When Bravo announced it would air a Project Runway-like show with artists produced by Sarah Jessica Parker, we were intrigued, to say the least.
We actually got excited when Miami was picked as one of the four cities to host a casting call last summer. That went down at the Frederic Snitzer Gallery. A friend of ours went, and said there was a sizeable turnout. In case you're wondering, he got a call-back but didn't make the final cut. It seems that no one from Miami did.
Bravo released a trailer for Work of Art and bios of the contestants today. There aren't many details, but we don't recognize anyone from Miami. One, Jaclyn, was apparently born here, but went to school in Maryland and is currently based in the art world hot spot of Long Island City. A couple of others have apparently shown in Miami before (at group shows and during Basel), but that's it. There are no last names provided, so it's hard to Google these people.
Regardless, the show looks amazing by reality TV standards. Art Fag City attended an airing of the pilot, and said it's pretty entertaining, at the least. New York art critic Jerry Saltz, who serves as a judge and lends the show some hefty credibility, apparently says, "I saw artists here who were better than were in the Whitney Biennial."
"Given the amount of crap that's made it into the Biennial over the years, the statement mostly served as a slight to the Whitney," snarks back Art Fag. I guess we should get over our grudge with the Whitney that they left out Miami artists in the Biennial this year too.
The show debuts June 11, and even if it doesn't feature any locals, we know we'll be watching. Catch the preview clip below.
