Contemporary Art
According to contemporary art theorist, Suvakovic (2015) articles Art Education: Critical Design for Procedures and Platforms of Contemporary Art Education states that the “fundamental ontology of art is philosophical ontology which, in metaphysical terms, questions existence of any human’s work in the world, for the world and against the world” (Suvakovic, 2015, p. 40). Thus, purpose of creating is to explore the purpose of life and that of being. Contemporary art in itself explores art that have been influence by both global diversity and technological advancements. No longer are artists creating art to recreate, but instead are using art as a tool and method to explore various concepts of race, identity, societal norms, political issues, and globalization. “The process of education, in both formal and informal environments, has been critiqued by scholars who argue that reductive knowledge about other cultures is transmitted both through sanctioned and hidden curricula” (Wilson, 2018 ,p. 16). The purpose of contemporary artists, and programs is to unveil the hidden agendas and discussion, and provide and outlet to which a community can have a fluid conversation without restrictions or barriers.
Who is ArtCenter/ South Florida? ArtCenter/ South Florida is a non-profit organization that was established in 1984 as a developing program to support local artists of South Florida to promote a vibrant community. A 510(c )(3) nonprofit organization, “ArtCenter has served as a catalyst for the South Florida arts community for the past 30 years and continues to re-invent itself and stay current to better serve the community and the artists” (ArtCenter/South Florida, 2019). Originally, the ArtCenter/ South Florida began under the vision of founder Ellie Schneiderman in the 1980’s as a way to address the community needs and workspace on the abandoned street of Lincoln Road in Miami.
Today, Lincoln Road now receives international recognition as a place to visit in South Beach. ArtCenter/ South Florida has been accredited with the revival of Lincoln Road and the community of South Beach through their building of a three-block colony which attracted tourism, shops, bars, restaurants, and a lot of foot-traffic.
The venue acts as a safe-haven for aspiring artists in dance, music, photography, acting, public speaking, and studio art. According to Marschalek (2004) there are four types of learning environments in a contemporary educational curricula (1) studio learning environment; (2) information design; (3) multiple-audience planning environment; and (4) electronic web-based learning environment (p. 33). Through the construction and manipulation of these four learning environments, students are able to adapt, learn, and evolve artistically within the contemporary are world. ArtCenter/ South Florida provides learning opportunities within all four types of learning environments. ArtCenter/ South Florida even offers a Residency Program in which provide studio spaces at the Miami Beach location for “exceptional visual artist, curators, and cultural practitioners working in a range of disciplines. In addition to engaging with a community of artists, renowned curators, arts professionals, and institutional partners in Miami, ArtCenter Residents are provided the space from which to develop their practice and are invited to actively participate in ArtCenter’s programs such as exhibitions, public programming, studio visits, and our community outreach initiatives” (ArtCenter/South Florida, 2019). Members within the South Florida community are able to enhance their skills through an array of classes, or even give back to the community by teaching a class. ArtCenter presently offers classes in printmaking, music, drawing, painting, movie-making, photography, visual art, and writing. Specifically, ArtCenter offers the following studio art classes: drawing & colored pencil techniques, introduction to alcohol inks, creative watercolor, painting acrylic & watercolor, mix media, realism in pastel, realism in oil, and water media. An article was published in The New York Times praising the ArtCenter/South Florida, as “an organization that offers crucial lessons for the creative class” (ArtCenter/South Florida, 2019).
The ArtCenter/ South Florida Team. ArtCenter is operated by a core group of art aficionados and include: Kim Kovel (Chair), Eric Rodriguez (Vice Chair), Reagan Pace (Secretary), Donnamarie Baptiste, Alessandro Ferretti, Lilia Garcia, Jane Goodman, Adler Guerrier, Thomas F. Knapp, Jeff Krinsky, Lin Lougheed, Maricarmen Martinez, David Siegel, Deborah Slott, and Merle Weiss.
The ArtCenter/ South Florida Vision, Mission, and Purpose. Through this team, ArtCenter’s mission is to serve the South Florida community by “support[ing] artists and advance[ing] the knowledge and practice of contemporary visual arts and culture in South Florida . . . [by providing] opportunities for experimentation and innovation, and encourage[ing] of ideas across cultures through residencies, exhibitions, public programs, education, and outreach.” (Art Center/South Florida, 2019). ArtCenter/ South Florida creates new opportunities for members within the South Florida in which actively promote, and impact the evolution of the arts in South Florida. ArtCenter provides members within the community to have their voice heard, and be a part of a creative, supportive, promotional, and powerful force within the South Florida community.
ArtCenter/ South Florida’s foundational purpose is “to be a leader in the South Florida contemporary cultural scene as a creating learning center and internationally recognized as a world class cultural center” (ArtCenter/South Florida, 2019). Every year, approximately 100,000 visitors visit the ArtCenter through one of the free admission exhibitions or public programs available through the ArtCenter/ South Florida. ArtCenter prides itself on creating an art experience and environment that is accessible to all. They believe that in order to involve the community, Art Center/South Florida needs to create an environment that is welcoming of all artistic levels, backgrounds, and ages. ArtCenter/ South Florida offers artists within the South Florida community a chance to collaborate, promote, exhibit, perform, and develop professionally within the artistic community. The ArtCenter/South Florida is a welcoming environment and open to the general public. Those that are presently under residency have an open-door policy and are happy to discuss their work that they are creating, and their artistic visions. The environment is one where collaboration is free-flowing throughout the program and welcomes both the amateur and novice alike to partake in the events.
The ArtCenter/South Florida Notable Events. ArtCenter/ South Florida has provided the South Florida community with professional exhibitions, south and long term residencies for aspiring artists, public programming and events, and community outreach. The ArtCenter provides the exhibitions, speakers, and events open and free-of-charge to the community. In order to do so, ArtCenter/ South Florida relies on generous philanthropists to help support their mission. The annual DRAW: A Party with Great Lines is a fundraiser event that consists of well-known artists—and international sensations—in the South Florida area that draw live fashion modules and auction off their works to support ArtCenter of South Florida. While attending this event, the environment was lively, exciting, and passionate about the arts. Even the famous graffiti artist, AholSniffsGlue made an appearance to create, support, and raise money for the residencies, and free-admission programs presently available to the community. Although many of the artists drawing were known within the international art world, amateur artists were also welcome to draw alongside and even receive tips from the professionals. The music, boutique lighting, and engaging atmosphere made the event beyond memorable and just as welcoming as my initial visit to the ArtCenter/South Florida.
Aside from DRAW: A Party with Great Lines event, ArtCenter/South Florida has featured countless exhibitions this year, including:
· Center to Center presented in partnership with Art and Culture Center/Hollywood, described by ArtCenter/ South Florida as “South Florida’s ever-growing community of artists working across counties is connected through longstanding institutions that adopt strategies to support artistic production and cultivate new dialogues. . . in both Broward and Miami-Dade Counties” (ArtCenter/South Florida, 2019). The exhibit features the work of local artists: Jenny Brillhart, William Cordova, Rosemarie Chiarlone, Pepe Mar, Brandon Opalka, Vickie Pierre, Sara Stites, Nina Surel, and Agustina Woodgate.
· Parallels and Peripheries features eight artist through the construction of “narratives, myths, and memories that shape personal, political, and societal identities” (ArtCenter/South Florida, 2019). The eight recognized artists were: Bethany Collins, Lizania Cruz, Genevieve Gaignard, Susan Lee-Chun, Joiri Minaya, Jamilah Sabur, Say Woolfalk, and Kennedy Yanko. The exhibit has an intricate relationship between the center and periphery power dynamics in which they challenge the status quo.
· 10 X-Large is a body of work created by Susan Lee-Chun. Chun explores everyday mundane objects through the “function as fabricated representations of place, time, and experience, and their scale makes it difficult to ignore, discard, or bury ideas in the closet. Chun takes everyday items and exhibits them in representations that are ten times their usual size. Interestingly enough, Chun’s body of work was displayed in the windows of the Walgreens on Lincoln Avenue up until the Third of February, 2019.
· Recorded instance plotted movement by Nayda Collazo-Llorens is an exhibition that focuses on “ongoing explorations of mapping, dislocation and navigation . . . [of the] complexities of the mind in the Digital Age” (Art Center/South Florida, 2019). The body of work for this installation consists of a collection of charts, maps, and trajectory documents collected from the U.S. government archives.
· E-state Realisms explores emerging issues through the art of globalization in this digital era. The works cover the range of both the physical and digital realm and creates new paradigms of exploration.
· Amphibious Shopper, described by ArtCenter/ South Florida as an exhibition that features the work of the Midnight Thrift, a group of artist from Miami that focus on fashion and photography. The Midnight Thrift consists of: German Caceres, Kayla Delacerda, Amanda Ortega, and Joshua Veasey.
· Optical Disparity, is a body of work by the contemporary artist, Alex Trimino. Triminio’s illuminated and crocheted totem poles merge “old ways and new technologies [to] commingle to express social views on civilization, technology, and gender” (ArtCenter/South Florida, 2019).
· Located on the 2nd floor of ArtCenter/ South Florida’s Lincoln Road studio, Between a view and a milestone presents works created by ArtCenter/ South Florida’s short term and long term studio residents. “In this exhibition, perspective—both spatial and interpretive—plays an important role in framing the places these works address” (ArtCenter/South Florida, 2019). The body of work presented at this exhibition explore the concept of time, space, and identity.
ArtCenter/ South Florida is available for to visit from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the following address: 924 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, Florida. Key information for ArtCenter/ South Florida can be found on their website, as follows: https://www.artcentersf.org/
Reflection.
Although the program is open and available to the local community free of charge, from my multiple visits, I have found very few adolescents taking part in the exhibitions, art classes, speakers, and events. I feel that the program does a great job of supporting local artists in the South Florida community; however, I think the program needs to direct more attention to building a program that provides a workspace for evolving adolescents. Sometimes it may be more intimating attending a class or event where adults are completely surrounding you. Instead, maybe the ArtCenter/South Florida should provide a monthly event that focuses on the adolescent age range and providing artistic outlets for them within the gallery.
On the other hand, experiencing the generosity of the art patrons, and artists was heartwarming. Although the program receive government funding, through my research and conversations on the premise, I have found that the money received is not enough to keep the programs going at the level that they are presently running. Instead, donations play a much larger role in the running of the program. ArtCenter/ South Florida has had to restructure multiple programs such as their Studio Residency Program through scholastic money received by donors.
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