Miami's large tree has long overshadowed other artistic enterprises in South Florida. But if the tree image is to be pursued, then it is safe to assume the tree has entered the fall season and the leaves have begun to fall.
With the flagship Art Basel now known more for its parties than its art, Broward County institutions have piggybacked during the fair, with increasingly successful results. The new light cast unto other zones is not hitting new ground, but it is at least letting some rightful entities enjoy the splendor of the sun.
This, of course, would be pointless if there weren't a year-round follow-up to establish a strong local and international profile. The Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, now in its 40th year, has long been at the forefront of Broward's art scene with its promotion of contemporary arts and programs. Housed at the Kagey mansion since 1991, it was designated a Major Cultural Institution for Broward County in 2005.
The center's recent exhibition "Echos Myron" was a deft and incredibly savvy maneuver, showcasing the administration's sharp eye for local trends and the overall creative scope of art in South Florida.
See also: Echos Myron at the Art and Culture Center in Hollywood (Slideshow)
"Echos Myron," cocurated by Beatriz Monteavaro and Priya Ray, was an innovative look at South Florida's contemporary art scene through the works of artists who double as musicians -- a connection most locals have ignored.
For spring 2015, the center has an ambitious exhibition that will coolly carry it into the routinely slower summer months. Opening with its eighth-annual exhibition and fundraiser, "Abracadabra," the dizzying number of participating artists is a veritable who's who of established and up-and-coming locals like Adler Guerrier, Farley Aguilar, Sinisa Kukec, Jillian Mayer, and the TM Sisters.
Tickets cost $375, and holders will participate in a "first come, first pick" drawing with each ticket purchased guaranteed a winner. This has been a successful model for other institutions like Locust Projects and, at the under-$400 mark, a bargain in the art world for established collectors looking to boost their arsenal with movable pieces and for those starting off with modest budgets.
The Kagey mansion's floor plan makes for good use of gallery space, and running in concert from February 7 to March 13 will be three other curated projects in the Middle Galleries, Project Room, and installation space the Landing.
See also: Kubiat Nnamdie on Photographing SpaceGhostPurrp: "Great Vibes All Around"
Kubiat Nnamdie may now reside in New York City, but his formative years were shared among his native Nigeria, Texas, and South Florida. His new site-specific exhibition, "Looking Glass," is the young photographer's most ambitious yet. He did a five-year immersion with his subjects that has created a record of interconnectivity, à la Dirk Gently, between the artist's psyche as projections of its inner and exterior self with the depiction of "fragmented moments that collectively merge into one another." And all this through the fracas of 13 lives' ups and downs.
