Giselle Fajardo.
Art can inspire imaginative ideas when one is planning a room’s design. When I was decorating my room, I found posters of Van Gogh paintings from the Louvre, an old painting of a Parisian street with boutiques and cafes from Marshall's, and a print of a French garden that I bought on one of my high-school trips to Paris. I loved these pieces and wanted to incorporate them in my design, so I chose a French garden theme for the space. Once I had a concept for my room, the décor naturally flowed. Some people often do the opposite. They try to find the perfect pieces of art to accompany their already implemented creative schema. Trying to fit art into an already designed room can be like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.
On the other hand, a chef d’ouevre one connects with can ignite a flow of creation leading to a gorgeous design. A convoluted bronze sculpture may inspire someone to design a white and gray room with modern, sleek furniture for a chic art gallery vibe. Or, a painting of palm trees and toucans, for instance, might lead one to choose a black, yellow, and white color scheme, bamboo accents and tropical plants to create a Florida motif in a living room. The possibilities are endless, and if you pick an artwork that you really love, you’ll always feel right at home.
If you’re taking on a decorating project for your home or if you just want to get inspired, the Home, Design, and Remodeling Show is a great place to start. The main attraction at the home show is the At Home With Art exhibition; and, it’s getting hipper every year with a focus on local art.
Twenty-eight local artists were chosen to represent South Florida within ten curated exhibitions. Genres featured include painting, sculpture, ceramics, mixed-media, and photography. And new to the show this year are the inclusion of two award-winning filmmakers, who will exhibit fine art photography: Brian Deutzman is a recipient of a Knight Foundation filmmaking grant and his films have screened at the 2014 Borscht Film Festival and at the 2015 Satellite Art Show (Miami Beach); and Formento + Formento (BJ and Richeille) whose film, “Voyage” was recently selected for the 2016 Cannes Festival Short Film Corner, after receiving accolades at the La Jolla Film Festival 2016 and during Miami Art Week.
Daniel Fiorda.
Not only is the show artsy and hip, it’s also community conscious. According to PR Coordinator Lisa Morales, “following a ‘Call to Artists,’ submissions were carefully reviewed by Home Shows Management and artists were selected based on a commitment to both their profession and the South Florida artistic community. As part of the submission, each artist was asked why they should be selected as an ambassador to the South Florida visual arts community.” Many of the artists selected are natives to South Florida including Meg Wallace who expressed her commitment to the community as follows: “I have had the privilege of proposing and assisting with The Human Rights/ Human Wrongs campaign and Exhibition in 2012 and offering art therapy to sex trafficking child survivors at Kristi House.”
Furthermore, some of the artists will be on site, allowing you to form a personal connection to the work by meeting the faces behind it. According to Morales, "In response to demonstrating a unique and creative use of the space to stimulate community engagement our intent is to arrange space within the booth to have sufficient space to work on a painting during the 4-days of the show," commented Rebecca Barba who will exhibit her paintings and will collaborate with Nate Dee on a new painting on site. “This will draw in spectators and will allow us to engage with the home show participants in a more intimate setting.”
The 2016 “At Home with Art” artists are: BJ and Richeille Formento (Formento + Formento); Sandra Garcia-Pardo; Daniel Fiorda; Brian Deutzman; Nate Dee; Rebecca Barba; Victor Gomez; Aimee Perez; Ismael Gomez Peralta; Gina Guzman; Elidea (Elide Arosio); Kris Tamburello; Sacha Suarez; Rosaria Vigorito; Linda Fleischman; Meg Wallace; Griselda Lechini; Alicia Vallejo; Natalya Kochak; Jonathan Brooks; Miguel Rodez; MANO; Franks Christopher; Giselle Fajardo; and Raul Proenza. Christopher, Fajardo and Proenza represent the Little Havana Art District and Viernes Culturales; and Rodez and MANO will collaborate with RUN Art Foundry that will present sculptures by: Jose Bedia, Pedro Pablo Oliva, and Uldis Lopez. Long list, I know. But each one is definitely worth mentioning.
To read more about each artist, visit: www.homeshows.net/artists.html.
Brian Deutzman.
The ten curated exhibitions are as follows:
- Universe Travelers (paintings, photography and sculpture) – Presented by Daniel Fiorda, Formento & Formento (BJ and Richeille), and Sandra Garcia Pardo collects the experiences of this group of artists during their trips to different dimensions.
- Quartet (sculpture, stained glass, and painting) – Presented by Aimee Perez,Gina Guzman, Ismael Gómez Peralta, and Victor Gomez a retrospective of four unique artistic specialties through which one will be able to observe the variations, as well as the norms and contrast of ideas, that have inspired and dominated each phase of their work.;
- Transformative Connections (mixed media, photography, and painting) – Presented by Elidea, Kris Tamburello, and Sacha Suarez is a journey where core thoughts are transformed into three unique mediums in art.
- Our Windward Passages (painting) - Presented by Nate Dee and Rebecca Barba explores the themes of self-awareness, growth, escape, reflection, personal experiences and evolution.
- Interpretations of Nature (painting) - Presented by Griselda Lechini and Alicia Vallejo. Two distinct styles find commonality in light and color within a transcendent interpretation of nature.
- Female Energy through Imagery (mixed media collage, painting, and sculptures) – Presented by Linda Fleischman and Rosaria Vigorito whose art titillates and provokes the viewers’ senses, while raising consciousness on timeless themes.
- Shot/Countershot (painting and photography) – Presented by Natalya Kochak and Brian Deutzman who with two distinct styles find unity in their use of cinematic techniques in interrogation of personal and group identity.
- Meet Me In Miami (photography and painting) – Presented by Jonathan Brooks and Meg Wallace who invite the viewer to experience the city's history and unique journey of growing up in South Florida through a shared tropical energy reflected in two unique mediums.
- Little Havana Art District and Viernes Culturales – Presented by Pati Vargas (Curator) and artists, Raul Proenza, Franks Christopher, andGiselle Fajardo. The energy of el Calle Ocho and Hispanic roots is conveyed in lively and colorful works capturing the essence of Little Havana’s monthly celebration, Viernes Culturales.
- The Front Room: A Contemporary Homage to Urban Living (painting and sculpture) – R.U.N Art Foundry presents sculptures by Jose Bedia, Uldis Lopez, and Pedro Pablo Oliva alongside paintings by MANO and Miguel Rodez. The exhibit explores the crossroads of cultural identity, tradition, history and art collecting within the context of present-day living.
Art of course is not the only home accessory exhibited at the show. Throughout the huge Miami Beach Convention Center, exhibitors from wood furniture makers and antique refurbishers to modern age designers and kitchen cabinetry installers present their products in booths. Many other objects necessary to make a space a home are also showcased at the weekend affair: rugs, bathroom fixtures, blinds, chandeliers, Vitamix blenders, and even exotic plants. There are even cooking demonstrations with samples for guests. It’s definitely a entertaining show.
Show Schedule:
- Friday, March 18, 4 to 10:30 p.m.
- Saturday, March 19, noon to 10:30 p.m.
- Sunday, March 20, noon to 7:30 pm.
- Monday, March 21 6, to 10:30 pm.
Miami Beach Convention Center, 1901 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach. Info: 305.667.9299 , www.homeshows.net/
Facebook Event Page: www.facebook.com/events/1733071356926810/
Ticket Link: tickets.completeticketsolutions.com/HOME/Online/default.asp
