Monday, December 13, 2010

The Collio Wine Collection: Designer Wines in a Designer Setting











Story and photos by Dwight Casimere

New York—The sleek, cutting edge Moroso Showroom on Green Street in SoHo served as the setting for the Collio Wine Collection tasting of Italy. Set in the north of Italy, with Slovenia at its border, the region is best known for its white wines, Pinto Grigio being its most well-known offering.

The beauteous Patrizia Felluga, of Consoritum Patrizia Felluga, told me “Pinot Grigio opened the door in the U.S. for our great wines. Now its time for us to tell our full story, because there is so much more to tell. We have so many other great white wines. There is such a great story about the wine, about the people and about the region. We want to deepen the relationship between the U.S. and our region by sharing this story. In this way, we reveal the heart beat of our land and people can fall in love with the wine over and over again.”

The wines were shown in the context of their surroundings of designer chairs, seating arrangements, low tables and contemporary lighting fixtures. The hundred so people who mingled amongst them immediately made themselves comfortable on the designer furniture, arranged in conversation pit groupings. At times, the event had the comfortable conversation buzz of an indoor garden party. The only drawback was the absence of regional cheeses and other antipasti that would have provided a flavor backdrop for the delicious wines.

Although all of the wines were white, no two were alike and ran the gamut from bone dry to sweet and everything in between. Because of the variegated terrain in the Collio, every growing region is different. A distance of a mere few hundred yards yields drastically different conditions in soil, climate and grape texture. Walking amongst the tasting stations and talking to the winemakers was like taking a virtual journey through the Collio region.

Dennis Stahmer of Genova Importers was the first to grab my attention with his 2008 Bratinis Collio Bianco wine ($20). A medium-dry wine, it is a 50/50 blend of Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc. The wine is quite attractive, with a beautiful bright golden yellow color and a slight sweet scent of jasmine flowers on the nose. Don’t let the innocent color fool you, this wine has a lot of complexity and depth underneath, with honey, apricot and preserved lemon, giving it an elegance.

The real beauty of the wine is its mineral character that allows it to stand alone and be drunk almost anytime.

“That’s because of the soil. The soil that the grapes grow in is very typical for our region. Its very rockie,” Stahmer pointed out. “It really adds to the minerality that our wines have. This is the characteristic of the wines of the Collion region, the minerality, the terroir. You really need some strong cheese to go with this wine. It’s a great combination.”

Marco Felluga one of the most respected and oldest wineries in the Collion region. The wine we are having is Molamatta($20.99). It’s a blend of Bianco, Friulano and Rebolla Giala, which is an indigenous grape from the area,” said Giuseppe Santorelli.

“The interesting thing is the blend. The Pinot Bianco gives some floral notes. The Friulano, which used to be called Tokai, gives it a more pronounced character. The other interesting thing is that the Pinot Bianco is aged by itself in small barrels before it is blended with the other grapes. So that gives the wine and nice weight and texture. If you visit our region, you’ll see that we are very close to the Alps. In fact, you can see Slovenia from our border”

I refrained from yodeling, but this is definitely wine to stand up and shout about! This is definitely a wine that I would pair with food. Perhaps lamb or a fleshy white fish like Sea Bass or Grouper. It could even stand up to some spicier foods like a Creole Gumbo or Indian food.

Host Robert Moros really puit the event in perspective, telling me that “the partnership between Collion and Moroso is based on the fact that quality and design go hand in hand. Just as we express our style and quality through our design, so do the winemakers express their art and creativity through their wine. They are the architects of their wine just as we are the designers of what you see on display here.”

One great thing about the wines of the Collion region is that the wines all tasted great and all were priced in the $10.99-$20.99 category, with most falling somewhere in the middle. They’re available now at your local wine merchant. I think it worth a try a few bottles and take an ‘armchair’ tour of one of Italy’s newly discovered up and coming regions. For more on the wines of Collio, visit www.ilovecollio.it.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Nacional 27—makes the Holidays a Latin Fiesta



by Dwight Casimere

Nacional 27

325 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60610.

Tel: (312) 664-2727

Fax: +1 312 649 0256

www.n27chicago.com

There’s no better way to escape the bitter cold of this Holiday Season than by escaping to a tropical paradise, where the lively music and food transforms winter’s chill in a haven of Latin rhythms and flavors.

Nacional 27 is Chicago’s premiere Modern Latin Restaurant. Eat. Drink. Dance. Those are the watchwords and motto of the hottest location for Nuevo Latino (modern Latin) cuisine.

I recently experienced the Tasting Menu, along with a friend who spent several years as the owner of a restaurant and bar in Brazil. From the opening sampling of Caipirinha, Brazil’s national cocktail, made with cachaca sugar and line. Cachaca is Brazil’s most common distilled alcoholic beverage. It is similar to rum, in that it is derived from sugar. Rum is made from molasses. Cachaca is made from fermented sugar cane juice that is later distilled. My friend declared that bartender Adam Seger had gotten it just right, prompting him to shout “Arrasou!” (Fantastic!) in Portuguese.

Nacional 27 is also known for its Mojitos and House Margaritas.

Nacional 27’s wine list is a tour de force of wines spanning the Spanish-speaking Diaspora. Aveleda Vinho Verde from Portugal (Grinalda Seleccionada 2008-$11.84) This sophisticated white wine is from one of the oldest names in Portugal and is a virtual “party in your mouth.” The flavors make it the perfect soul mate for ceviche, a sort of Spanish ‘sushi’, made of raw fish, marinated in lemon or lime and flavored with a light dusting of chili peppers.

The Guacamole at Nacional 27 is among the best I’ve had. It’s a generous portion made with fresh avocado, tomatillos, garlic, lime, cilantro, chili peppers and served with freshly made tortilla & taro chips.

Small plates (tapas) of lettuce wrapped shrimp and scallops flavored with more fresh avocado and lime continued the dance party with the Vinho Verde (Fresh Wine). Its light, citrusy flavor with its hint of refreshing lime went perfectly with both the shrimp, scallop and Barramundi (tropical white fish) ceviche and the tapas.

“Don’t get hung up on the tapas,” our server warned. “There are lots more to come!”

Next was a type of intermezzo, Pacific Ocean oyster “shooters”, fresh oysters served in a shot glass, coated with spicy bloody ‘maria’, a house version of bloody mary, made with tequila.

Torontes, Le Tengo, Luyan de Cuyo, Argentina-2008 ($9.95) is, literally, a white wine that is a tango in your mouth. Its great with seafood or chicken and can even stand up to ‘the other white meat,’ pork or even lamb. Bamboo skewers of chicken marinated in cilantro sofrita and grilled beef tenderloin in spicy tomatillo salsa completed the dance,

Latin favorites, such as steak arepa empanadas with cremini mushrooms or smoke chicken empanadas with roasted corn salsa and ancho crema or the grilled vegetable empanadas made with squash, chayote and chili crema are a type of Latin turnover that is a mouth-watering introduction to the main course.

Grilled marinated skirt steak with crispy Costa Rican potatoes and salsa criola and mole negro prime, bone-in 20 oz ribeye are just two of the superior entrees. My partner chose the pacific blue nose grouper “huachinango with tomatillo salsa and spicy green rice is a triumph of textures and flavors. 2009 Maipe Malbec from Argentina ($8.95) is a fruit-forward, beautifully balanced red wine that goes great with spicy prime cuts of meat and even a spicy firm, fatty white fish, such as grouper. It’s a versatile, food-friendly red that truly compliments the spicy flavors of Latin food, yet it has enough heft to accommodate meat dishes. The main courses are healthy-sized portions. I wound up taking mine home and enjoying it with a glass of 2009 Maipe Malbec Lujan de Cuyo from the Mendoza, Argentina ($10.99) that I had squirreled away in my private cellar.

There’s always room for dessert and Nacional 27 offers a cavalcade of house-made specialties that changes regularly.

This holiday season, Nacional 27 is the place to celebrate.

The Annual Cuban Holiday, Monday, December 20 through Friday, December 24 (Christmas Eve) features a four-course menu that will allow you to celebrate through Cuban favors and fare for just $36.96, include a wine pairing for $45.

Ring in 2011 with an Evening of Dinner, Drinks and Dancing Nacional 27 style!

DINE: Nacional 27 will begin the New Year's Eve celebration with two dinner packages featuring modern Latin cuisine (5pm-10pm, prices and courses vary). Dinner selections, served family-style, will include a variety of tapas, choice of entree with accompanying side dishes and sumptuous dessert. 

DRINK: Nacional 27 will also offer two bar packages (9pm and 10pm, prices vary) that include club cover charge, open bar service, passed tapas and champagne toast. Note: party guests arriving after 9pm must purchase one of the bar packages. To purchase online, DANCE: At 11pm, the energy will elevate as tables clear the dance floor for dancing, while the state-of-the-art sound system pulses with beats until 2am. There will be a $20 cover charge for general admission beginning at midnight (this does not apply to dining guests).

Nacional 27 has also been rated one of the Top Ten Destinations for Live Music and Dance in the Chicago area by 10berst.com and TripAdvisor.com.

Call the restaurant at 312.664.2727 for more information and to make your reservation.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Art Basel Miami 2010: an entire city becomes the world’s largest art gallery











Story and photos by Dwight Casimere

1. The greatest artwork of all from the Hand of the Master. a sunrise on South Beach on the last day of Art Basel Miami 2010

2. lobby art from the lounge balcony of the Verge show at The Catalina South Beach Resort Hotel

3. A street corner "popup" art gallery attracts the eye of a young art lover

4. The coolest guy in South Beach is a living work of art

5. The Vodka River outdoor art installation from Moscow, Russia

6. "Pure" makes a powerful statement at ZOOM, the first Contemporary Art Fair from the Middle Eastern Art World

7. A hotel room at The Catalina becomes a popup art gallery

8. Star Wars commandoes, 'led' by Albert Einstein invade the balconies at Boulan South Beach Hotel

9. Life imitates art for gallery owner Stephanie Breitbard of Mill Valley, CA

10. Dwight The Wine Doctor with celebrated Contemporary Hand Blown Glass Artist Abby Modell in an exclusive exhibition of her work, "Imagination and color captured in glass" at the GANSEVOORT Miami Beach


MIAMI BEACH—The City of Miami is the world’s largest art gallery. In just a matter of days, what seems like a guerilla war invasion has injected troops of artists into every nook and cranny of this pristine city on the Atlantic Ocean.

Entire hotels have been taken over by outside artists and transformed into overnight installations. Hotel rooms, lobbies, ballrooms, vacant storefronts, garages, warehouses, factories, parking lots, restaurants, nightclubs and even resort swimming pool and cabana areas have become party to a barrage of artistic sniper fire.

Emerging artists who are not a part of the mainstream Art Basel show at the Miami Beach Convention Center and Art Miami in the downtown warehouse district have taken to these “underground” venues in order to have an opportunity to display their art to the thousands of dealers, curators and private art collectors who have flooded this city to the tune of half a million people, roughly the population of the city of Philadelphia.

If you didn’t have a hotel reservation, no problem, there were enough parties, art ‘happenings’ and disco clubs to keep you up until the wee hours, when it all just starts all over again. The restaurants were slammed, so eating a decent meal, sitting down was a challenge, but there was plenty of passed ceviche, clams casino and chicken mole on skewers to tide you over with a tidal wave of Mojitos, Caipirin~has and Ruinart Champagne (the official sponsoring champagne of Art Basel), to satiate your thirst.

Art installations run the gamut, from a collection of fragile contemporary art glass from former fashion designer Abby Modell to an invasion on the balconies the Boulan South Beach hotel from the Starfighter Commando Warriors from the Star Wars movie franchise to a live Drawing Workshop on the Rooftop Pool Terrace of The Catalina Resort Hotel featuring nude models from The Great Nude Invitational, Art Basel’s satellite fairs appeal to every sense and sensuality.

International representation is at an all-time high, including countries that had never shown their art or artists at a major show in the United States. ZOOM Contemporary Art Fair at the South Seas Hotel is the first ever major art showing at Art Basel from the Middle Eastern Art World.

Both the venues and the art peak the interest of the most jaded art aficionado. Those who may have felt the fare at the main show at Art Basel in the Convention Center a bit staid, certainly can’t make that claim at the satellite shows. Both the venues and the art and artists represented cry out “New Wave.” Red Dot Miami presents a boutique clambake that resembles a parking lot fire sale. Fountain Miami features life-sized dummies, celebrity collages and the larger-than-life works of New York-based Galleries DCKT and the playful antics of performance artists Eva+Adele, a husband-and-wife hermaphrodite team, who seem to be the darlings of EVERY media outlet at the fairs. One day I surfed the local news Channels and they were on every station during the prime morning drive-time!

Pulse Miami takes over an old Ice House in Miami’s industrial district to present a powerful collection of mixed media installations, including contemporary photography and video, including “Water On My Mind,” an emotional video inspired by the Gulf Oil Spill. A beautiful outdoor garden lounge and al fresco bistro, designed by esteemed architects and designers and a terrace features hands-on test driving of the latest cars, sponsored by Jaguar. Pulse is an all-day hang-out for many.

Aqua Art Fair, now in its sixth year, turns the breezy courtyard and cabana suites of the Aqua Hotel in South Beach into a laid-back, hyper cozy environment to appreciate affordable, offbeat works from artists from places as far-flung as Mill Valley, California (Stephanie Breitbard) and Montreal, Canada (Pierre-Francoise Ouellette).

Art Asia is one of Miami and Art Basel’s newest fairs, providing a new curatorial platform for artists from the Eastern Hemisphere, including Taiwan, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul, Moscow and Istanbul.

Verge Art Fair at The Catalina South Beach Resort Hotel is a nifty tossed salad of offerings spread out through the delightfully rosy and cozy rooms, lobby and balcony lounge. The White Leather lounge adjacent to Maxine’s Bistro is THE gathering place for artists and curators to take in the jazzy vibe and view some great art from an international array of artists from Paris, Tokyo, Montreal, San Francisco, Copenhagen and Amsterdam.

NADA, the New Art Dealers Alliance holds forth at the Deauville Beach Resort on Millionaire’s Row in Miami Beach. NADA boasts booths arranged as gaudy French ballrooms, featuring opulent chandeliers hanging over edgy artwork. The area epitomizes the image of the Rat Pack era of Miami Beach excess, which contrasts sharply with the tone of the art presented.

Design Miami is an art “city within a city” presenting a satellite fair of applied design elements---art as furniture, lighting design and interior décor—similar to SOFA at Chicago’s Navy Pier.

Firms based in New York, Brussels, London and Brussels dominate the show. A multi-media project from the fashion house FENDI is featured. New York architects Aranda/Lasch designed the “mini city” pavilion that serves as the exhibition venue. It is a work of art in and of itself. Add to that the looming specter of the Frank Gehry designed New World Symphony Campus just down the way and you have a stunning portrait of what Art Basel and its satellite presentations are all about.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Art Basel Miami 2010: Art, Money, Celebrities, World Politics, all at Warp Speed





1. The 2011 Maybach juxtaposed with Julian Schnabel's "Queenqueq--The Maybach Sculpture" at Art Basel in South Beach, Miami
2. A Picasso etching valued at $1.9 MIL from Landau Fine Art at Art Basel
3. Patrick Marinoff, Global Brand Manager of Maybach speaks with the media
4. Sculptor and film director Julian Schnabel speaks about his work with actor Nkolo Jean-Victor
5. An exhausted Sean Penn speaks with the German media after a late-night flight from Haiti to Miami



Story and photos by Dwight Casimere

Miami Beach—Art Basel Miami 2010 was a heady cocktail mix of Champagne, celebrities, high-rolling art curators and a dash of bitter reality thrown in for good measure. From exhibitors, pitching everything from million dollar Picasso’s and time shares in private jets to one of the biggest names in Hollywood pleading the cause for Haitian relief, Art Basel covered the gamut, from glam to gloom, all played out against the backdrop of America’s most celestially beautiful city.

The hottest ticket in town was for Maybach Night for Haiti, benefiting Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn’s J/P HRO (J/P Haitian Relief Organisation) Foundation. The world-famous actor flew in from Haiti moments before the event at Miami Beach’s dazzling New World Symphony campus and auditorium, designed by exalted architect Frank Gehry, who famously designed the Guggenheim Museum in New York 50 years ago. The blaze of construction torches could be seen in the background as an exhausted Penn pleaded passionately for money and resources to be directed toward Haiti. Penn had also acted as an observer during Haiti’s recent tumultuous national election.

Maybach enabled the benefit with the support of the Beyeler Foundation and Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles. The proceeds will go toward rapid and effective aid for Haiti and support of a village of 50,000 people.

“The devastation is mounting daily and its just getting worse the longer people try to ignore it. We’re looking at an impact that is now far worse than anything caused by any natural disaster. People are dying of cholera every day and the government and every citizen needs to wake up and recognize the need to pour money and resources into Haiti.”

Presented by Maybach, the Stuttgart, Germany-based luxury automobile manufacturer, the evening featured not only a showing of the world’s most expensive car, the Maybach, but the unveiling of a massive sculpture by renowned painter, sculptor and filmmaker Julian Schnabel in the world premiere of “Queenqueq—The Maybach Sculpture” at Art Basel. The evening marked the kick off of a two-year partnership between Maybach and the artist.

A contingency of reporters from the German press was on hand to cover the event. Participants were interviewed in both German and English languages, with the help of interpreters, for broadcast in the U.S. and in Germany.

Schnabel’s sculpture towers nearly 20 feet into the air. It weighs nearly two tons. Juxtaposed against the sleek lines of the Maybach, it is an imposing sight.

Patrick Marinoff, Global Brand Manager of Maybach, characterized the genesis of the evening as growing out of a deep personal relationship between the artist and the actor. “Sean and Julian have been close friends for a very long time, and they’ve talked often about ways that they can combine the resources of both of their artistic capabilities and their standing in the world artistic community to enrich a humanitarian cause. As you may know, both were among those in advance of the celebrity tidal wave in support of Haiti.

“This seemed like a natural partnership for Maybach. The cooperation between Julian and Maybach is also significant because it is based on our shared principles. It also marks the first engagement on behalf of a brand within Julian’s brilliant career.”

Preceding the celebrity-studded reception, guests viewed a film directed by Schnabel entitled MIRAL, which opens in the United States March 25, 2011. MIRAL tells the story of a young girl growing up in a landscape of conflict. Schnabel also presented a short film documenting the Maybach brand and its long-term partnerships in artistic and humanitarian causes.

As of 2011, Maybach is also the first and exclusive automotive partner of the world famous Louvre Museum in Paris, supporting contemporary art installations beneath the I.M. Pei glass pyramid. The pyramid will feature a rotating series of artwork by internationally known, Maybach supported contemporary artists and sculptors.

The evening culminated in a champagne dinner and auction of Schnabel’s artwork inside the dazzling confines of the New World Symphony to benefit Penn’s organization for Haitian relief.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Big money, pricey art mark opening of Art Basel Miami 2010










1. "The Brain Trap," a work in progress by Robert Williams, Tony Shafrazi Gallery-New York
2. "Ten Thousand Waves." Isaac Julien, artist, Creative Caribbean Network, Victoria Miro Gallery, London
3. Rosiland (Roz) Joseph, Global Media and Public Relations, AXA Art Insurance Corporation
4. Interactive art at work
5. Joyce Watson, Director of Event Services, Miami Beach Convention Center
6. Eva and Adele of Berlin and their "ready to wear" art
7. Contemporary art at Art Basel
8. $100 dollar a bottle Ruinart Champagne served with a $1MIL smile!
9. Crush of media in the VIP Lounge at Art Basel
10. Dwight The Wine Doctor and Miami Beach Mayor Matti Herrera Bower


Story and photos by Dwight Casimere

Miami Beach—It seemed only fitting that Ruinart, the first established Champagne House in the world in 1729, would be the drink of choice for the high rollers who populated the VIP Lounge at the Miami Beach Convention Center where Art Basel Miami 2010 is currently underway. At $20 a glass and $100 a bottle, its price is a bargain compared to the Warhol and Picasso paintings, valued at $1.8 Million and $9.5 Million respectively, that await collectors on the floor of the exhibition.

Art Basel is the world’s largest transported art show. The work of more than 2,000 artists, the majority of them from outside of the United States, has been shipped to Miami at tremendous expense, but their efforts will not be unrewarded. Already, sales are being reported in the millions. “We understand that Wilfredo Lam’s “Les Fiancés’ ” sold for $3 Million this morning,” Art Basel Co-Director Marc Spiegel announced after a news conference that officially opened the show. With Miami Beach Mayor Matti Herrera Bower at his side, Spiegel predicted strong sales at the five-day art extravaganza, perhaps eclipsing last year’s record-breaking performance. “The galleries that invested heavily in this show by bringing their large-scale works have been richly rewarded!”

"This is the time for the whole city to shine!" Miami Beach Convention Center Director of Special Event Services Joyce Watson told me, enthusiastically. "The City is already one, giant, beautiful canvas with its public art displays and wonderful galleries. This gives people from around the word a chance to see it all "under one roof," as it were."


More than 40 thousand people are expected to visit Art Basel before it ends Sunday. Organizers hope that by the time the stragglers walk through the makeshift galleries, all of the pieces with high price tags will be on their way to their new owners.

Veuve Clicquot Champagne sets effervescent tone for Art Basel Miami Beach 2010










1. Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas, Music Director, New World Symphony, Miami, joins Dwight The Wine Doctor at Design Miami preview
2. Even Mickey Mouse gets into the act with designs by Cory Grosser for Walt Disney Signature AIRLINE_009 at Avant Gallery in the Miami Design District
3 & 4. Contemporary art pieces displayed at Design Miami
5. Wearable art
6. Whimsical "porch swing" seating area installed in outdoor patio of Design Miami
7. Contemporary sculpture in black & white
8. Young university art students take in the atmosphere
9. Audi's e-Den with a concept hybrid electric car
10. Betsy Arts Ambassador Dr. Leslie King Hammond previews the work of an emerging artist at Art Basel at The Betsy

Story and photos by Dwight Casimere

Miami Beach—Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut Champagne flowed under the big tent adjacent to the Miami Beach Convention Center, home to Art Basel Miami Beach 2010. Vernissage was the opening night VIP Preview for Design Miami, the global forum for design and functional art, similar to Chicago’s SOFA event at Navy Pier. Galleries and designers from around the world gathered as part of the most prestigious art show in the Americas.

The opening was not without its share of celebrities. In addition to attracting some of the top contemporary artists, artists from other disciplines came to indulge their passion for art.

Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas, Music Director of Miami’s New World Symphony Orchestra, whose own work of art, the Frank Gehry Designed New Campus of the NWS is in the final stages of completion before his inaugural concert in January 2011, was greeting old friends from the international art community.

Of The Wine Doctor’s dual roles as Arts & Entertainment Editor and Food & Wine Editor at The Times Weekly, Maestro Thomas commented,” They’re all related. They’re all art!”

Besides the eye-popping art, new innovations in Eco Design were unveiled. Audi exhibited its futuristic e-Den charging station for hybrid cars. Audi envisions that the charging stations will become “the hangout” for future electric car owners. The futuristic service station will contain eco-friendly décor, containing wood furniture and fresh potted herbs, organic food, magazines and coffee-table books. Audi also envisions creating a wellness oasis featuring fair-trade products and sustainable materials. Dubbed the “e-Den”, the “e” stands for electromobility.

Vernissage at Design Miami was just the prelude to Art Basel Miami Beach. More than 250 leading galleries from North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa are taking part, showing works by more than 2,000 artists.

Miami Beach and the entire City of Miami has become one big art gallery for Art Basel, with hotel rooms and lobbies, vacant apartments, garages and parking lots, along with warehouses, restaurants and nightclubs all being turned into “popup” art galleries for the event. There’s even a caravan of motor homes and recreational vehicles modified to display art, that are trucking their way to Miami for the art extravaganza. During the five-day show, more than 40,000 visitors are expected at Art Basel Miami 2010.

Among the boutique hotels turning itself into an instant art gallery is The Betsy-South Beach where Betsy Arts Ambassador Dr. Leslie King Hammond is hosting a sneak preview of the nationally acclaimed show, The Global Africa Project, which opened in November at the Museum of Arts and Design in NYC. Dr. Hammond, who is also the Founding Director of the Center for Race and Culture at Maryland Institute College of Art. “This exhibit is all about tearing down barriers and challenging people’s misconceptions about what constitutes African Art.”

The Betsy’s preview is placing art judiciously throughout the hotel, with a selection of photographs in the Underground Gallery, which a unique, intimate space, almost like a wine cellar. The preview is also somewhat interactive with interviews of the artists playing on big screens in the lobby. The Betsy has also created a sculpture garden on the roofdeck. The hotel’s guest suites also get a makeover with curated icons added to their decor. Live presenters will be on hand to explain the art. The lounge will also feature an African drummer and saxophonist playing live Afro-Cuban jazz. Selected art objects will also be for sale in a pop up, Global Africa Marketplace.

Miami Beach itself will also be part of the art explosion; with an outdoor art exhibition and live music on the beach each night of Art Basel. The Oceanfront Nights program is curated by Creative Time and will feature nightly music concerts and public art that highlights the cultural scenes of Mexico City, Berlin, Glasgow and Detroit on successive nights.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Veuve Clicquot Champagne sets effervescent tone for Art Basel Miami Beach 2010










1. Even Mickey Mouse gets into the act at Art Basel, Cory Grossor for Walt Disney Signature launches AIRLINE_009 at Avant Gallery in Miami's Design District
2. A sofa becomes interactive art
3. Young art students take in the atmosphere
4. Art object
5. Wearable art
6. Whimsical porch swing art installation serves as the patio lounge at Design Miami
7. Sculpture in Black and White
8. Audi's e-Den for hybrid electric cars
9. More contemporary sculpture
10. Dwight The Wine Doctor with Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas, Music Director, New World Symphony of Miami


Story and photos by Dwight Casimere

Miami Beach—Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut Champagne flowed under the big tent adjacent to the Miami Beach Convention Center, home to Art Basel Miami Beach 2010. Vernissage was the opening night VIP Preview for Design Miami, the global forum for design and functional art, similar to Chicago’s SOFA event at Navy Pier. Galleries and designers from around the world gathered as part of the most prestigious art show in the Americas.

The opening was not without its share of celebrities. In addition to attracting some of the top contemporary artists, artists from other disciplines came to indulge their passion for art.

Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas, Music Director of Miami’s New World Symphony Orchestra, whose own work of art, the Frank Geary Designed New Campus of the NWS is in the final stages of completion before his inaugural concert in January 2011, was greeting old friends from the international art community.

Of The Wine Doctor’s dual roles as Arts & Entertainment Editor and Food & Wine Editor at The Times Weekly, Maestro Thomas commented,” They’re all related. They’re all art!”

Besides the eye-popping art, new innovations in Eco Design were unveiled. Audi exhibited its futuristic e-Den charging station for hybrid cars. Audi envisions that the charging stations will become “the hangout” for future electric car owners. The futuristic service station will contain eco-friendly décor, containing wood furniture and fresh potted herbs, organic food, magazines and coffee-table books. Audi also envisions creating a wellness oasis featuring fair-trade products and sustainable materials. Dubbed the “e-Den”, the “e” stands for electromobility.

Vernissage at Design Miami was just the prelude to Art Basel Miami Beach. More than 250 leading galleries from North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa are taking part, showing works by more than 2,000 artists.

Miami Beach and the entire City of Miami has become one big art gallery for Art Basel, with hotel rooms and lobbies, vacant apartments, garages and parking lots, along with warehouses, restaurants and nightclubs all being turned into “popup” art galleries for the event. There’s even a caravan of motor homes and recreational vehicles modified to display art, that are trucking their way to Miami for the art extravaganza. During the five-day show, more than 40,000 visitors are expected at Art Basel Miami 2010.

Among the boutique hotels turning itself into an instant art gallery is The Betsy-South Beach where Betsy Arts Ambassador Dr. Leslie King Hammond is hosting a sneak preview of the nationally acclaimed show, The Global Africa Project, which opened in November at the Museum of Arts and Design in NYC. Dr. Hammond, who is also the Founding Director of the Center for Race and Culture at Maryland Institute College of Art. “This exhibit is all about tearing down barriers and challenging people’s misconceptions about what constitutes African Art.”

The Betsy’s preview is placing art judiciously throughout the hotel, with a selection of photographs in the Underground Gallery, which a unique, intimate space, almost like a wine cellar. The preview is also somewhat interactive with interviews of the artists playing on big screens in the lobby. The Betsy has also created a sculpture garden on the roofdeck. The hotel’s guest suites also get a makeover with curated icons added to their decor. Live presenters will be on hand to explain the art. The lounge will also feature an African drummer and saxophonist playing live Afro-Cuban jazz. Selected art objects will also be for sale in a pop up, Global Africa Marketplace.

Miami Beach itself will also be part of the art explosion; with an outdoor art exhibition, light show and live music on the beach each night of Art Basel. The Oceanfront Nights program is curated by Creative Time and will feature nightly music concerts and public art that highlights the cultural scenes of Mexico City, Berlin, Glasgow and Detroit on successive nights.