COVER STORY
LAW & ART
Six alumni for whom life is less about the art of the deal than the deal for the art As summer gives way to fall, there is something in the air besides an unfamiliar lack of humidity. Those in the know recognize it as the sense of anticipation surrounding the upcoming arts season. Musical performances, theater openings and art exhibitions will welcome the snowbirds and others who flock to Miami’s warmth, but nothing will match the social competitiveness or the estimated half-billion-dollar economic impact of Art Basel Miami, which kicks off the season December 2-5 on Miami Beach. The arrival of Art Basel on the local scene in 2002 was a signal that Miami was finally being recognized as a world-class arts town. But the international flavor of the show fit perfectly with Miami, where almost everyone comes from somewhere else, and which has a rich history of global art mash-ups. It’s a city that attracts artists and feeds the acquisitive hunger of collectors of all stripes. Not surprisingly, many of the major local collectors — and even some of the local artists — are alumni of the School of Law. What is the connection between law and art? Miami artist and alumnus Xavier Cortada believes the commonality, in part, is that each builds on precedents — today’s greats stand on the shoulders of giants in both fields. “This is how humanity moves forward,” he says. Bigtime collector and Knight Foundation vice president/arts Dennis Scholl offers a more down-to-earth personal view: “We have bought 1,000 pieces of art,” he says of himself and his wife, Debra, both alumni (profile, page 7), “which means we have done 1,000 deals. When you’ve done 1,000 deals, it helps to be a lawyer.” In the following pages, we profile these alumni who, deal by deal, help move Miami’s vibrant arts scene forward.
Xavier Cortada, JD ’92 GLOBAL ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE “I try to honor the influence of those who came before me.” Xavier Cortada wants his art to change the world. Literally. And unlike the works of most artists, many of his creations are meant less to be purchased by collectors than they are to be owned, at least symbolically, by all of mankind. After all, an installation of 24 identical women’s shoes circling the North Pole — each representing one time zone, with a story of a person living in that slice of the Earth — is hardly something you can bring home and put in your den. Cortada’s passions are social justice, environmental awareness, global harmony and other large-scale issues; his art serves as the expression of his messages. “Since I was a kid, I’ve always thought of myself as an artist,” he says. “I grew up in a cultural milieu surrounded by art — both my father and uncle were artists — but I thought of it as something I did, not as my future profession. Nonetheless, I was driven by what was instilled in me — being engaged in the community.”
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MI A M IL A W
Initially, Cortada, JD ’92, expected his community-service calling to be expressed through a career in medicine, and he entered UM as a pre-med major. His goals soon shifted, however, and 10 years later he held degrees in law, psychology and public administration. For the next few years, he directed juvenile violence prevention programs at the University of Miami School of Medicine and community-organizing efforts in marginalized neighborhoods, but art was always a part of his work. “I began using my art as a visual aid, an engagement technique,” he says. “Then I saw that art could be a universal vehicle for engagement as more than a visual aid.” Cortada’s sideline became his focus, and he left non-profit work to become a full-time artist in 1997. Since then, Cortada has created installations at both of the Earth’s poles to generate awareness about global climate change. He has worked with groups internationally to produce art projects and installations, including environmental works in Holland, Canada, and Latvia; peace murals in Cyprus and Northern Ireland; child welfare murals in Bolivia and Panama; and the official International AIDS Conference murals in Geneva and South Africa. In the U.S., he has developed eco-art projects promoting coastal reforestation initiatives in Miami, urban reforestation in St. Petersburg, Fla., and coral reef preservation efforts in Hawaii. He has been commissioned to create art for the White House, the World Bank, Miami City Hall,