Photo by Ben Thacker |
10 X 10 Miami MAM Contemporaries Social
Miami Art Museum, Miami
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Better than: Ben Stiller's Night at the Museum
The Review:
10 x 10 is a concept lecture series featuring ten up and coming local creative minds, who each show and speak on ten projected slides. Now in its fourth year in Miami, the event was held at Miami Art Museum in downtown. Speakers ranging from chef to designer to filmmaker and beyond gave insight and afterthought to past and current projects--sometimes funny, sometimes boring, sometimes brilliant.
The vibe was Moroccan mellow in the museum's auditorium, transformed into a genie's lamp lounge, with carpets, hookahs, and pillows. All of the presentations were interesting, but of particular note were presentations by Lauren "Lolo" Reskin of Sweat Records, Chef (and comedian) Jeremiah Bullfrog, poet Scott Cunningham and industrial designer Tim Ronan.
Lolo, whose resume includes prestigiously appointed positions on arts councils, organic gardening blogs and beyond, gave a great overview of her role as a pioneering indie record shop owner/music promoter, showing some great slides as well. Chef Jeremiah showed a few slides of food and his Air Stream gastropod, and a bunch of slides of the beach and his kids, cracking up the audience with well-placed punch lines.
Other speakers included filmmaker Juan Carlos Zalvidar, Supermarket
Creative guru Michelle Leshem, industrial designer Tim Ronan, fashion
and jewelry designer Nektar de Stagni, architects Adib Cure and Carie
Penabad, artist Jason Hedges, and choreographer Ana Mendez.
Critic's notebook
Personal bias: Though not quite the same, this "young professional" networking event brought back memories of "Jams at MAM" gone by.
By the way: 10 x 10 was founded by Hugo Mijares in Sarasota before he moved it to Miami several years ago.
Random detail: MAM officials assured us that work crews will in fact be breaking ground on the museum's new Bicentennial Park location next year.