By Sandra Schulman
Fall is here and that means the art and culture scene will be heating up as the temps cool down. Running prior, through and after Art Basel Miami Beach, 100+ Degrees in the Shade is a monster art show and a landmark survey of what’s going down and coming up in the art scene in South Florida. This expansive show will include works in all media including sculpture, installation, painting, photography, video, mixed-media and works on paper.
It will be held in several venues including Bridge Red Studios, Carol Jazzar, Swampspace, and The Laundromat in Miami, and Girls’ Club in Fort Lauderdale, from Saturday through Jan. 16, with opening receptions on Thursday and Nov. 21 and 22. There will be book signings and film screenings and even some special pop-up events.
The exhibition curator is Jane Hart, who was curator of exhibitions at the Hollywood Art and Culture Center for nine years. An accompanying book by will be published by Miami-based [NAME] Publications, and there will be texts by Jane Hart and Erica Ando (full disclosure: I’ll also be contributing an essay overview of the South Florida art scene since the 1980s).
The name of the exhibit stems from the Florida heat and the fact that more than 100 artists will be participating.
“Having recently left my position as curator of exhibitions for nearly a decade at the Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, I became free to pursue various other projects that I had been contemplating,” Hart said in a phone interview. “During my tenure there I was tremendously impressed witnessing the level of quality in the South Florida artist community evolve in a very dynamic and sophisticated direction.
“In determining to present 100+ Degrees in the Shade, the opportunity to be inclusive in showcasing the work by outstanding artists of the region was an obvious concept,” Hart said. “The last time such a wide survey had been done was the sweeping show curated by Miami-based artist Robert Chambers, globe>miami
A sprawling show unlike any other that has been presented in South Florida, it includes notable West Palm Beach artist Phillip Estlund, who exhibits with Gavlak Gallery on Worth Avenue. His art takes its cue from photography and nature and architecture. Recent work includes odd little reconstructed houses that melt into the walls and floors; and chairs festooned with flowers.
His collage paintings portray people in an overwhelming natural landscape where Mother Nature, kind as she is, will eventually win out.
Carlos Betancourt, another participating artist, is releasing a gorgeous oversized glossy book called Imperfect Utopia through Rizzoli Publishers this fall of his lush, tropic inspired photo collages and installations he has exhibited all over the world.
Hart explained how she chose the artists.
“This kind of large-scale curation is challenging, in that knowing such a tremendous number of artists whose work is worthy of inclusion, there is a limited amount of space. There are also a few instances whereby I was not able to secure work of individuals I would have liked, but due to other commitments, lack of work, or other logistical reasons, their participation was not possible. There are some artists whose successful careers I was instrumental in launching, who were not in a position to be a part of the show.
“These are disappointing omissions, however, I do not believe it ultimately impacts the impressive array of those artists whose work makes up the exhibition. I had the good fortune of having Miami art veterans Chris Ingalls and Nina Arias assist me in selecting the artists for consideration,” Hart said. “As I mentioned, there is not a single institution hosting the exhibition. As such, I determined, in the spirit of community to reach out to various independent venues who were in turn excited to be a part of this undertaking. As they say, it really does take a village.”
Hart said that while “it is much more labor-intensive to present at multiple venues,” ultimately is allows visitors to Art Basel “to become familiar with some of the grassroots venues that make South Florida’s cultural landscape so rich.”
There will be special art related events, catered food and festive drinks at all the openings to celebrate this long overdue survey.
For more information, visit www.100degreesintheshade.com.