of experiencing art in an immersive fashion. “People with fresh eyes will give new meaning and hopefully people will be more interested in art and connecting to art.”

WORDS BY ALONA ABBADY MARTINEZ / PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICK GARCIA

the movers

Codina’s recent film “Paper Children” was one of nine documentaries nominated for the Miami Film Festival’s coveted Knight Made in MIA Feature Film Award, sponsored by Knight Foundation.

Paper Dolls begins with a family who is reunited as a real cohesive family unit and presents the question: will the system tear them apart? The film presents an intimate story of four kids who had to flee their home in Honduras because of gang violence and came to the United States to seek protection.

The YouTube Original shows viewers what’s its like after the children have arrived and are navigating the asylum process, while also trying to heal the trauma of the past.

{THE STORYTELLER}

Alexandra Codina

The Miami filmmaker weaves an unforgettable tale in her new documentary that follows the tumultuous immigration journey of four Honduran siblings.

M

any a movie has been made about migrants crossing over the Mexican border into the United States, but perhaps none have examined the topic quite like Miami documentary filmmaker Alexandra Codina. Codina’s new film Paper Children chronicles the story of

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four Honduran siblings and their emotional rollercoaster ride with United States immigration.

“Most immigration stories hope to end the way ours begins…the majority of films on this issue are about the journey to the border and I think we need to talk more about what happens after the border,” explains Codina.

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A HEARTFELT MESSAGE Codina originally pitched the project in 2017 at The Good Pitch (a New York- and London-based organization) to a room full of people who were interested in the intersection of documentary filmmaking and the making of social change. She then met the family featured in the film via Catholic Legal Services of Miami.

As a mother, and as the daughter of a Cuban immigrant father (who came to America as an orphan child), Codina was particularly touched by the influx of children arriving at the border and fleeing violence in Central America in 2014.

“As a mom reading these stories, they really shook me to the core.

The idea that kids would have to experience such vicious violence

but also as a mom being forced to have made the decision to leave my children in order to feed them.... and far more heartbreaking was the idea of thinking about what these kids had been through,” she explains.

As for the significance behind the film’s title, Codina says there’s a dual meaning.

“It points to the vulnerability of the children...there is so much in their lives which is fleeting. On the concrete side, its that they are reduced to a pile of papers as it relates to their fate in the system.”

BEYOND BORDERS The most important takeaway the filmmaker wants viewers to leave with is for people to stop reducing this very complex issue to a question of politics and to really understand the human reality of why people are arriving at our border.

“I think that if we focus not on our political perspectives but more on the humanity, then we can actually have a more nuanced conversation and move towards a more sustainable, humane and working immigration system. It’s non functional right now.”

Paper Children is available now on YouTube. More information can be found at paperchildrendoc.com.

WORDS BY ERICA CORSANO

the movers

A MASTERFUL START A Kendall native, Reed grew up visiting New York City’s great art museums with her parents where a Picasso exhibit at MoMA moved her to pursue a career in the arts. She studied art history at the University of Pennsylvania before taking a position with Citibank in New York, where she advised private banking clients on their personal art collections. In 1993, an opportunity to open a Sotheby’s regional office in Miami brought her back to where it all started.

Reflecting on the early days of Art Basel Miami Beach, Reed says, “I’ll never forget walking that first fair. I was in total disbelief that this was happening in Miami.” Some of her favorite memories include showing artists from emerging galleries on the beach inside shipping containers with gallery walls from Switzerland, Karl Lagerfeld hosting a fashion show on Lincoln Road and an opening party at the de la Cruz’s private home on Key Biscayne. “We created a welcoming community where patrons of the arts wanted to be,” says Reed.

Routinely drawing upwards of 80,000 art aficionados, Reed’s watched as Art Basel’s evolved into the all-encompassing Miami Art Week with satellite fairs, parties and events galore. This year, she’s kept her network of international collectors close through the move to a completely remote experience.

{THE CONNECTOR}

Stefanie Block Reed

As one of the executives behind the world’s biggest art fair, Reed has helped make Art Basel Miami Beach one of the city’s biggest draws — and this year’s virtual platform aims to be as successful.

F

rom the early days courting the revered Swiss art fair to Miami Beach to this year’s unprecedented pivot, bottling Art Basel’s ephemeral magic into a virtual experience, Stefanie Block Reed has been there through it all.

As a member of Art Basel’s VIP Representative

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Network, she paved the way for Art Basel Miami Beach’s inaugural fair in 2002 by connecting organizers with Miami’s top art collectors, like Craig Robins, Martin Margulies, and Carlos and Rosa de la Cruz, and arranging for Miami Beach city officials to visit Basel, Switzerland, where the fair has been an annual fixture of the art world since 1970.

BASEL 2.0 While the Miami Beach Convention Center will be dark in early December for the first time in nearly 20 years, Art Basel Miami Beach will go on. From December 2-6, the international art fair will premiere OVR: Miami Beach, a virtual “online viewing rooms” experience that patrons can stream from the safety and comfort of their homes free of charge on artbasel.com.

Just as in years past, the fair will kick off with invitation-only VIP preview days where Reed will accompany collectors in online viewing rooms for conversations with gallery directors, much like she would at booths in the convention center.

“It’s a great learning opportunity to see the work and experience it,” says Reed. “It’s opened up Basel to a global audience for those who wouldn’t be able to travel to Miami.”

Looking back at what she’s fostered over the last 20 years with the arts in her hometown, Reed says, “It’s personally gratifying — to have grown up here and seen what it was like then and now.

My children grew up in a community with art in their lives. It’s exciting to be a part of that.”

WORDS BY SHAYNE BENOWITZ

{DISH}

CUISINE

ART

Celebrated chef Thomas Keller creates food as art in his Hass Avocado and Vegetable Louie dish at The Surf Club Restaurant.

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As easy on the eyes as they are on the taste buds, these local dishes are created with equal amounts of tempting flavors and artistic flair.

F

ood, like art, can stimulate our senses. While paintings, sculptures, and music appeal to sight and sound, food (when created in its highest quality form) has the power to appeal to all five senses simultaneously. A dish can be visually stunning, smell delicious, feel both familiar and tempting in our hands, sound surprisingly comforting in every crackling bite, all before the final sense kicks in — taste. Some of our favorite Miami restaurants have painted a different picture of what a fine menu should be, adding dishes that not only provoke our most basic sensibilities but also leave us inspired by their masterful style and presentation.

THE SURF CLUB RESTAURANT Michelin-starred chef Thomas Keller graced our city two years ago opening his first Florida spot at one of Miami’s most storied and historic venues, the newly reopened The Surf Club. Re-imagining a bygone era of the famed property’s glamorous past, Keller transported himself to 1930 and The Surf Club’s lavish black-tie Gatsby-esque heyday where Hollywood celebrities frequented the exclusive private club and Winston Churchill spent time there sipping on Old Fashioned cocktails and painting seascapes (a cigar likely in hand).

Keller’s Hass Avocado and Vegetable Louie (a dish served at Vanity Fair’s swank Oscar Party celebrating the 89th Academy Awards) is an immaculate composition of an unblemished Hass avocado half decorated with an array of colorful fresh garden vegetables and an

THE SURF CLUB BY THOMAS KELLER / DEBORAH JONES

the life

D I N I N G. E N T E R TA I N I N G. AND GETTING OUT IN THE 305.

(Clockwise from far left) La Flor de Papa at La Mar; MILA’s scallop crudo; chef Daniel Ganem’s Foie Gras Crème Brûlée; Basque-style beet tartar; and a chocolate dream at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon.

COURTESY OF LEKU MIAMI; LA MAR / ANDREA “FUJI” LORENA; LITTLE PALM ISLAND / DANNY GANEN; COURTESY OF L’ATELIER BY JOËL ROBUCHON; COURTESY OF MILA MIAMI.

ultra-fancy pink Russian dressing — a true original in taste and design. surfclubrestaurant.com.

LA MAR BY GASTÓN ACURIO Not your usual potato dish, La Flor de Papa (literally translated to “the potato flower”) is a playful creation

by La Mar’s chef Diego Oka, who was inspired by the folkloric Andean attire rooted in the brightly colored flowers found in Peru, as well as Huayno, a genre of popular Andean music that pays homage to the region’s popular dish, La Flor de Papa. A typical Peruvian causa (potato purée) is tinted pink with red beet juice and artfully plated around sweet and salty blue crab and creamy Huancaina sauce. This tasty canvas is dotted with smoked trout roe and avocado cream, while edible flowers and green leaves round up the creation, which remind us of Jeff Koons’ “Puppy” — the dog flower sculpture sitting at the entrance of the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, Spain. mandarinoriental.com.

MILA RESTAURANT, ROOFTOP LOUNGE AND MIXOLOGY BAR MILA’s founder Gregory Galy was born in Mougin, a southern French village famous for its great rustic beauty and its incredible regional food. In MILA’s cuisine, Galy and his culinary team fuse those elements that surrounded Galy in childhood together with touches found in Japanese culture for diverse and flavorful results. The restaurant’s scallop crudo can be compared to Claude Monet’s paintings of

water lilies found at the farmhouse in Giverny where the artist lived.

Masses of flowers reflect the aquatic light, resembling the delicate slices of scallops floating on a pond of yuzu ponzu, olive oil, truffle butter, and colorful shiso found at the rooftop Miami restaurant. milarestaurant.com.

L’ATELIER DE JOËL ROBUCHON When I think of culinary master Joël Robuchon, unrestricted artistry comes to mind. The kind that is intrinsically beautiful to behold.

And unlike a piece of art hanging in a museum, this is the edible kind and acceptable to devour. L’Atelier’s executive pastry chef Salvatore Martone preserves Chef Robuchon’s recipe and skill in the Miami Design District’s location’s most famous dessert, The Chocolate Sensation, a play off of traditional milk and cookies.

A round scoop of white chocolate ice cream is dusted with Oreo cookies and placed on top of a seductive, silky crémeux made with of Valrhona

Guanaja chocolate. A dark chocolate orb sits on the Oreo dusted ice cream globe, surrounded by planetlike dots of raspberry and mango gels. A galactically sweet feast for the eyes and mouth. latelier-miami.com.

LITTLE PALM ISLAND Chef Daniel Ganem Instagram page is like an artist’s catalog of equally colorful and delectable dishes.

Catering to a high-end clientele at the dining room at Little Palm Island, Ganem expertly combines luxurious ingredients with those indigenous to the subtropical island setting. In the case of his curiously flavored Foie Gras Crème Brûlée, it was about bringing together the unexpected.

“I wanted to have something creamy, with vanilla-flavored custard and a bit of foie grass, in addition to a seared foie,” he says, “but also wanted to add more island flavors.”

Ripe diced mango, toasted cashews, coconut and coconut powder resembling the foam of the waves

breaking on the beach did the trick. littlepalmisland.com.

LEKU MIAMI Being the executive chef at Leku, the restaurant located at the lauded and still relatively new Rubell Museum, home of one of the leading collections of contemporary art in America, wasn’t an easy task. But 31-year-old Mikel Goikolea has the Basque pedigree to come up with dishes aesthetically pleasing enough to stand next to the impressive artwork that fills the 40-odd galleries in the Allapattah space, including former artist-inresidence Allison Zuckerman’s 60-foot mural centerpiece hanging inside the restaurant. It helps to grow up in the region with most Michelin Stars per capita in the world.

Goikolea’s richly toned beet tartar is meticulously diced and balanced with a basil emulsion, crisp capers, caviar, flowers and a savory, web-like addition of butter. lekumiami.com.

WORDS BY TERRY ZARIKIAN

the life {RECIPE}

N

iven Patel — a chef who could have dominated in Los Angeles or become a Michelin fave in New York but instead has stayed in Miami, his adopted home — attempted something different with his new place. A few things, actually. First, when he was planning the details of Mamey at the THesis Hotel in Coral Gables (a restaurant locals have been lining up for in the hopes of nabbing a coveted table) Patel went in without a theme to speak of. The menu is vaguely based on island cuisine. But it also isn’t, especially whenever Patel seems to deviate the dishes away from the Caribbean. Whenever, for example, he discovers something else delicious and just figures he’ll add that too.

At Mamey, Patel also decided not to poach his staff away from his other restaurants, like he has done before when opening new projects.

It’s the norm for most chefs, and it makes sense — bringing in the people you already trust. But he had this idea of trying to train an entirely new crew in his version of cooking.

The idea wasn’t an entirely easy thing, because Patel doesn’t cook like most other chefs. Elsewhere, his staff learned to strictly follow recipes handed to them by executive chefs.

Under Patel, though, he encourages his people to be creative.

“The whole no-recipe recipe thing, that’s how I’ve always operated,” Patel says. “At Mamey, I have ingredients, and that’s pretty much it. There’s not a lot of recipes.

It’s more about my chefs cooking with their soul and their palate and finding the right balance. It’s been fun for them because they’ve never cooked like that.”

THE PATEL METHOD Perhaps the dish that most exemplifies those two novel ideas — no strict recipes and a theme of whatever is delicious — is the peri peri chicken.

It’s a South African dish, but Patel’s version, with toasted coriander and cumin, might also remind you of jerk chicken or something from south seas islands, where peppers flavor mostly everything.

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Rebel, Rebel

Chef Niven Patel wants you to cook his signature peri peri chicken without following the rules — except one.

WORDS BY ERIC BARTON / PHOTOGRAPHY BY FELIPE CUEVAS

PATEL’S PERI PERI CHICKEN INGREDIENTS 4 Meyer lemons, steamed for 30 minutes Half chicken, deboned 3 red peppers, roasted until blistered ½ teaspoon of cumin 1 teaspoon of coriander 1 teaspoon of salt 1 teaspoon of sugar 1 tablespoon of roasted garlic ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes Large Idaho potato Fresh parsley 2 garlic cloves 10 ounces of broccolini Good olive oil 1. Marinade chicken for three days in shallow water bath of 3 steamed and then halved Meyer lemons, red peppers, cumin, coriander, salt, sugar, roasted garlic and red pepper flakes.

2. Double wrap potato in aluminum foil and roast at 375 degrees for an hour, then peel and quarter.

3. Blend fresh parsley, garlic, 1 whole steamed Meyer lemon, olive oil and salt to taste.

The recipe you’ll find here, Patel says, is simply a guide. He’d encourage deviation, adjustment, and even mistakes. The key to it all, though, the step you have to follow, Patel insists, is steaming the Meyer lemons. With raw lemon, the acid in the juice would turn the chicken rubbery. But Patel’s steamed lemons impart a bright citrus flavor and a tenderness to the chicken after they complete the three-day marinade.

“The first round, I did lemon juice and I was like, ‘This is not going to work,’” Patel says. “But the steamed lemons, that’s what

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makes this recipe really special.”

It’s a dish that, if you try it a couple times at home or at his restaurant, might not taste exactly the same every time. That’s because Patel encourages you, and his staff, to make adjustments based on spices you prefer or the tang of the lemons.

“At the end of the day, it’s all about the soul and the ingredients and how you want to cook. But that’s a really hard barrier to get past.

Once you do, it’s like a rainforest of ideas, and it becomes this interchange of ideas and flavors.”

4. Blanch broccolini for one minute in boiling water, then shock in ice bath.

5. Drain chicken and let dry. Liberally salt both sides. Sear in a hot cast iron pan, then drop in the quartered potato and roast in oven until chicken reaches 165 degrees internal temperature, approximately 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove chicken to let rest, add broccolini to pan and sauté with chicken drippings and a splash of olive oil.

6. Plate broccolini, potato, and chicken. Top with salsa verde.

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the life

{POUR}

LIQUID

LUXURY

With a taste for quality viticulture, François-Louis Vuitton collaborates with some of the world’s top winemakers for a collection that is as exclusive as his famous lineage suggests.

L

iving well comes naturally to François-Louis Vuitton. As the greatgreat-grandson of Louis Vuitton, luxury is in his DNA. His passion for wine, on the other hand, began decades ago in Bordeaux, where he spent countless weekends exploring the vineyards, speaking to field workers, and learning about viticulture from those closest to it. Wine tastings with friends and family happened frequently at his homes in Paris and Bordeaux, and as his fascination with fine wines grew, FrançoisLouis decided he wanted to get more involved in the process.

The concept he envisioned was unheard of: a private collection created around his tastes and preferences by some of the leading châteaux in Bordeaux. The first people he presented his idea to were Patrick and

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Jacques Bouey of Maison Bouey, one of the region’s best-known négociants.

Intrigued, the brothers arranged meetings with the owners of some of Bordeaux’s top winemakers.

The first property François-Louis visited was Château La Gaffelière, a grand cru classé in Saint-Émilion. The owner, Comte Léo de Malet Roquefort, agreed to the idea at once.

“Léo de Malet Roquefort knew from the get-go that I was not doing it for the money...I was doing it because I am passionate,” said François-Louis.

“Léo also knew I came from the Vuitton family, and that...anything related to us is going to be very high end. The collection would not jeopardize the Château La Gaffelière name.”

François-Louis Vuitton may have inherited his family’s surname, but he bypassed the fashion atelier and instead took his innate love of beauty and quality to his exclusive wine collection.

THE COLLECTION: CUVÉE PRIVÉE DU CHÂTEAU LAFAURIE-PEYRAGUEY 2010 (Sauternes First Grand Cru Classé) Honey and verbena enhance a roasted nose, with citrus and anise on the palate and apricot and almond flavors. $125 CUVÉE PRIVÉE DU CHÂTEAU MALARTIC-LAGRAVIÈRE 2015 (Pessac-Léognan Grand Cru Classé) This red is dark and rich, with ripe tannins and flavors of well-extracted fruit. $125 A LABEL OF LOVE Swayed by François-Louis’s enthusiasm and confident in his understanding of quality, other winemakers quickly came onboard. Today, François-Louis’s collection showcases nine prominent châteaux, all working with François-Louis to create special wines. It is still the only collection of its kind and is available at a small number of retailers around the world.

“The magic of the collection is that you have most of Bordeaux’s best-known appellations represented,” said François-Louis.

Most of the collection’s nine wines are available at Sunset Corners Wines & Liquors in South Miami and The Golden Hog in Key Biscayne. You can buy your favorites individually or purchase the coveted Black Box, a set of six wines presented in a limited-edition wooden case. François-Louis is currently in discussions with select local restaurants to carry his wines in 2021.

WORDS BY AMANDA MESA

CUVÉE PRIVÉE DU CHÂTEAU LASCOMBES 2014 (Margaux Grand Cru Classé) Notes of black currant and spice, fruity aromas, and a long finish characterize this dark red. $165 CUVÉE PRIVÉE DU CHÂTEAU DAUZAC 2015 (Margaux) This wine’s elegant mouthfeel complements its balance of rich tannins and fruity flavors. $125 CUVÉE PRIVÉE DU CHÂTEAU LÉOVILLE-POYFERRÉ 2015 (Saint-Julien Grand Cru Classé) A nose of black fruits, olives, and earth make this savory, intense wine elegant and unforgettable. $195 CUVÉE PRIVÉE DU CHÂTEAU LA GAFFELIÈRE 2015 (Saint-Émilion First Grand Cru Classé) A full-bodied red with chewy tannins, a fresh finish, and hints of walnut, chocolate, and plum. $125 CUVÉE PRIVÉE DU CHÂTEAU FAUGÈRES 2014 (Grand Cru Classé de Saint-Émilion) This purple wine unveils a bouquet of graphite, black currant, cherry, and raspberry. $125 CUVÉE PRIVÉE DU CHÂTEAU BEAUREGARD 2016 (Pomerol) Slight hints of spice and oak make up this wine’s bouquet; the palate reveals silky well-ripened tannins. $125 Want to elevate your next at-home tasting?

François-Louis says deciding which wines to showcase is more about the mood and ambiance of your gathering, but he and his wife have a soft spot for this match: Blend Roquefort blue cheese with salted butter.

Add 10 drops of Armagnac, mix well and refrigerate.

Serve on toast points while sipping his Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey Sauternes.

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the life

#FOLLOWINDULGETO Our travel wings aren’t totally clipped — whether you’re chasing snow or seeking sand and sun, these destinations fulfill every winter whim. Skijoring, anyone?

WORDS BY ANGELA CARAWAY-CARLTON

WELL, YEAH! A healing retreat is a requirement after 2020, am-I-right? Mexico is open to U.S. travelers, and the newly renovated JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa offers guests a wellness experience that includes rejuvenating treatments based on ancient Mayan rituals, a Zen Hour with guided meditation and sound healing, sunrise yoga, and healthy cooking classes. Copious amounts of (skinny) margaritas and dipping in turquoise waters might be the only prescription you need. marriott.com.

HOLIDAY RUSH Burn off all that pent-up energy at uber-luxe The Resort at Paws Up in Montana, where winter adventure means “skijoring”. Basically, you hop on a pair of skis to be pulled by a galloping horse through the snow — so epic that you’ll send it straight to the ’Gram! Of course, there’s also traditional winter activities like dogsledding, snowmobiling and ice skating. Say “bye-bye” to 2020 at a NYE’s drive-in, watching fireworks light up the sky from the luxury of your own Lexus SUV; and after the holidays, the resort hosts WinterFest with an all-star lineup of Top Chef alums collaborating on cutting-edge cuisine and wine pairings. pawsup.com.

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Our South Florida hotels need your business too — here are two newly transformed places worth a drive-cation.

Mignonette co-owner

Ring in the holidays at The Brazilian Court in Palm Beach, where the iconic resort has unveiled redesigned guest rooms boasting rich green velvet sofas and custom-made wisteria wall panels suspended above plush beds. There’s nothing more festive than sipping a White Cosmo from Café Boulud in the tropical courtyard. thebraziliancourt.com.

REACH OUT Key West is calling, and The Reach Resort Curio Collection by Hilton is primely situated on the area’s only private, natural sand beach. Each nautically inspired room has a balcony, and the property resembles an adult playground with a pier that stretches over the water, endless lawn games and water sports, and plenty of cocoons for lounging. There’s incredible art, too – the communal patio features a largerthan-life “Gypsy Chicken” mural painted by a local Cuban-American street artist. reachresort.com.

THE RESORT AT PAWS UP; THE BRAZILIAN COURT

PARK IT Don’t limit a visit to our national parks to summer or fall. Free of crowds — yet bursting with dreamy whitecloaked landscapes — winter in Yellowstone National Park is transfixing. Cozy up at Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel & Cabins, where you can embark on a snowcoach tour to see steaming geysers like Old Faithful and peep wildlife such as grey wolves and bison trotting through the powder in Lamar Valley. yellowstonenationalparklodges.com.

{STAYCATION}

CULTURE CLUB

Art Basel may be cancelled — but we’re painting a picture for a sophisticated art-scape to St. Petersburg.

M

y feet are throbbing, and my head is giddily swimming with images of Dalí’s mind-bending paintings, fantastical shapes of Chihuly glass, and murals portraying everything from pressing social issues to a ginormous shark ready to devour passersby. Over the last 48 hours in St. Pete, a city situated on a large peninsula between Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, I’ve immersed myself in more museums and neighborhoodhopping than a typical weekend in New York City. With its clear, aquamarine waters and powdersoft sand, St. Pete typically falls into a tidy beach vacation that’s only a four-hour drive from Miami.

This visit, though, I never dipped my toes in the ocean. Instead, my step-tracking app raged as I explored the cultural treasures that recently helped St. Pete snag a coveted spot on Condé Nast Traveler’s “Top Cities in the U.S.” AN EX-PIER-IENCE A vital piece of the area’s swelling dynamism is the newly reimagined St. Pete Pier and its Pier District, which spans 26-acres on Tampa Bay. This is not just a pier, it’s an experience. Sprinkled with waterfront restaurants and unending green spaces where couples unfurl towels for picnics and kids run wild on playgrounds, the District is pulsing with contagious energy day and

night. Part of the draw is forwardthinking architecture and public art like Janet Echelman’s “Bending Arc,” an aerial net sculpture that transforms in the wind and changes colors in natural and projected light. (Be sure to experience it at night when the floating figure spectacularly shines purple and magenta.) At the very tip of the Pier, a gleaming building houses Teak, a swanky restaurant with floor-toceiling windows that offers diners the feel of floating atop the bay.

As the sun sets, head up to Pier Teaki, a rooftop bar where guests lounge on tiki-hut cabanas to sip frozen concoctions, and everyone is clamoring for pictures of the jawdropping skyline and Bay below.

MUSEUM MECCA With nine prominent museums, many within walking distance of one another, you can cover a lot of ground in a weekend. St. Pete newbies should start at the architecturally rich Dalí Museum, showcasing the largest collection of Salvador Dalí’s work outside of Europe and offering a fascinating journey through the artist’s career.

Drop by the Chihuly Collection to ogle dazzling glass art by Dale Chihuly,

Miami residents itching for new surroundings can simply travel to Florida’s west coast and to St. Petersburg, a city that is on many an art lovers radar; the St. Pete Pier (above).

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the life (Clockwise) St. Pete boasts many artcentric spots including the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, the Chihuly Collection, local street murals by artists like Bill Woo, Janet Echelman’s aerial “Bending Arc”sculpture, and the Dalí Museum.

including a stunning ruby-red icicle chandelier crafted exclusively for the space. Your ticket also includes admission to the nearby Morean Glass Studio to watch artists handspin and shape molten glass. (Who knew — St. Pete is also an epicenter for glass art!) One of the biggest surprises comes at newcomer The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, which is dramatically moving even if the subject matter isn’t typically your thing. Strikingly fashioned with sandstone from India, the museum houses around 500 vibrant paintings and realistic bronze sculptures depicting the life, landscapes and animals of the West.

Unlike Miami’s centralized Wynwood area, hundreds of large-scale murals are scattered throughout various neighborhoods in St. Pete. The street art is diverse — ranging from a menacing shark by artist Shark Toof to Chad Mize’s tribute to doe-eyed, British model/ actress Twiggy. For the inside scoop, book a mural walking or biking tour with Florida CraftArt, which is a shoppable space boasting more than 250 fine craft artists. Move on to the hip Edge neighborhood for more mural spotting, coffee or cocktails at buzzy Intermezzo, and lunch at local favorite Bodega, which rivals Miami with its spot-on Cuban cuisine.

PRETTY IN PINK Centrally located to all of the above is the storied Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club, a pink-hued resort built in the 1920s that picturesquely overlooks Tampa Bay. Its grand lobby is a visual treat for the eyes — with vaulted ceilings punctuated with golden Murano chandeliers and sconces; luxe, cozy vignettes meant for sipping cocktails or snuggling with a book; and an adjacent ballroom anchored by a theatrical Chihuly chandelier. Guest rooms are bursting with personality, as bright murals splash ceilings and

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cheeky artwork and trendy wallpaper invigorate walls. Reserve a room with a balcony that overlooks the water and where you can catch the Pier twinkling in the distance at night.

Paul’s Landing is a popular alfresco dining spot to watch the boats sail in and out of the marina; you’ll want to order seafood-centric dishes like the jumbo shrimp and smoked gouda grits. Take a break from art-peeping to lounge by the hotel’s sparkling pool, or kick back for a pedicure at the day spa. Trust me, your feet will thank you after this busy art-cation.

WORDS BY ANGELA CARAWAY-CARLTON

{ESCAPE}

THE

Handmade TALE

Guatemala is now open to visitors, and a world of color and artisanal handiwork awaits.

A

s I watched the shadowy mist and moody clouds craft a constant game of hide-and-seek with the impressive volcanos that ring Lake Atitlán, I finally allowed myself to rest in my decision to vacation in Guatemala. I had wrestled for weeks with “should I stay”, or “should I go”, before finally pulling the trigger on a ticket just days after the Central American country reopened its borders to visitors. For years, I’ve had my heart set on a stay at Casa Palopó, a remote luxury resort that rests on a cliff above vast and mystical Lake Atitlán, famous for its three majestic volcanoes, endless ferncovered hills, and intriguing Mayan communities.

After numerous emails with the resort, I was finally persuaded by numerous safeguards in place to protect not only me, but the secluded villages untouched by the virus. What struck me most,

End the year in paradise, with an unforgettable journey experiencing Guatemala’s luxurious resorts like Villa Antigua (above) and locally made finds (left).

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the life Warm and rustic design elements can be found in every corner of the intimate Casa Palopó resort, including the Santa Catarina suite (left), as well as the property’s pool and restaurant (below and bottom left).

though, was the resort’s urgency to help the local artisans who almost solely depend on tourism to survive. A six-month shutdown had crippled their main source of income, and they were desperate for support. Casa Palopó was offering hotel guests special vouchers, worth 10 percent of the nightly rate for each night of your stay, to be used to buy from locals. I decided the trip wouldn’t just be a vacation, but an opportunity for purposeful travel.

Now, as I sat on my veranda in the company of those jaw-dropping views, I couldn’t imagine missing this culturally rich experience.

THE JOURNEY While the flight from Miami to Guatemala City is only two hours, Lake Atitlán is a three-hour drive

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from the city, or a pricey 20-minute helicopter ride.

I decided to break up the long trip with a stay in the beguiling city of Antigua, theatrically edged by three volcanoes, including active Fuego, which often (unsettlingly) rumbles and puffs smoke. The best way to get a feel for the colonial city is to freely meander its tidy cobblestone streets packed with landmark churches and beautiful parks; or book a walking tour to study its wealth of striking Moorish and Spanish-American baroque architecture. I was amazed by its tumultuous history of earthquakes and volcanic outbursts, evidenced in the cracked buildings and ruins scattered around the city. It was also my first chance to explore the authentic handiwork of local artisans. Clad in traditional huipil blouses and wraparound skirts in endless

color combinations — and all wearing masks and armed with hand sanitizer for shoppers — vendors showed off handmade goods from brightly hued blankets and clothing to delicate pottery and realistic artwork. Their sweet smiles and genuine “thank-you’s” for purchases, were a shot of medicine to my soul. After timing a sunset stop at the famous Santa Catalina Arch, which frames the Agua Volcano like a dreamy picture, I retreated to stone-walled Villa Las Pilas, the sister property of Casa Palopó. Like an invite to someone’s extravagant home (it’s available only for private rental), I had free reign of the three-bedroom villa that opens to a courtyard presenting gardens and a long, heated pool. Rooms are grandly fitted with locally handcrafted decor and furniture, fireplaces, and king beds dressed in luxury linens; and house attendants are on standby to concoct drinks inside the home’s stunning Moorish-style bar and whip up a typical Guatemalan breakfast, served alfresco on the patio.

Waking up to the haunting church bells of the old city, I climbed the stairs to the villa’s rooftop for one last look at the surrounding city and volcanoes, before setting off on the drive to the highlands. While in good shape, the steep, winding roads to Lake Atitlán are not for the faint of stomach. Just as I began popping Dramamine and kicking myself for not splurging on the helicopter, a revealing glimpse into remote Guatemalan life began unfolding outside my window. Throughout the drive, I saw a man pulling a goat down the street, selling drawn-on-the-spot glasses of milk; roadside stands peddling everything from canned peaches and coffee to factories making cowboy boots and bricks; and ladies headed to the market, balancing baskets filled with wares on their heads.

(Left, top to bottom) Dinner for eight at Villa Antigua; Casa Palopó’s private villa pools come with unrestricted views of the region’s natural beauty; the colorful main square in Santa Catarina.

which affords a cozy setting for a pre-dinner drink.

At restaurant 6.8 Palopó, intimate tables sprinkle the open terrace, where bright candelabras dangle from above. The menu is dictated by new executive chef Alvaro Perera, who injects knowledge and techniques from his nomadic life into moderninspired Guatemalan dishes. Start with the simple black bean soup that comes with trimmings like fried dough, avocado and cheese; then move on to poached fish bathed in a corn and potato cream sauce and finished with a layer of pickled baby corn, or a duck breast rubbed with cardamom; cinnamon and dried chilies, and touched with a hibiscus reduction. Something local is in every bite.

ESCAPE THE ORDINARY When the driver finally gunned it up the last hill to the entrance of Casa Palopó, my stomach settled and the fresh, cool air instantly revived me. (Guatemala is known for its year-round spring temperatures, and November through April is the best time to visit as it’s the dry season.) The private home that was transformed into a boutique hotel — and the only hotel in Guatemala under the luxurious Relais & Châteaux umbrella — grabs all your senses with its vibrant stucco walls and rooms layered in artwork, artifacts and handwoven textiles made by locals. Guests can choose from 12 rooms in the traditional main house — which is where I chose to stay — or three contemporarystyle suites in the Villa addition perched at the top of the property.

Of course, I was there for the hotel’s spectacular setting on Lake Atitlán. Quiet mornings were spent on my private veranda, watching the volcanoes appear and disappear in the clouds, boats crisscrossing the water, and paragliders braving the unpredictable winds. During the day, I gravitated to the sky-high infinity pool, which dramatically overlooks the property and Lake, and where helicopters land and take off on the helipad below, adding to the spectacular show.

New experiences have also emerged at the hotel since the pandemic, like a beautiful tea service in the afternoons, starring a tiered-tray dotted with vibrant flowers and Guatemalan delicacies that’s served at dreamy outdoor backdrops meant for social distancing. When night falls and the temperatures drop, staff strike a crackling fire,

PURPOSEFUL EXPLORING While most locals don’t swim in the deep-blue, volcanic lake — sadly, due to pollution and bacteria — travelers can experience the sparkling waters by paddle board, kayak or boat. I struck off on a lancha, a fishing boat turned water taxi, where I heard whisperings of a sunken Mayan city below and strained my eyes to make out the shape of Cerro de Oro, a hill that apparently inspired the elephant-eating boa constrictor in the classic book “The Little Prince.” The most special part of the trip was docking at the towns and villages, each with its own character, that crawl up the lake’s hillsides. While some are still closed to visitors, the small town of San Juan La Laguna is welcoming tourists with safety precautions in place. Known for artwork that captures the colorful life and mysteries of the lake, and intricate woven textiles, this is the place to truly immerse yourself in the handiwork that makes Guatemala so unique.

Popping in shops, women proudly illustrated the tedious process of dying cotton with local plants, spinning the cotton into thread, and the long work weaving on the backstrap loom. “How long did it take to make this?” I asked one of the women holding up an intricate table runner. “Maybe, 28 days, a month,” she answered. Her response further squashed any tendency to haggle prices, and by the time I walked down the hill to the boat, my hands were full of incredible finds.

When it came time to return home, my luggage was bursting with paintings featuring the life, people and landscapes of Guatemala, textiles that will turn into pillows, brightly hued handbags with tassels and ikat patterns, and much more.

A handmade tale that’s now weaved throughout my home as a constant reminder that travel can do so much for everyone — even in the middle of a pandemic. casapalopo.com.

WORDS BY ANGELA CARAWAY-CARLTON

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Masato Mori, Loving bug hunt, 2019, Nanzuka.

“There are two distinct languages.

There is the verbal, which separates people… and there is the visual that is understood by everybody.”

— Yaacov Agam, sculptor and experimental artist

HOW A GLOBAL PANDEMIC AND THE CANCEL L ATION OF BASEL UNITED MIAMI’S ARTS COMMUNITY.

COURTESY OF RAÚL DE NIEVES AND FITZPATRICK, LOS ANGELES/PARIS.

WORDS BY ERICA CORSANO The Miami art world wasn’t particularly shocked when the announcement came that Art Basel had been cancelled this year.

Still, there may have been a collective exhale when the organization’s news arrived in many inboxes. The loss of the country’s biggest art fair due to a global pandemic certainly wasn’t good news for Miami. The financial repercussions alone are alarming, at best. But what now?

Is there a silver lining to this economic catastrophe? Will the show go on, maybe even better than before? The short answer: YES. While Art Basel is now set to host online viewing rooms as are other art fairs, the biggest win to come out of the pandemic and subsequent cancellation of Art Basel 2020 is a newfound sense of camaraderie among artists and area cultural institutions, large and small. And this December, these groups (and individuals) plan on celebrating the incredible local arts and culture scene like never before.

“Without a doubt this is the most united I have ever seen the Miami arts and culture community and we know how difficult that can be,” explains Franklin Sirmans, director of the Pérez Art Museum Miami.

United indeed. From regularly scheduled zoom meetings with Miami-Dade’s most prestigious and recognized arts and culture institutions to Miami Art Strong, a volunteer group of arts marketing professionals leveraging each other’s strengths, one thing is clear: the Miami arts scene is stronger together. That sentiment and collectivity started during the pandemic lockdown has helped carry many organizations and artists through the past few months and will continue through Miami Art Week, and beyond.

Pieces such as Summer, 2018 (opposite page) and St. George and the Dragon, 2003-2005 (left) are featured in MOCA’s “Raúl de Nieves: Eternal Return and The Obsidian Heart” exhibit (above), running through March 21, 2021.

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One example is Fountainhead Residency’s Miami Art Week collaboration with Grela Orihuela, Maggy Cuesta and the Sagamore Hotel, which will be presenting Everyone Has a Story to Tell!, and The Gaze, featuring local artists working in individual and studio complexes all over the city.

Miami-based artist Niña Surel, who will be showing at the Sagamore Hotel, says that this hybrid era for art — a combination of both digital and live programming — is great for local artists.

“Art Basel made us the center of the art world every year only for a week, but the local arts community needs to be celebrated beyond that short-term and selective exposure…now, so many local shows and artists can be put on a world-class stage.”

Surel’s points are valid. Much of the programming around Art Basel Miami had little to do with Miami artists and more to do with big brand promotion and international gallery art deals. ”Because the city is wide open for collaborations, Miami artists are getting opportunities to show their work in places they may not have in years past,” explains Alex Nuñez, Fountainhead Studios artist and program manager.

Founder of Yo Miami, Yuval Ofir, says that the smaller fairs and local pop-ups have always been the appeal of Miami Art Week. While he admits the loss of revenue for Miami is massive, he says the opportunities that will arise for grassroots groups are tremendous.

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Art seekers can view a wide collection of pieces by Raúl de Nieves at the artist’s exhibit at MOCA, including Sunny, 2018 and When I Look into Your Eyes I See the Sun, 2018 (top left and above).

COURTESY OF RAÚL DE NIEVES AND FITZPATRICK, LOS ANGELES/PARIS.

A NEW STORY TO TELL

(WALKER) COURTESY SIKKEMA JENKINS & CO., NEW YORK. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON WYCHE; (GAIGNARD) COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND VIELMETTER LOS ANGELES.

“Many venues and producers, who may have been blinded by the shine of international names in previous years, are finding themselves turning to local options out of necessity,” says Ofir.

His company, a collaborative arts networking group, will be focused on a Little Haiti Soccer Park mural project, as well as on the project “Seats of the City,” featuring seats salvaged from the Miami Marine Stadium, transformed by artists, and placed in publicly accessible locations.

Curated by Risa Puleo, MOCA is presenting a comprehensive survey of artist Raúl de Nieves with “Raúl de Nieves: Eternal Return and The Obsidian Heart.” The Museum’s Executive Director, Chana Sheldon, echoes Sirman’s sentiments about the industry’s newfound esprit de corps.

“Since the onset of COVID, I have found amazing collegiality and collaboration within the Miami arts community. I believe that we have an opportunity to shine a light on the region and the amazing work that happens here all year round,” says Sheldon.

Artist Kelly Breez feels that this Art Week is a good opportunity for the arts community to pay some more focused attention to things happening right here in Miami and admits that it's a nice change of pace from the usual grand scale of typical early December.

“I'm hoping it means well-deserved spotlights on people and events that normally might get lost in the sea of events…it’s an exciting moment to shine some light on ourselves and what it

means to be an artist in Miami these days,” explains Breez.

Breez is participating in a couple of different public art works which both involve the help and support of various local businesses,’ entities and artists.

PAMM’s exhibition Allied with Power: African and African Diaspora Art from the Jorge M. Pérez Collection celebrates the museum’s most recent acquisitions, which comprises a sizable selection of international African and African Diaspora artists. Highlights include Securing a Motherland Should Have Been Sufficient, 2016, by Kara Walker (above) and The Rise and Fall (Take Em Down), 2017, by Genevieve Gaignard (second image, far left); artist Teresita Fernandez together with PAMM director Franklin Sirmans during Art Week 2019.

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Even regularly scheduled Art Week programming is anything but regular. Design Miami/ will move back to its inaugural venue, at Miami’s historic Moore Building in the Miami Design District — an appropriate move that will give folks some physical geographic focus in which to come together.

Perhaps the most uplifting news for SOFLA arts this winter is the promotion of local arts and culture continuing through January. The GMCVB is promoting December and January as Miami Arts, Culture & Heritage Months by sharing offers, news, and events and are also producing the Art of Black Miami, a program which celebrates the rich diversity and talents of local artists from the Black diaspora. The organization’s director of cultural tourism, John Copeland, is hopeful about the program, which will kick off during Miami Art Week.

“While we are all saddened by the cancellation of Art Basel Miami Beach, the local arts community is optimistic that our annual celebration during early December will now be reimagined to showcase the incredible anchor institutions that originally attracted Art Basel to Miami,” explains Copeland.

As the world continues to navigate troubling waters and the future is unclear, in Miami, the arts and culture community is stronger than ever.

Perhaps Sirmans says it best: “We are in a challenging moment in different ways around the world — but I think that our resilience and love of the arts is one place in which we can showcase our community in ways which we don’t always project to the world.”

Amen to that.

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Miami Design District will host this year’s reimagined Design Miami/ fair at the iconic Moore Building; In God We Trust, Wendell Castle. Courtesy of Friedman Benda gallery.

(MIAMI DESIGN DISTRICT) PHOTOGRAPHY BY LUIS GOMEZ. (CASTLE) PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATE VOGEL.

DAYS OF DIVERSITY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBERT AIBEL.

(Left) George Nakashima May Flower Minguren II; (below) Prototype Lounge Cushion Chair by George Nakashima.

Both are courtesy of Moderne Gallery.

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INNOVATION in the Time of Corona Key players in the South Florida art scene reimagine a future for the arts.

For one very busy week during the last 18 years, Miami has been the mecca of the art world. Galleries, auction houses, artists, art lovers, and collectors from all over the world flock to the city to be part of Art Basel Miami Beach, an extension of the largest international art fair and a significant source of revenue to the local economy on a large scale.

This year, with the world upended by the Covid-19 pandemic and the unstable situation of the markets, the show — to the discontent of art dealers and professionals alike — has been called off. Disappointing, yes. However, once looked at from a more uplifting angle, this unfortunate situation seemed to simply require a few adjustments. That meant that all the spotlight would be given to local talent, usually overshadowed by the festivities and overwhelming bulk of artwork to be seen during the short duration of the event.

We have carefully selected a group of fine art professionals who hold strategic positions within the structure supporting the world of visual arts in Miami. They provided us with their vision about the future of the arts in Miami, their strategies to highlight local art beyond the borders of the city (sans Art Basel), and their challenges in the era of coronavirus.

WORDS BY MIGUEL SIRGADO

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VERÓNICA FLOM

PORTRAIT BY ROSE MARIE CROMWELL

Curator for Dot 51 Gallery

Working tirelessly on the development of an artist's career is one of the dreams that Verónica Flom fully fulfills in Miami. Since the 37-year-old Argentine curator arrived in this city, she has been working nonstop on projects that satisfy her. “I am the curator of the gallery, DOT 51, but I also get involved in individual projects,” says Flom, who collaborated with the Faena Bazaar project through the gallery last year.

“During the two or three years that I have lived in Miami, I have seen the impact of Art Basel, which has been fundamental in inserting the city on the visual art map as one of the inescapable venues of the international art market,” she says.

With the cancellation of the fair this year due to Covid-19, Verónica reflects on the challenges facing art professionals.

“The challenge is to show what we have in the city,” she says. “I think we have an opportunity now to come together with the aim of promoting greater exposure,” she explains.

Galleries face an even bigger challenge.

“Up to this moment, we were living in a world of art that migrated from one fair to another, and there is probably a slowdown in the inflow of cultural tourism. It is a good idea now to redirect the focus and highlight to the local artistic production.”

Regarding the possibility that, in the search for new ways to showcase artwork, artists can find a window in social networks that shifts the current status quo in the organizational structures of the art world, Verónica affirms that she believes that “the role of the gallery continues to be broader and more complex; it goes beyond the end of an exhibition,” she assures confidently.

“We support artists, provide a space, and help to structure their career to enhance growth in the marketplace,” she says, “I don’t think one can limit the role of the gallery to mere exposure and that of a sales and promotion agent. It is way much more complex and far reaching overall.”

Through her work as the curator for Dot 51 Gallery, Verónica Flom (above left) organizes exhibits by talented local and international artists like Anastasia Samoylova’s ‘FloodZone,’ June-September 2020 (left).

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Gartenfeld states that no safety measures are enough when it comes to protecting visitors. “Since we’ve reopened, implementing a totally contactless experience and social distancing measures, we have sold out all the shows. That means that the demand for our program year-round still remains strong.”

Assisting local artists is key for the institution, much more after the year we have had. “Supporting our local art community and working with great artists from Miami is a really important part of our mission. Just this year, we launched a digital art program with a nice foundation. We commissioned artists living and working in Miami to create new works for our online and social media platforms while we were closed. Also, we have on view now a major retrospective installation of the works by Cuban artist Tomás Esson, who has lived in Miami for many years, and we are showing his first museum solo exhibition. In addition, we work on a daily basis with artists as we build our collection and create our long-term exhibition program as well as working with our education department,” ICA’s Director adds.

As a museum, ICA has tried to be faithful to the precept of getting involved in the community and helping as much as possible to mitigate the hardships of this pandemic. “Admission is free. We have seen the difficulties brought about by the pandemic, but by the same token, we have seen how this situation has really brought people together. Our organization has been lucky to benefit from the sustained generosity of these people. For the time being, the pandemic limits our ability to program public events and other types of public gatherings. Nonetheless, we continue to show our exhibitions with the same quality standards, thanks to the kind of unwavering support we have received from the community,” Gartenfeld concludes.

(Left) ICA Miami’s Alex Gartenfeld is optimistic about the future of the local art scene; (clockwise from top right) recent exhibits at the museum include “Allan McCollum: Works since 1969,” and “Tomás Esson: The GOAT.”

ALEX GARTENFELD Artistic Director for the Institute of Contemporary Art Miami

It is hard to imagine that 33-year-old Alex Gartenfeld had the enormous responsibility of being one of the key art professionals shaping up and fostering the present and future of the arts in Miami. For him — who oversees the exhibitions at ICA (Institute of Contemporary Art Miami), as well as the public education programs — the strange circumstances resulting from the Covid-19 crisis are a kind of blessing in disguise.

“We remain really optimistic about what could happen at the end of this year while acknowledging that obviously this has been an incredibly difficult year for many people, artists, and art organizations,” Gartenfeld says. “City galleries and museums had to close from mid-March until about September, but we are excited about the fact that Miami Design District as well as Design Miami/ could function as the main stage of artistic display coming December.”

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PHOTOS BY ZACHARY BALBER

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Haitian visual artist Adler Guerrier at his studio (left); Guerrier’s Untitled (Place marked with an impulse, found to be held within the fold) II, 2017; the artist’s 2018 exhibit “Conditions and Forms for blck Longevity.”

ADLER GUERRIER Artist

Adler Guerrier is a 45-year-old visual artist whose work improvises with form and function to nimbly subvert space and time in constructions of race, ethnicity, class, and culture. Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Guerrier lives and works in Miami, and his work navigates different media, from paper to photography to sculpture. Above all, his goal is to make his visual language a reflection of his circumstances. “The medium is not really what dictates my practice: it’s my relationship to the place I live in, the world where I live, my view of it, and how I’m living it. That’s what morphs into my work; consequently, different mediums are necessary at each time of creation,” said Adler.

The artist is certain that the biggest challenge with this year's Art Basel cancellation is not the cancellation itself. “The biggest challenge is Covid-19, a harsh reality that challenges us all with the dilemma of how to stay healthy while keeping our ability to work. I’m still able to work. I am still able to promote my art. However, virtual work requires a certain level of sophistication and know-how to accurately communicate online what an artist is working on, the intentions, the ways in which the work is seen from multiple angles and in a different light that is not the traditional ones.

It takes more than just placing a picture with a title on it.”

In such a unique and unprecedented scenario as the one we are living in 2020, Guerrier believes that unity and solidarity are the main tools to survive. “I happen to sit on the board of Oolite Arts, and I’m also a board member of Locust Projects. Part of our mission is commissioning and helping promote events of artists who are mostly based here in Miami.

By the same token, I would say there may be room for savvy, very fluid individuals, or institutions to take on the mantle of promoting art in the city.

We might need more key institutions, venues, and/or digital venues where galleries and museums can exhibit together. In terms of solidarity and unity between artists, I think there’s a lot more room for collaboration.”

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KATE FLEMING Art collector and philanthropist

For Kate Fleming, collecting art is in her DNA. She inherited the curiosity and interest in the visual arts from her parents and grandparents.

“I was lucky to grow up surrounded by incredible art; it has always been part of my world. When I was a little girl, my dad was representing Christo and Jeanne-Claude for the ‘Surrounded Islands’ (Biscayne Bay, Greater Miami, Florida, 1980–1983). That was very formative; it really shaped what I do now,” confesses the 41-year-old collector and philanthropist, who founded the Bridge Initiative two years ago. “This nonprofit project brings together artists and scientists in order to create public art for environmental advocacy. It seeks to connect art, culture, and creativity with the issue of climate change in an effort to shift the collective consciousness and make our planet a priority.”

Kate is also vice chair of Blue Lab, an organization founded by Ximena Caminos. “We have a Miami-specific project in collaboration with Bas Fisher Invitational (another nonprofit based in Miami, founded by artist Naomi Fisher). We are working together on a twoyear program called ‘Waterproof Miami’ — funded by the Knight Arts Challenge,” explains Fleming about these art projects developed in direct response to the environmental issues facing South Florida.

Her art collection, a family inheritance, is made up of international artists — from Lichtenstein to Christo and Jeanne-Claude — but she also loves the works of talented local artists such as Naomi Fisher, Orlando Estrada, Lee Pivnik, Anastasia Samoylova, Gonzalo Fuenmayor, and Michele Oka Doner, among others.

Her travels around the world have also shaped Kate’s taste for people’s artistic abilities in other continents. “I have a lot of Haitian art because I did volunteer work in Haiti with local artisans. Also, I’ve traveled to Africa, so I have art from the region that’s very local.

My whole collection is really very eclectic, I guess.”

After this year’s cancellation of Art Basel Miami Beach, the collector prefers to see the glass half full. “I think artists have to really think outside of the box and maybe create a new way of communicating visually, like expressing ideas in public art happenings or exploiting more the digital format,” she says. “It’s a challenging situation, but also a kind of good reset in many ways. Restructuring the means we’ve been using to create art could have a positive impact on the environment, and it could also make art more accessible globally if we can find innovative ways to connect and support each other without actually physically being all in one space at a time.”

GABRIELLE NEUMAN Art and Marketing Manager for The Sagamore Hotel, South Beach

Gabrielle Neuman’s vocation for the visual arts is innate. “I’ve always been very creative; it runs in my family. I have always been around artists,” explains Neuman, who at 25 is in charge of the art events that take place in her family’s hotel, the Sagamore, in South Beach.

“I’m the Marketing and Art Manager. I work alongside the Art Director, Ronit Neuman, who happens to be my mom.”

The idea of the hotel becoming an art center was a family consensus. “We all visualized the space as a blank canvas, we just didn’t want to hang art on the wall for the sake of having art around.

We wanted to make it an art stage for the community.”

This year, the traditional brunch for special guests that always takes place on the premises during the Art Basel fair will take place regardless. “It’s important for us as a family to continue the tradition,” said Neuman. “We are exhibiting the work of some talented local artists with a show called, ‘Everyone has a story to tell’ — curated by two respected and seasoned art professionals, Grella Orihuela and Maggie Cuesta,” she explains. “The show will focus not only on the creation of the artwork to be exhibited, but on the artists and the stories behind their work. In the current scenario, there are plenty of sad stories about struggle, hardships, and uncertainty, but there are also stories of reinvention, resilience, and hope to tell.”

The Sagamore hotel’s Gabrielle Neuman (top) sought out two lauded art experts to help curate this year’s show ‘Everyone has a story to tell,’ featuring pieces by local artists.

Leonardo Rodriguez founded Kendall Art Center as a way to exhibit his vast personal collection of original contemporary Cuban art.

Cuban

WORDS BY ALONA ABBADY MARTINEZ / PHOTOGRAPHY BY FELIPE CUEVAS

Currency

Unexpected art influencer Leonardo Rodriguez serves up a colorful assemblage of exclusive Cuban art through The Rodriguez Collection, found at Kendall Art Center.

Leonardo Rodriguez’s inflection is lyrical and engaging, bubbling with enthusiasm as he discusses a lifelong connection with artists from his homeland. The 55-year-old is personable and gregarious, weaving terms of endearment usually reserved for family and friends into the conversation. And while there’s plenty of laughter and colloquialisms when speaking with him, one thing is for certain: his deep-rooted commitment to preserving and promoting contemporary Cuban art is very much a serious thing.

“I began collecting art [back in Cuba] when I was 20 years old.

From one thing to another, time passes,” Rodriguez reflects, explaining that when he arrived to Miami in 1999 he had 50 pieces with him.

“Now I have 680. Things change!” he adds with hearty laughter.

His love of art began at an early age and, in large part, was accidental. Suffering from severe childhood asthma, Rodriguez spent a substantial amount of his youth inside the renowned Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, where his mother worked as the accountant.

Unlimited access to one of Cuba’s most extensive art collections ignited his love of art, eventually leading to the creation of the Kendall Art Center (KAC) years later.

A BRIGHT IDEA

The idea for KAC was born as a solution to a practical matter.

Rodriguez, who owns an electrical company (Contractors Electrical Service, Inc.) decided to use some of the company’s empty warehouse space to store his overflowing collection of art.

“My house was full [of art pieces], my son’s house was full, and the rest?,” he offers with a chuckle, “the rest I had stored away in a closet!” he said.

KAC, a non-profit organization, opened to the public on July 15, 2016, more so as an experiment to see if people would come view Rodriguez’s private collection. Over 200 did.

“The only publicity done was from the artists and family friends.

As we say crassly in our country, ‘la bola fue corriendo.’”

His expression loosely translates to “it took off,” and witnessing art enthusiasts flocking to Kendall — a neighborhood lacking the art-driven identity of Wynwood — inspired Rodriguez to expand the cultural center to help Cuban artists living outside their homeland.

While a majority reside in Miami, KAC has exhibited works from artists living in Japan, Spain, Boston as well as other parts of Florida.

“The Cuban artist, when he leaves Cuba, is forgotten...I wanted to show the world that the artist that is in Miami keeps being a Cuban artist and is very professional. That’s the origin story: it’s us seeing that even though we’re on this side of the puddle, we’re creating art like the Cuban artist is on the other side,” Rodriguez says.

He groups his collections into four time periods: the 1970s,’80s and ’90s, and the millennium. Today his 680 pieces (and counting) make him one of Miami’s largest, privately owned Cuban contemporary art collectors.

KAC only works with living artists, in large part because the idea is to promote and assist each artist on their professional journey.

“I don’t work with dead artists because they’re dead, I don’t know if I am explaining myself. What promotion will I give a dead artist? Galleries are more interested in dead artists, but remember, I don’t work like a gallery, I work like a cultural center, so I work with the living artist,” Rodriguez explains before listing prominent artists on KAC’s roster like José Bedia, Sandra Ramos, Ivonne Ferrer and Aldo Menéndez.

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KEEPING ART ALIVE

Since its inception in 2016, KAC has become a destination for art lovers who know the visit to the western Miami suburb is well worth the trip. Approximately 20,000 people come each year and many more enjoy KAC’s prominent presence in media, which includes catalogues, books, YouTube videos and an active following on Instagram.

Then COVID-19 arrived, and, as artists struggled to sell canvas paintings, Rodriguez fast-tracked an idea he’d been tinkering with for two years: an exhibit featuring one-of-a-kind art pieces on ceramic plates. The goal was twofold: to revive a long-lost tradition of art in ceramics while also offering a financial opportunity for the artists he promotes.

“Not everyone has 8 or 10 thousand dollars [to buy] a canvas, but anyone has one thousand or one thousand two hundred dollars to pay for a plate,” he explains.

Rodriguez, whose livelihood revolves around construction sites, notes many high rises provide minimal wall space, opting for glass to showcase Miami’s coveted views. This can present a challenge to collectors of traditional art.

“It’s an option we are giving, a way in which you can decorate your house at a high level,” he says, explaining that one can showcase multiple pieces from varied artists in a space normally destined for one canvas piece.

The pieces in the Fine Arts on the Plate exhibition are 15 inches wide and slightly concave, with each artist showcasing 10 plates.

KAC provides all the material to participants. Artists are as enthused as Rodriguez. What began with the participation of 10 artists has now grown to 45. The exhibition is set to run from November 27 through January 30, with each plate available for purchase. A traveling exhibit will begin September 2021. KAC has already allotted a space for a permanent exhibition and plans to use 25 to 30 percent of the proceeds to fund the artist’s production of the plate art.

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WHAT LIES AHEAD

Rodriguez’s cadence increases as he lists what lies ahead for the Kendall Art Center. A plan for murals and sculptures is in the works, new catalogues are being created, and museums beyond South Florida are requesting the exhibition be sent their way. It may be difficult to follow his train of thought if his enthusiasm weren’t so infectious. And while there’s no doubt Rodriguez is a force, he is clearly grounded and supported by his family. He emphasizes that this is a group effort he proudly shares with his wife, son, Leonardo Rodriguez Jr., and daughter-in-law.

“I’ll be honest with you, the four of us give our heart to this. It is the collection of the family: that is why it’s called the Rodriguez Collection,” he says.

Rodriguez is thrilled by the success Kendall Art Center has had, citing the importance of sharing these artists with the world, not only because their works have had a direct impact on his life, but because of the significance they hold in the art landscape as a whole.

“These are artists that have left a fingerprint on history, so they are artists that we cannot stop mentioning.”

Recently opened exhibitions include “Off the Wall Steel and Glass” by Mario Almaguer and Carlos Marcoleta (left) and “Fine Arts on the Plate” (opposite page).

LAY IT ON THE

Table WORDS BY DAISY OLIVERA

Celebrate the holidays in style with tips from South Florida’s top party pros on how to achieve a festive, beautifully decorated tablescape at home.

As someone who has had a lifelong obsession with tableware: fine bone china, antique silver, crystal and table linens (and have multiple sets to prove it) I know a well-thought-out table setting elevates any meal and shows your guests you care.

And clearly, everything tastes better on a pretty plate.

Covering society in Miami for over 20 years for the Miami Herald and local magazines, writing about the luxury market and interior design (another obsession), and traveling to other countries, I've had the great fortune to have been to an extraordinary number of black tie galas in gorgeous hotel ballrooms and parties in multimillion-dollar homes. I learned that inspiring table decor is created with a simple formula proven by science: color and beautiful surroundings elicit a visceral response that affects our mood for the better, boosting feelings of happiness and pleasure that buffer us against stress and tension. Talk about timing.

I chatted with two of Miami's event wizards, Alejandro Muguerza of Le Basque Catering and Alina Isambert, the wife and marketing side of Thierry Isambert (formerly Thierry's Catering & Event Design) and the king of luxury party rentals, designer Pablo Oliveira of Nuage, who broke down the art of table decor and keeping guests happy. (Hint: make sure the glasses of bubbly are always full.)

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ALEJANDRO MUGUERZA Le Basque Catering and Productions Alejandro Muguerza grew up in Spain and became a Basque culinary expert who practiced law. While working in London he realized it wasn’t creative enough. When he met partner Ian Perris in 1991, the Le Basque concept was born. Perris trained as a butler who eventually managed the late Princess Diana’s father’s entire estate, going on to the Saudi Royal Family and Lady James de Rothschild, among many other notables. In 1992, they moved to Miami and through family friends in Palm Beach began establishing themselves doing events, not just in South Florida but in Italy, Cap Ferrat, Paris, Brussels, Spain and the Hamptons, to name a few. Their clients include Nicolas Puech Hermès, for whom they created a dazzling birthday dinner for 80 in the Lebrija castle in Seville, Spain.

Muguerza, who is an artistic genius, says the pandemic has forced them to be more creative to accommodate safety precautions. They created modern Bento boxes, which serve individual dinners to each guest. “We also offer no-contact passed appetizers, individually covered with chic petite ‘sneeze guard’ cloches,” he explains. While summer was not busy, they now have a steady stream of cocktail parties and a few small weddings where everyone wears masks. “Seating of course is socially distanced, the guests are in smaller numbers but brides are spending instead on more décor and exotic florals.” Charity organizations are also having to get creative. “For a 300 guest gala for a Coral Gables organization, we are doing 25 homes at the same time, served at the same time but linked virtually,” he exclaims.

With having to stay home Muguerza recommends having your luncheon or dinner outside whether on your condo balcony or backyard.

PRO TIPS: Dozens of candles in one color, in different sizes and heights, flickering in tall, glass hurricane cylinders are a big statement and you don’t need anything else.

Holiday trends include a lot of color, like deep pinks, eggplant with white and gold accents. Black and white too, which is extremely chic. “The floral ‘star’ is the giant dahlia, undoubtedly, the new peony,” says Muguerza.

For a simple, striking tablescape start with any objects you collect like porcelain figurines or silver candelabras. Or make a runner down the center of the table with greens and place fruit in bold colors like grapes, artichokes and pomegranates and add white votive candles.

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THIERRY ISAMBERT (formerly Thierry’s Catering & Event Design) Alina Herrera and Thierry Isambert met in 1987 when Isambert came to Miami from the French West Indies to open a restaurant for a worldwide company. They married soon after and opened Thierry’s Catering in 1990. Alina handles sales and marketing while Thierry is the culinary mastermind. “We handle the New World Center concessions for all the shows and events there,” says Alina, “which have included bashes for Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Pitbull, and Leonardo DiCaprio, among others, and the New World Symphony gala, which we design every year.” They are also the exclusive, in-house food and beverage team at the Bass Museum, as well as running the café and producing corporate events during Art Basel week. Although they have created events in other cities, their involvement with local venues made South Florida their full focus. The couple works on high-profile events including the Vizcaya Ball and Vizcaya’s annual Hat Luncheon in addition to numerous charity black tie balls and international clients who come to Miami.

Once such client was the Swiss skin care company La Prairie, for whom Thierry created a stark yet sparkling modern dinner décor in the chic parking garage in the 1111 Lincoln Road building on Miami Beach. Voluptuous masses of white hydrangeas lined the centers of the tables along with white candles.

Alina adds, “during this time of quarantine and social distancing you have to go the extra mile especially because we are in our homes all the time and we are bored and need fun to get us through this.”

PRO TIPS: Everything does not have to be green or red for holiday. Choose three unusual colors and go with it!

An easy way to achieve a glamorous look with drama and impact is with masses of flowers in one color, but many more than you would put in one or two vases. Break them up into multiple small vases and go down the center of the table. Flowers are timeless and work with anything from traditional to modern themes.

With a majority of events outdoors, take your inspiration from nature. What flowers are in your yard? Coordinate table settings with those colors.

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PABLO OLIVEIRA Nuage Designs If you have attended any significant gala or party in Miami, the odds are you were probably dining on Pablo Oliveira's elaborate tablecloths and napkins. Brazil native Oliveira drew upon his career in the luxury hospitality field and his passion for design and world travels when he founded Nuage Designs in 2004. The brand is regarded globally as a leader in couture linens, tableware and furniture rentals, having served top event planners, celebrities and luxury hotels around the world with unparalleled design options.

His commitment to creative innovation led him to establish full in-house production facilities, where each piece of linen is individually hand cut and sewn in his Miami headquarters. His hands-on approach is an extension of his standard of quality that starts with careful selection, design and sourcing of textiles that offer a modern interpretation of timeless style. You can find a complete range of linen rental needs from a large scale production to intimate bespoke tailored projects for the discerning designer.

He has also been doing a lot of smaller birthdays and weddings. The latest pandemic wedding trend? Masks made to match the wedding décor and monogrammed with individual guests' initials.

PRO TIPS: Choose a colorful print or beautiful patterned tablecloth for the table. Take colors from the pattern to choose a contrasting napkin, plates and flowers to anchor the design concept.

Also decorate the buffet or serving table with the same pattern tablecloth or colors. It makes the room design seem more complete.

Think in textures and layers. First the tablecloth, then add a large service plate in a contrasting color under the dinner plate. For Christmas and Hanukkah, go bright and bold with a lot of sparkle.

On New Year's Eve, anything goes. That’s true of decor, too.

The more sparkle and glamour, the better.

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indulgence

By Claudia Miyar

I

think fantasy is a very important value that designers and artists should bring to the world,” says Marcel Wanders, the prolific Dutch designer who reimagines objects and spaces all over the world into flights of fancy. In his hands, the ‘king of games’ (and a favorite ‘game of kings’ for over 1,500 years, if history proves anything) is transformed into a genuine collector’s item. This glamorous and whimsical limited-edition set features pawns formed of crystal and a chessboard of inlaid marble — a tabletop-size example of Wanders’ out-of-the-box design prowess. As we continue to spend more time at home, elevating the way that time is spent becomes a priority — especially if opting for a visually beautiful experience. “If I have any basic motivation, it’s to inspire people to make their life a masterpiece,” the designer says. “Whatever you put around yourself, you will be the mirror of it.

Surround yourself with things you love.” Checkmate.

Chess set by Marcel Wanders for Baccarat, $18,300. Baccarat Boutique BBar & Lounge.

140 Northeast 39th Street, Space 210, Design District; 786-870-5809; us.baccarat.com.

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