Miami New Times' Mastermind Awards honors the city's most inspiring creatives. This year, we received more than 150 submissions, which our staff narrowed to an elite group of 30. We'll be profiling our honorable mentions, and eventually the finalists, in the weeks to come. This year's three Mastermind Award winners will be announced March 8 at Artopia, our annual soiree celebrating Miami culture. For tickets and more information, visit the website.
Kevin Arrow
Clearly, Kevin Arrow has done his homework. When he submitted this drawing with his Mastermind application, he must have known that our perverse minds would take it as an invitation to the music party in his pants. Right on, Kevin Arrow. Count us in.
As the oontz oontz oontz rages in our underthings, we'll move on to the inner workings of Arrow. He's inspired to seek the sublime in the mundane and the mundane in the sublime. Cartoonish sketches, kaleidoscope-freaky paintings, and film and audio-based mediums are his portals.
What truly captured our attention, though, was the eccentric manner in which he combines God, 'shrooms, and what appears to be a Hindu deity. Whatcha smokin', Arrow? (And where can we get some?)
He's something of a regular in the South Florida art world, having already exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami, the Miami Art Museum, and the Art & Cultural Center in Hollywood, to name a few. He takes a particular interest in obsolete media, archival tendencies, the ephemeral, and humor.
Perhaps the coolest thing about Arrow's work is that it's not made with specific purpose or meaning. Images are organized in loose poetic manner to allow the viewer to free associate.
We have to admit, we had a little too much sugar in our coffee this morning and now we're freaking out -- and Arrow's art ain't helping. We're going to leave to you ponder one last image: a painting of ducks. Enjoy.
Honorable Mentions:
Bannavis Andrew Sribyata
Sarah Kontoff Baker
Jason Snyder
Valeria Yamamoto
Jayme Gershen
Follow Cultist on Facebook and Twitter @CultistMiami.
