Eyes on Miami: John Legend, Michael Bay, Meek Mill Party in Miami

It's not easy having eyes all over the scene, being around to take in all the wild visuals at all the worthwhile places in the city. There are, however, those parties and gallery openings where a fortunate photographer can point and shoot. Every week, in collaboration with WorldRedEye, New Times brings you a solid recap of all the recent experiences you may have missed around Miami. It's impossible to be everywhere, but hey, we can try to keep our Eyes on Miami.

Wednesday, November 9

Ocean Drive and Art Basel Magazine Host FURTIF ART PROJECT Preview at Neiman Marcus Bal Harbour: Ocean Drive and sister publication Art Basel Magazine, along with Neiman Marcus Bal Harbour, showed off their artful style and preview of the FURTIF ART PROJECT. This season’s most sought-after and modern designers were featured in a runway fashion show surrounded by Miami’s leading arts philanthropists, collectors, and art lovers, including hostesses Petra Levin, Adrienne bon Haes, Cathy Leff, and Taylor Abess. The FURTIF ART PROJECT, a one-of-a-kind artistic collaboration with Roche Bobois, called upon six talents to reimagine the iconic FURTIF desk. Heidi Klum, Venus Williams, RISK, Santiago Rubino, TYPOE, and AHOL each transformed the desks into works of art which are available for auction with proceeds benefiting one of Miami’s most notable and respected charity organizations, Lotus House. The auction of Heidi Klum’s design will benefit UNICEF. In attendance at the event were participating artists TYPOE, AHOL and Santiago Rubino, along with Ocean Drive Publisher Courtland Lantaff, Editor-in-Chief Jared Shapiro and Neiman Marcus Bal Harbour Vice President and General Manager Elias Synalovski. Guests enjoyed dinner by-the-bite courtesy of Atlantikos at St. Regis Bal Harbour and dessert by Wynwood Parlor. The FURTIF ART PROJECT will be on display at Roche Bobois’ Wynwood Miami Warehouse and available for auction through December 5 at biddingforgood.com/thefurtifartproject.


The Women of Tomorrow Mentor & Scholarship Program Unveils Ray Smith’s Women of Tomorrow Sculpture at Bal Harbour Shops: The Women of Tomorrow Mentor & Scholarship Program unveiled a permanent art installation at the Bal Harbour Shops to celebrate young women everywhere who have overcome adversity to live up to their full potential. The non-profit organization, whose mission is to inspire, motivate, and empower at-risk girls through mentoring and scholarships, has partnered with Latin American New York-based artist Ray Smith, who donated the eight-foot-tall sculpture of a woman, originally titled “Mariana”; and the prestigious Bal Harbour Shops, which houses the installation on the first floor center courtyard. Nearly destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the one-ton sculpture of a woman was found swimming in six feet of water, but stands tall today. The completed sculpture captures the essence of the Women of Tomorrow Mentor & Scholarship Program and is the perfect analogy for the program’s mentees who have weathered so many storms. Mariana Smith, daughter of the artist and inspiration for the sculpture, was also at the ribbon cutting ceremony. Not only will the sculpture be a first for Women of Tomorrow, it will also be the first permanent installation at Bal Harbour Shops.

Friday, November 11

Gareth Emery at STORY: Party goers kicked off the weekend by dancing their faces off to the sweet sounds of Gareth Emery at STORY.


ICA Miami’s Second Annual 365 Party & After Party: The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami’s second annual major fundraising event, The 365 Party, presented by Cartier with support from City National Bank, drew in a crowd of famous faces including supermodels Elle Macpherson and Karolína Kurková, along with fashion maven Tommy Hilfiger. The event furthers the museum’s mission of providing free and open access to contemporary art and the exchange of art and ideas in the South Florida region and internationally. This year’s event honored visionary civic leader Alberto Ibarg?en, President of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and philanthropists Ray Ellen & Allan Yarkin, members of ICA Miami’s Founders Circle, each for their ongoing contributions to Miami’s arts communities. The party also marked the official countdown towards the opening of ICA Miami’s new permanent home in the Design District in late 2017. The evening featured a special performance by renowned choreographer Michael Clark – whose distinctive style combines interpretations of ballet, punk, Dada, pop, and rock forms – and presented new works that feature his signature mix of technical rigor and experimentation. Michael Clark has been a defining cultural figure at the forefront of innovation in dance for the past 20 years, collaborating with such compelling artists as Sarah Lucas, Leigh Bowery, Peter Doig, and Charles Atlas, among many others. The 365 After-Party also featured an exclusive DJ set by groundbreaking electronic producer Total Freedom.

Ricky’s Grand Opening: Miamians celebrated opening night at Ricky’s, South Beach’s newest live entertainment venue featuring multiple projection screens, arcade games, a carnival inspired food menu, craft cocktails and multiple beers on tap. Ricky’s will be mixing it up every night of the week with programming that caters to a variety of audiences with live bands, sporting event watch parties, and karaoke nights.

Saturday, November 12

Slick Rick at Rec Room 4 Year Anniversary Party: Rapper Slick Rick made a live appearance at Rec Room‘s 4-year anniversary party, making it a memorable night for everyone who came to celebrate the Miami hotspot’s success.

22nd Annual InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball: Make-A-Wish Southern Florida and InterContinental Miami celebrated the 22nd Annual InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball with a theme of “La Nuit de l’Animal: A Fairy Tale," inspired by enchantment, majestic animals and fantasy. In what has become a Ball tradition, the dramatic opening involved a procession of creatures summoning the 900 attendees from the lavish cocktail reception to the Grand Ballroom for dinner. Welcoming the evening’s guests were the Ball’s “Three Amigos” – Shareef Malnik, philanthropist Make-A-Wish Board Chairman Elect, and owner of The Forge Restaurant; Robert Hill, Gala Host and InterContinental Miami General Manager; and Norm Wedderburn, President and CEO of Make-A-Wish Southern Florida. Actress and filmmaker Gabrielle Anwar served as celebrity emcee for the sixth consecutive year. The star-studded celebration was headlined by nine-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter John Legend, presented by Finker-Frenkel Legacy Foundation, with an opening performance by Alisan Porter, winner of “The Voice.” The Ball, hosted by the InterContinental Miami, in-kind donor for the past 22 years, raised donations for Make-A-Wish Southern Florida, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. The fantastical ball was followed by the InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Nightclub, presented by E11EVEN MIAMI, featuring DJ Jermaine Dupri, hip-hop recording artist and producer. An extravagant runway show was curated by Neiman Marcus Bal Harbour, with models coifed by Danny Jelaca Hair and faces groomed by Beauty for Real, Belle and Co.

Sunday, November 13

Meek Mill Hosts DC4 Album Release Party at LIV on Sunday: Sunday night was lit as Meek Mill hosted the release of his album DC4 with a party at the legendary LIV on Sunday.

Monday, November 14

Shaggy at Rockwell Mondays: Party goers spent Monday night getting boombastic at Rockwell as Shaggy hopped on the mic and gave an epic performance that had everyone going wild.

David Grutman Hosts Lunch in Honor of Shep Gordon’s New Book, They Call Me SuperMensch, at Casa Groot: David Grutman hosted a luncheon in honor of the launch of manager, agent and producer Shep Gordon’s book, They Call Me SuperMensch, at Casa Groot. Lunch was prepared by celebrity chef Spike Mendelsohn, where guests including Michael Bay, Rony Seikaly, Jared Shapiro, Jeff Soffer, Isabela Rangel Grutman, Seth Browarnik, Mike Kimel, Chloe Hunter, Jim Pulaski, and Tommy Pooch dined on kale blueberry salad and patty melts. Gordon and Mendelsohn were both in town for the Hawaiian Luau book signing later in the evening, which gave Miamians a taste of some of the fine eats of Mendelsohn, as well as some one on one time exploring the incredible life of the coined “SuperMensch."