THUR 4/7
Another sign the market has become bullish on art and corporate culture is arteaméricas, the third annual Latin American Art Fair opening today and running through Monday at the Coconut Grove Convention Center (2700 S. Bayshore Dr., Miami). Organizers say the fair, sponsored by Merrill Lynch, has become the premier one-stop shopping place for Latin American art in the region and is helping cement Miami's reputation as a hub of art and culture. The fair's success is attributed to the growing value of Latin American art, says Leslie Pantin, Jr., event president. "It has a currency it never had before."
This year's edition features 50 galleries from across the U.S., Latin America, and Europe and will include paintings, sculpture, photography, installations, and video, as well as "Ephemeral/Trends III," a section dedicated to cutting-edge works. The fair will showcase masters like Diego Rivera, Roberto Matta, and Rufino Tamayo, with younger galleries featuring contemporary trends in Latin America. Tickets cost $12, and the fair starts at noon each day. Call 305-929-9746, or visit www.arteamericasmiami.com. --Carlos Suarez de Jesus
"WET" Look
Painting is so not dead
SAT 4/9
For every doomsayer who swears that painting has taken a stake through the heart, countless others not only dismiss the notion of painting on the slab as passé, but also point out that painters populate our cultural fog with the vengeance of the undead. "WET," opening tonight at 8:00 at the World Arts Building (2214 N. Miami Ave., Miami), shines a lantern on the work of nearly 30 artists painting in Miami today, demonstrating that the medium is alive and kicking while evolving in nontraditional forms.
"Painting has often been looked at as a persona non grata, and our goal was to show that there are an amazing number of artists locally who are contributing dynamically as painters," says artist Charo Oquet, who curated the exhibit. "WET" pairs the works of established and emerging artists in a collaborative fashion that has generated a creative buzz around the space. Call 305-303-8852, or visit www.edgezones.org. --Carlos Suarez de Jesus
Trippy 2-D
SAT 4/9
As a student at the University of Miami, Reeve Schumacher worked mostly in clay, sculpting bizarre, distorted masks and haunting figurines. Having graduated with a BFA in sculptural ceramics, this young artist is taking the local art scene by storm. After a successful showing at Art Miami, Schumacher is stepping away from the kiln and putting his two-dimensional artwork on display in his first solo show. "Lucid Flats" is an exhibition of this versatile, irreverent artists' drawings, paintings, and object manipulations. Expect jarring juxtapositions of evocative images alongside Polaroid and record-album transformations. Catch a rising star tonight at 7:00 at the Damien B. Contemporary Art Center, 282 NW 36th St., Miami. Call 305-573-4949, or visit www.damienb.com. -- Patrice Elizabeth Grell Yursik
