Artists are seeking animal-themed memorabilia for Doral sculpture
On the South Florida visual arts scene, artists are planning a sculpture speaking to our love of dogs and cats, another artist does a magazine cover, yet another turns a Porsche into art, and parrots take on T.S. Eliot at the Pérez Art Museum Miami.
▪ Miami artist Carlos Betancourt and architect Alberto Latorre are working on a sculpture that will define the lobby of the new Animal Services Adoption Center under construction at 3599 NW 79th Ave., Doral. The duo, on behalf of Miami-Dade County Art in Public Places, is looking for objects that will help them realize the creation of their piece, including figurines, decorative items, memorabilia and other “tchotchkes” that illustrate love for animals, specifically dogs and cats. Donations of plastic, ceramic, wood, glass, plaster and lightweight metal are the only acceptable materials (nothing made from fabric or cloth). The minimum size of any object is 10 inches and the maximum size is 36 inches in any direction. Donations will be accepted through Sept. 30 at locations listed at www.miamidade.gov/releases/2015-08-03-animals-collective-art-project.asp. For more information, visit www.animals.miamidade.gov.
▪ Fort Lauderdale-born artist Jillian Mayer was tapped to design the latest cover of Ocean Drive magazine, as part of Niche Media’s Art of the City initiative showcasing rising-star artists on 11 of its city-specific covers. Mayer is also one of nine artists in the group to donate an artwork to the charity website www.charitybuzz.com, which will benefit Locust Projects, the Miami organization that helped launch her career. For more information about the artist, visit www.jillianmayer.net.
▪ The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA Miami) has announced the 10 finalists for “Open Call: Web Based Art,” the inaugural edition of an exhibition of experimental art. A jury of art professionals sorted through more than 270 submissions from international artists and selected Willie Avendano, AdrienneRose Gionta, Takuji Kogo with Mike Bode, Jillian Mayer, Dionysia Mylonaki, Byron Peters, UBERMORGEN, Andrew Norman Wilson, Daniel Wilson and Damon Zucconi to be featured. Open Call’s original Web-based artworks will be on view at the museum Aug. 21-Sept. 14 before moving to Miami’s III Points Music, Art & Technology Festival Oct. 9-11. Admission is free. ICA Miami is at 4040 NE Second Ave., Miami. Call 305-901-5272 or visit www.icamiami.org.
▪ Collaborating artists Liesbeth Bik and Jos Van der Pol transformed the Papper Family Gallery inside the Pérez Art Museum Miami into a custom-built aviary for parrots in an effort to draw attention to the effects of a globalized economy on the natural world. Inside, four parrots will mimic phrases from T.S. Eliot’s seminal 1922 poem The Waste Land. The Rotterdam-based artistic duo will speak about their project, “Speechless,” at 7 p.m. Aug. 13. Seating is limited and opens at 6:45 p.m. The discussion is free with museum admission. PAMM is at 1103 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. Call 305-375-3000 or www.pamm.org.
▪ Canale Diaz Art Center presents the neo-pop/neo-kineticism of artist Alejandro Plaza through Oct. 3 at the gallery, 146 Madeira Ave., Coral Gables. “Imaginarium” features 20 artworks including a Porsche 911 Carrera 4S designed by the artist in partnership with Prestige USA Sport Cars. The artist and gallery will donate a portion of the proceeds to the Maestro Cares Foundation, a nonprofit that supports neglected children in Latin America. For more information, call 786-615-2622 or visit www.canalediaz.com.
This story was originally published August 6, 2015 at 5:24 PM with the headline "Artists are seeking animal-themed memorabilia for Doral sculpture."