Summer is here and the mercury is oozing up the thermometer like the steam hissing from the asphalt in Wynwood. But don't let the sticky assault on the senses force you to stay home hugging the air conditioner.
Instead, head over to this weekend's sizzling Second Saturday Art Walk before most of the area galleries wind down for vacation in August.
Pan American Art Projects leads the charge with a fresh summer show that delivers a cool opportunity for print collectors and bibliophiles to browse through special edition artists' portfolios and rare and out of print tomes. Also on tap: a politically freighted salvo contrasting Ukrainian and Venezuelan protest art, and a naughty solo depicting the perverse and dirty minded.
Here are our top five picks for what's shaping to be a memorable arts crawl.
Hot Off the Press
At Pan American, you'll discover a collection of prints by names ranging from Frank Stella to Leon Ferrari and José Bedia. Other prints on view include works by Cuban artists such as Belkys Ayón, Sandra Ramos, KCHO, Salvador Corratgé and Samuel Feijoó, among others. The eye-catching selection also boasts posters such as the one Rauschenberg printed for his exhibition in Cuba, and a rare poster made for Wifredo Lam's exhibition at the University of Havana in 1955, which has an original drawing by the artist. The gallery is also offering duplicates from its expansive library including iconic books on Cuban art history and a rare selection of period magazines such as Carteles, Bohemia, Islas and Social, for those who are interested in graphics and fashion.
Pan American Art Projects, 2450 NW Second Ave., Miami. 305-573-2400 panamericanart.com.
MA NSFW
Don't mistake the above opus with a mockup for one of Christo's Surrounded Islands. Instead the conceptual sinkhole is part of Colin Sherrell's solo exhibition "Minimal Art Not Safe for Work," which charts perverted territory. Or, in the words of a gallery broadside, explores the following:
Sexual. Subliminal. Perverse. Ego. Dirty-minded. Perspective. Unusual. Misinterpreted. Holes. Poles. Boxes. Double Entendre. Risqué. Seductive. Mature. Provocative. Suggestive. Racy. Kinky. Taboo. Bodily. Phallic. Grain. Attraction. Lust. Yearning. Erotic. Natural. Polished. Glory. Passion. Man. Woman. Hard. Soft. Physical. Spiritual. Emotional. Romantic. Familiar. Skin. Amorous. Aphrodisiac. Heterosexual. Homosexual. Pure. Tender. Smooth. Rough. Raw. In. Out. Arousal.
Art, man.
University of Miami Art Gallery at the Wynwood Building, 2750 NW Third Ave., Suite 4, Miami; 305-284-3161; as.miami.edu/art.
Fiction of the Fabricated Image
It's Christmas in July at the Zadok Gallery, where the bits of charcoal on display are the type we love finding in the stocking. Seon Ghi Bahk's imaginary wonderland is confected from delicate charcoal fragments suspended from nylon threads to form subtle yet precise columns, orbs, and other shapes that explore the relationship between mankind and the environment. For the Korean artist, charcoal is the gift that keeps on giving, and a powerful metaphor reminding one of the impermanence of human civilization and the complex relationship of all things to nature.
Zadok Gallery, 2534 N. Miami Ave., Miami; 305-438-3737; zadokgallery.com.
Nature Links for Lifelong Learning Student Art Show
Despite its title, the exhibit at the Design District's edgy Swampspacedoesn't feature a tropical version of Jack Frost wilting under the Sun's scorching rays. What you will find is a provocative cross-section of works by local artists resulting from creative outings organized by Jenna Balfe for Nature Links for Lifelong Learning, a non-profit that serves the population of young adults with developmental delays. The organization strives to connect these young adults to the natural world through organic gardening, habitat restoration, community events and by reawakening an awareness of the beauties of nature and the expressive arts, to help them unlock their creative powers. During weekend sessions on Virginia Key Beach, artists such as Mauricio Abascal taught videography, Monica Uszerowicz made collages, and Bhakti Baxter made sand sculptures. The collaborative venture between visiting artists and Nature Links talent puts the soul uplifting power of art on display in a compelling fashion.
Swampspace, 3940 N. Miami Avenue, Miami; 305-710-8631; swampspace.blogspot.com.
See also: Artist Jenna Balfe Dances in Mangroves, Teaches Healing with Performance and Nature
