Thursday, September 3
As locals, we tend to take Miami's innovative structures for granted. Traveling from Point A to Point B, not noticing all the unique elements that make this city so special, is usually what most occupies our day-to-day thoughts. Knowing we could all use a little shock to the senses, the Miami Center for Architecture & Design and pop-up artists' bookstore Exile Books presents "Listen to This Building," an exhibition program that seeks to bridge the understanding between downtown Miami architecture, independent publishing, and accessibility, specifically addressing visual impairment.
Opening Thursday, the exhibition coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act and will transform ten downtown Miami buildings into a living multimedia tableau: The MCAD gallery will feature tactile relief works of selected downtown buildings, with accompanying wall texts provided in Braille, while MCAD's front steps will house an outdoor audio piece to share stories about the old U.S. post office and courthouse (MCAD's home) as well as surrounding downtown buildings. Additionally, students from FIU's College of Architecture + the Arts at Miami Beach Urban Studios will create models of selected downtown buildings using a 3D printing process and display them in covered boxes, obscuring their visual properties so that audiences must feel the building
MCAD and Exile Books will cohost a slate of weekly events during the six-week exhibition to engage the public in issues of art, architecture, and accessibility. All programming is free and open to the public. "Listen to This Building" runs until October 17 at the Miami Center for Architecture & Design (100 NE First Ave., Miami). Call 305-448-7488 or visit miamicad.org or exilebooks.com.
If you've always wanted to be a ballerina, Miami's International Ballet Festival is your chance to make those childhood dreams come true — even if only as a spectator. Under the umbrella of the Miami Hispanic Ballet Company, the two-week fest is a dance extravaganza, complete with performances, workshops, film series, art exhibits, and master classes, all dedicated to the art of ballet.
This year's installment marks number 20 — a major milestone. The lineup includes a dance film series; classical ballet, modern dance, and jazz workshops; a dance-inspired art exhibition; performances by young medalists and other award-winning dancers; and much more.
More than a hundred participating artists from over 20 ballet companies will represent countries from Europe, Asia, Latin America, and North America. The festival will bounce around to venues countywide, including the Chapman Conference Center at Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus, Miami Beach Cinematheque, and Miami-Dade County Auditorium, so there's probably something happening in your neighborhood. Don that tutu and live your dream.
The fest runs until September 13. Visit internationalballetfestival.org or call 305-949-6722.
Art Basel is a strange time for Miami. Each winter, the national lens focuses on South Florida for the annual influx of big-spending art collectors, vendors, and celebrities. In December 2014, all of the glitz came to a much-needed halt when
More than 100 demonstrators turned out Friday, December 5, 2014, shutting down traffic in both directions and stopping cars to the east and west as Art Basel hit its peak. Protesters continued the #ShutItDown march through
The exhibit, made possible by a grant through the SEOPW Community Redevelopment Agency, is inspired by the #BlackLivesMatter movement. The display, which opened August 28, will be on view through December 30 at the Ward Rooming House (249 NW Ninth Ave., Miami). Call 786-708-4610 or visit theblackarchives.org.
Friday, September 4
Robert Huff was a prominent artist in Miami's scene for decades. A pioneer in a town with virtually no art scene, the longtime professor at Miami Dade College passed away in 2014. Now MDC's Museum of Art + Design will honor Huff's contributions to Miami's art community with a retrospective. Tracing the artist's career, "Robert Huff: 47 Years" looks closely at the forms that inspired him — namely, architecture and nature. Though Huff drew from those forms, he recast them into his own visual language of abstraction, one that he constantly reworked throughout the years. Huff's career had an immeasurable impact on the art scene in Miami, and this retrospective will undoubtedly be an important part of building the Magic City's own history of art.
The museum will also publish a
From the time of this writing to the time you read it, a high-rise developer will lay waste to another Miami institution, or so it tends to feel. The city is undergoing constant change. Some of the oldest standbys in our community are disappearing, and in light of such unstoppable so-called progress, isn't it nice to know some things will never change?
Churchill's Pub (5501 NE Second Ave., Miami) will celebrate 36 years of freaks, friends, and fringe culture with three nights of hard-driving rock 'n' roll in all its ungodly forms. The Little Haiti hideaway has survived nearly four decades of insanity and even a recent changing of hands. It has never wavered from its purpose, namely providing every music lover, local,
The three-day party starts Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 5 p.m., and Sunday at 7 p.m. Call 305-757-1807 or visit churchillspub.com.
Cocktails and sunsets are the unofficial mascots of summer. Before the season comes to an end, now is the time to soak up one last epic evening before the snowbirds cause a traffic apocalypse. Head to the Gale Hotel's rooftop bar for champagne, tasty barbecue, and live tunes this Friday.
Attendees will get to toast to the end of summer with a glass of Veuve Clicquot, munch on barbecued bites, and listen to live music by Miami's own Psychic Mirrors. Summer is sweet, but fall is even more delicious, so there's plenty to celebrate. And with the killer view, the sunset never looked so good.
The event runs from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Gale South Beach Rooftop (1690 Collins Ave., Miami Beach). Tickets cost $10 each and can be purchased at eventbrite.com. Visit facebook.com/RecRoomies or call 786-975-2555.
Tango music enthusiasts or those simply wanting a taste of a foursome won't want to miss a sensual evening with the Carla Algeri Quintet. The group's concert Tango With a Scent of a Woman will feature Argentine tango music at the Colony Theatre (1040 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach). Algeri, who plays the bandoneon, and his quintet have performed their modern take on Argentine tango in their home country as well as Colombia and Spain. They've gained recognition through performances at international festivals and are finally making their way to Miami.
So get into the mood for a foursome this Friday at 9 p.m. Tickets cost $30 to $35. Visit colonytheatremiamibeach.com or call 305-434-7091.
Second Saturday Art Walk has raged through Wynwood every month for years, morphing from a slightly sketchy stroll through several salvaged warehouses into an overcrowded party in the streets with art on the side. Coral Gables, however, is seeing a resurgence in its First Friday Gallery Night, which has existed for the past 20 years. The cute — and free — orange-and-green Gables trolleys shuttle visitors between galleries, bars, and restaurants throughout downtown Coral Gables to actually see art.
And this Friday, Spanish painter Carmen Verdura's latest exhibition, "Remembrances," will open at Books & Books (265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables). Verdura, whose art earned her top honors from the Venezuelan government in 1984, uses multiple mediums and distinctive color palettes to convey emotion in "Remembrances." The works are intended to create a stark metaphorical dialogue between the viewers' imaginations and real-life experiences.
The free gallery opening takes place this Friday at 7 p.m. Call 305-442-4408 or visit booksandbooks.com.
Saturday, September 5
The New York Mets were one of the first expansion teams in baseball and seem to have been created solely as an excuse for malcontent New Yorkers to root for someone other than the Yankees after the Dodgers and Giants decided they had enough of the Big Apple and headed west to California. The 1969 "Miracle Mets" continue to be one of the best stories in baseball history, and that memorable season has certainly imbued the team with a scrappy-contender attitude. Though they haven't always been a good team, they've gone through periods of relative success. Now enjoying a good season, the Mets are sitting pretty atop the National League East, while our beloved Miami Marlins share the basement with the Philadelphia Phillies. Oh, well. There's always next year.
Promotions for this Saturday's matchup include All You Can Eat Seats as well as a Saturday Spectacular postgame party at the West Plaza. Just because the stats show a dark tunnel ahead for the Fish doesn't mean the fans can't have a little fun and enjoy a night at the ballpark. Here's a fun fact: Mets pitcher Bartolo Colón is the only living MLB player who once wore a Montreal Expos uniform. Anyone remember the Expos? They were created for malcontent Canadians who didn't know the Blue Jays would politely manifest in 1977.
The Marlins take on the Mets at 7:10 p.m. at Marlins Park (501 Marlins Way, Miami). Tickets cost $16 to $150. Call 305-480-1300 or visit marlins.com.
Sunday, September 6
Face it: Fundraising events can be dry, as dry as those pink-ribbon cookies no one actually eats at breast cancer fundraisers. Effectively battling cancer and boredom, the Sandy B. Muller Breast Cancer Foundation's Original OASIS Charity Cooler Fete has become a staple for young professionals who appreciate Caribbean culture and for the past eight years has raised awareness for breast cancer organizations providing direct assistance to patients and survivors.
Held this Sunday on the Back Yard Concert Lawn & Plaza of the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center (10950 SW 211th St., Cutler Bay), OASIS will feature live DJs spinning festive tunes and food vendors serving entrées with Bahamian, Jamaican, and Trinidadian flavors. Guests are invited to bring coolers stocked with drinks, though no glass bottles are permitted. Celebrating a good cause and getting a healthy dose of culture is one excellent way to spend Labor Day, so don't forget to don pink or white in honor of breast cancer awareness.
The event begins at 5 p.m. Tickets cost $45. Call 786-573-5300 or visit oasisfete.com.
Wednesday, September 9
Are you bored with the typical concert atmosphere? Looking for something strange and disruptive to shake you out of your mossy malaise? Sounds like you need to hit up Gramps (176 NW 24th St., Miami) Wednesday night for a head-scratching, head-knocking good time with Otto Von Schirach and David Liebe Hart.
Any good Miamian knows Schirach, the interdimensional mango warrior, and if you appreciate his wacky Bermuda Triangle bass, you'll fall in love with D.L. Hart's tinkling keys. Comedy fans recognize him from Adult Swim's Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, where he regularly performed awkwardly amazing songs about email and extraterrestrials. He has dedicated his life to spreading joy and togetherness through the power of puppets and song, and he wants you to come out and learn the power of heavenly peace while getting weird as hell.
The show starts at 9 p.m. and is open to anyone 18 or older. Tickets cost $8 to $12. Call 305-699-2669 or visit gramps.com.
An urban legend says redheads don't have souls. If you ask Ed Sheeran if that myth is true, he'll likely tell you it's a bloody lie. (He's British, so let's assume he uses the word "bloody" in ordinary conversation.) The lovable, ginger-haired singer/songwriter has so much soul his music oozes with emotion. It's pretty great — just turn him on during your morning drive to work, and your terrible traffic time will be transformed into an hourlong emotional thrill ride: You'll fall in love, break up, curse the bloody bastard, and then fall in love all over again. Basically, it's a perfect cycle to start your morning and leave you yearning for love. Warning: Listening to "Tenerife Sea," from Sheeran's 2014 album X, on repeat will result in all the feels.
Get ready to see your favorite singing ginger Wednesday at the American Airlines Arena (601 Biscayne Blvd., Miami). Opening the show at 7:30 p.m. will be Jamie Lawson, a fellow Brit and the first artist signed to Sheeran's appropriately named record label, Gingerbread. Tickets cost $56.50 to $66.50. Visit ticketmaster.com and aaarena.com or call 786-777-1000.
