Miami New Times' Mastermind Awards honors the city's most inspiring creatives. This year, we received more than 100 submissions, which our staff narrowed to an elite group of 30. We'll be profiling those honorable mentions, and eventually the finalists, in the weeks to come. This year's three Mastermind Award winners will be announced February 28 at Artopia, our annual soiree celebrating Miami culture. For tickets and more information, visit the website.
Reed van Brunschot likes to mix it up. She uses sculpture, installation, performance, painting, and video to transform familiar, everyday objects into something more original, incorporating nostalgic elements to capture her audience's attention.
She is half Peruvian, half Dutch, and 305-bred, but Brunschot also studied abroad, earning her BFA from the Reitveld Academy in Amsterdam. We asked her, coming from such a diverse background, what she thinks about Miami's art scene. "I'm just recently back from living in Amsterdam, so I am rediscovering it all. It's definitely changed for the better. And exiting because of how quickly it's sprouted. Like a Wild Wild West, except it's the Loco Loco South."
We like what she said when asked why she should be chosen as a Mastermind, "Because I would bring the rains down in Africa." Whatever that means, we're into it.
Cultist: In first grade, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I remember the teacher asking this question when I was little and all the kids answering that they wanted to live in a mansion and drive a Ferrari, but not specifying what they would do to deserve it. I also didn't know what I wanted to be, but I was somehow certain I did not want a Ferrari.
Name your three favorite dead artists.
There are so many! I'm just going to go with movements like Bauhaus, the playful Dadaists, and all of the above on contemporary art. I am so smitten with art for what it is, intelligent effigies, still moments of histories, biographies of men, evolutionary reactions, rebellions, dreams brought to life, humor, and most of all heart.
Favorite local artist?
The Internet blows my mind and feeds its ridiculousness to fuel the fire, but if I had to say someone, I just learned about Daniel Arsham and really appreciate his clean aesthetics and quietness in his work.
Name one thing you can only get in Miami that you can't live without.
Sunshine. And rocket fuel, aka Cuban coffee.
If you could room with three other artists, living or dead, who would they be?
I'm a TV child, so I would actually want to room with Oprah for the advice and operatic singing anytime someone comes into the room, Jamie Oliver for the good food (and to crack up at his British lisp), and Bear Grylls cause he's not so hard on the eyes and could save us in case of an Apocalypse. And maybe Eddie Vedder can come too, 'cause we can also laugh at his 90's guttural hum singing, only to cave in and sing along.
2013 Mastermind Award Honorable Mentions:
Reed van Brunschot
Follow van Brunschot on Twitter @ReedvanBee and visit her website.
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