Carol Damian
2020 Art Circuits’ Critic’s Choice art writer
Carol Damian, Ph.D. is an Art Historian and Independent Curator specializing in the Art of Latin America and the Caribbean. She is the former chairperson of the Art and Art History Department and former Director and Chief Curator of the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum at Florida International University.
A "New Normal" Summer
June finds us in the new normal again, but with some hope as businesses start to reopen, including some galleries and museums. Very restricted and socially distanced, most open by appointment, which does allow you to see art in person if you are tired of the virtual experience. My choices for June:
Institutions, Gardens and More: I start with the gardens, because we can all use some nature to enjoy, and mixed with art these locations are ideal.
Deering Estate
is open to the public to enjoy the beautiful serenity of the bay, visit the house and see the work of Monkey Minds, a series of paintings by Natalia Garcia – Lee, in the Stone House. Her works delve into neuroscience and behavioral patterns as she captures brain patterns in meticulous detail. The work is part of Deering’s Spring Contemporary Projects, a series of artistic interventions, now into the summer.
Vizcaya Museum & Gardens
is open for house tours and garden visits, always a respite from the city and its problems, and filled with works of art and history. Miamians know Vizcaya but they may not know its significance for the time and for the city’s history.
The Art and Culture Center/Hollywood
is open with the family-friendly exhibition Time to Play! The exhibition includes works by local and international artists that will incorporate both visual objects and immersive art to encourage forms of play through education and creativity. Curated by Meaghan Kent.
Galleries and New Spaces:
Diana Lowenstein Gallery
has a group show of a selection of artists from their gallery for the summer – she has moved to the Magic City district of Little River. You can visit it virtually or by appointment. Curated by Diana Lowenstein with artworks by Loris Cecchini, Udo Noger, Dirk Salz, and Santiago Villanueva.
Ascaso Gallery
presents Abstraction and Figuration in Space: Sculptures from Soto, Otero, Marisol, Negret, Valera, Cárdenas, Zitman, Botero, Valdés, Larraz, Barrios, Medina and Otterness, for a comprehensive exploration of how three-dimensionality reflects changes in the history of sculpture.
Dot Fiftyone Gallery
in Little River is open by appointment and features “On Paper” with the works of a group of artists working IN paper, more than ON paper in unique ways. Check out Douglas Rodrigo Rada, Skull + Meter, 2017.
The CAMP / Contemporary Art Modern Project
is the new rebrand of the Directed Art Modern. Now the Contemporary Art Modern Project, the Camp Gallery is a platform for artists that is organized to benefit them more directly than traditional galleries. The exhibition on view, "The Feel” by New York artist Joe Ginsberg, addresses the interconnectedness of humanity and art and all the emotions of the day.
Artists' Studios:
Sheila Elias
She has a perfect exhibit for this time with her Mask series that is a colorful take on our new reality.
Sculptor Aimée Pérez
Fills her studio with her unique and often strange ceramic pieces. They are always conversation pieces.
