Artoconecto

ARTOCONECTO'S KIDSART AT CIFO: George Sánchez-Calderón

2012-01-20T10:46:00.000-08:00

Join us and Miami-based artist George Sánchez-Calderón on Saturday, January 28th for the first Family Cultural Spot of the year!

Drawing inspiration from the many works in CIFO's current exhibition, Frames and Documents: Conceptualist Practices, the children will be led through a guided tour of the exhibition and a hands-on activity that explores the transformative qualities of everyday objects. Using photography, copy machines, and an assortment of everyday materials kids will learn about the cultural significance of artworks and alternative modes of art making.

Date: Saturday, January 28th

Time: 1 pm to 3 pm

Location: CIFO Art Space,1018 N. Miami Ave,Miami, FL 33136

Admission: $5 per child,

Free for CIFO Members

RSVP to rsvp@cifo.org

Purchase tickets here

For kids ages 5-12

Cost includes full entertainment, professional instruction, all materials, take home projects, and a snack!

About the artist

George Sánchez-Calderón received his Masters degree in Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1995 and Bachelors degree in Fine Arts from Florida International University. His work is in the permanent collection of the Miami Art Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami, Margulies Collection, Craig Robbins Collection and the Carlos and Rosa de la Cruz collection. Mr. Sánchez-Calderón is also the recipient of the Oscar B. Cintas Fellowship and the South Florida Cultural Consortium Award.

Saturday, February 18th, 1 pm: CIFO Family Cultural Spot with Domingo Castillo

Thursday, February 23rd, 7 pm: Artist as Archivist: Talk by Glexis Novoa

Saturday, March 3, 1 pm: CIFO Family Cultural Spot with Agustina Woodgate

This program was co-organized by the Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation and Artoconecto, a non-profit arts advocacy organization based in Miami, FL, dedicated to creating and promoting unique artistic projects. ArtoConecto's kids programs seek to introduce children to the rich cultural and artistic diversity in the Miami community. For more information on ArtoConecto visit

http://artoconecto.blogspot.com/

Happy Holidays to the Artoconecto/KIDSART Family!

2011-12-24T09:01:00.000-08:00

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and inspiring New Year!

From our family to Yours

Peace and Love to All Our Friends

Alexandra and Danny

THE ARBOLEDA FESTIVAL, ON NOVEMBER 12TH IN THE DESIGN DISTRICT BENEFITS KIDSART PROGRAM

2011-11-07T08:53:00.000-08:00

2011-09-17T11:18:00.000-07:00

Artist Bhakti Baxter led children in making sculptures of kids.

What a pleasure to see the sampling of art that just opened on the second floor of the downtown LegalArt building (a Knight Arts Challenge grantee) in Miami. There is an impressive, pastel-colored, spray-painted canvas covering one wall; on another, a large, multicolored, epoxy-covered sculpture. In the middle of the room, a bunch of wonderful little sculptures, made from all sorts of materials that look like, well, yes, a bunch of little kids.

All of the above were made by children as part of a summer camp program sponsored by Artoconecto, which paired the kids with local artists to come up with these collaborative works — in the case of the pieces above, with Douglas Hoekzema, Sinisa Kukec and Bhakti Baxter, respectively.

Artist Sinisa Kukec guides kids into the world of art. Photo by Benjamin Thacker

It’s a pretty cool collaboration all around, as the program and this resulting exhibit, called “KIDSART Bridges: Tolerance and Understanding,” also involved children from across the Atlantic in Croatia. So in another corner, hung above a bit of floor covered in hay (which perfumed the room with a great rural essence), are some really lovely paintings crafted from the kids of this formerly war-torn Yugoslav republic. (In an interesting cross-pollination, one camp artistic “counselor” in Miami, Kukec, is a Croatian native). A current LegalArt resident, Pachi Giustinian guided her group of children in a workshop through some experimentation with abstract painting, which, in the end were pieced together in a semicircle on another part of the floor — almost like they were coated place-mats, fit together on a huge table. Giustinian and Baxter also had works of their own placed near the collaborative pieces; maybe as a “guide” as to the origins of the inspiration.

The burgeoning artists and their camp leaders arrive at LegalArt.

The fifth artist who participated in the workshop camp, Leda Almar, decided to get the children to explore the often difficult task of figurative drawing. The result is the revealing series of children’s portraits.

Upstairs on this opening night, the studios of the first year of residents at LegalArt were also opened up, giving the public a glimpse of what has been created during this inaugural incubator program. The live/work spaces are handsome and the work appropriately varied, from the in-house residents Viking Funeral (Carlos Ascurra and Juan Gonzalez), Jiae Hwang, Manny Prieres, Giustinian and the ™ Sisters. They will be departing by the end of the year, when a new group, now being considered, will take over in February 2012.

“KIDSART Bridges: Tolerance and Understanding” at LegalArt, 1035 N. Miami Ave., Ste. 220, Miami; www.legalart.org.

Courtesy of Anne Tschida and Knight Arts

OUR LAST CAMP IN GVOZD, CROATIA. THANKS TO ALL THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE AT SUNCOKRET AND TO OUR GREAT KIDS!

2011-08-31T09:35:00.000-07:00

BREAKING THE BARRIERS OF INTOLERANCE BY NIKOLA FALLER

Nikola and his friend and assistant Nina traveled from Hungary--they got lost in one of the most complicated and intricate crossroads that divides Eastern Europe-they ended up in Slovenia! The next day, they set out back on the road determined to make it to Gvozd. They did! and brought with them the most inspiring spirits and contagious energy. As soon as they pulled over into Suncokret, kids, artists, and volunteers immediately engaged--downloading stacks of fresh hay from his van, tools, baskets filled with artwork. The kids were in awe and realized how much you can do with hay, besides feeding it to the cows. " I use organic and natural materials in my work, because I believe that preservation of the planet is also part of my artistic journey. Today we will use branches from a nut tree, they are strong but at the same time they are flexible, and this will be symbolic for the kids--we must be strong in life but also flexible." By Nikola Faller. More photos and stuff-click on the sunflowers or right here!

Miami Week #4...Pachi Giustinian: Understanding as a Common Goal-Paint as 'Object'

2011-08-26T06:51:00.001-07:00

Featuring LEGALART Artist-In-Residence, Pachi Giustinian!

Tolerance and Understanding In Our World.

Thank you Pachi Giustinian!!! Thank you Legal Art!

Artist Pachi Giustinian did an amazing job with her workshop at Legal Art this past Saturday... the children worked together to better understand the common goal... to paint as “object”. Giustinian’s workshop was truly a non representational abstract approach. And the children did an amazing job working on individual pieces , knowing that they would come together at a latter date.

Leandra, Lucas, Trenard, Lara, Skye, and Kamilla better understanding a finished painting as an object, by Pachi Giustinian....coninue by clicking on the KIDSART blog!

Miami Week #3: The kids explore the clandestine world of spray painting (aka GRAFFITI)....

2011-08-16T14:26:00.000-07:00

KIDSART 2011

Tolerance and Understanding In Our World.

UNDERSTANDING PLATONIC PATTERNS

Stencils, Patterns and Painting.

A Work Shop By Douglas Hoekzema

Saturday, August 13TH, 2011

Our third Miami camp this summer was taught by painter, sculptor, and designer Douglas Hoekzema. It was an exciting adventure in better understanding “Platonic Patterns” through the act of repeatedly painting shapes, using hand made stencils the kids cut out themselves!!! Mr. Hoekzema methodically explained the seemingly simple task of stencil making with construction paper! a lot more complicated that it looks!!! Snow flakes came up a few times... and then it dawned on us... many of the kids and adults in the room have never even seen snowflakes before... and so, the Kids quickly rose to the occasion! Flowers, crystals... zebra stripes... rows of houses... the list ran on and on!

More photos on the KIDSART blog!

We All Have a Different Approach by Lila Herceg

2011-08-14T03:43:00.000-07:00

Our fourth camp took place yesterday with Lila Herceg, who traveled from Varazdin--a three- hour-trip by bus. Lila is a contemporary artist who graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb. Her approach to the theme of Tolerance was emphasized in the use of same materials and the same subject. She discouraged them to copy one another. "I want the kids to realize, after they are finished with their assignment, that although they are all making a collage about trees, at the end all their works will be different from one another." By Lila Herceg.

Sharing An Artistic Universe by Stipo Zoroja

2011-08-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

Stipo, a veteran visual artist from Bosnia, arrived into Gvozd this morning after a long drive from his native Livno. The kids were really excited and looking forward to working with him. They knew that they were going to paint with acrylics on canvases. They quietly sat around while Stipo explained the relationship between motherly love and the universe. He encouraged them to look around and observe the harmony contained in nature. He declared that tolerance is like the love of a mother towards her children, and that we should all carry on these lessons of love and share them with one another. “I feel free here and when I am free I can create art. I want the children to free themselves today.” Stipo Zoroja

Tolerance with Our Surroundings By Aleksandra Podrebarac

2011-08-10T06:49:00.000-07:00

Gvozd is a region that is surrounded by wild almost untouched nature. Fruit trees such as apple, pears and blueberries are as common as coconut trees are in the Caribbean and in costal areas of Southeast Asia. Aleksandra Podrebarac's workshop focused on nature, the kids home. An artist from the war torn neighboring city of Karlovac, Aleksandra’s goal was to use the power of observation to make them understand not to take their environment for granted. "It will also teach them to be as tolerant with nature’s way as they should also be towards one another." By Aleksandra Podrebarac.

Enter the KIDSART blog in Croatia to see more of today’s workshop.

KIDSART Goes International!

2011-08-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

KIDSART Bridges/Croatia begins! Click here for the first camp!

“Hrvoje and I truly enjoyed our adventure. We enjoyed our ride back, we felt very relaxed and exchanged nice feelings about how it all went very smooth. Children were touching, and I admire all the work that Maja and Predrag are doing for Gvozd community and I am very happy that Hrvoje and I contributed to this great work. I think we can all be happy with our results. Greatest reward was looking at children and shaking hands with each of them. I could see in their eyes they enjoyed the time with us. I consider that greater than art.” Anita Sulimanovic

KIDSART Week#2: Artist Leda Almar and the kids!

2011-08-09T08:57:00.000-07:00

Our second art camp!!! Understanding Through Self Portrait; by artist and educator Leda Almar, was an absolute success in a step towards understanding the portrait! The children learned about drawing... how to use paint and color. Most important of all... we all learned how the portrait is an awesome vehicle to self expression.

Artist and educator Leda Almar... a step towards understanding the portrait

All photos by Benjamin Thacker
For all the fun, and much, much, more. please go to the KIDSART Blog!

Bhakti Baxter kicks off KIDSART!

2011-08-02T17:18:00.000-07:00

Photographs by Benjamin Thacker

www.thrubenslens.com

Art is messy!

An amazing Saturday morning for the kids! And don't forget Ms. Cheezious!

All that and more photos on the KIDSART blog. Stay tuned for our first camp from Croatia, too!

2011-06-13T14:42:00.001-07:00

The dynamic arts non-profit Artoconecto is pleased to announce KIDSART BRIDGES: Tolerance and Understanding In Our World, a new and exciting series of arts camps that will take place at artists’ studios in Miami (US) and Gvozd (Croatia), during the summer of 2011.

Five of Miami’s leading artists---Bhakti Baxter, Leda Almar, Doug Hoekzema, Pachi Giustinian and Sinisa Kukec---will conduct one camp per week, on Saturdays from 10 AM to 1PM. The camps will include all materials, tools, art supplies, and lunch!

In fact, after finishing their collaborative projects, the kids will find a different food truck waiting, parked outside the artists’ studios.

Miami’s hottest food trucks, including Ms. Cheezious, Wing Commander, Mac and Food, Gastropod, Catered Bliss, and Churromania, will team up with the artists to feed kids ‘body and soul’. “We are very gratified that the arts community and the wildly popular food trucks of Miami have so generously embraced KIDSART,” says Executive Director Alexandra Rangel. “Eating lunch at a food truck after the workshops continues the fun and discovery for the kids.”

This summer KIDSART expands internationally, as the Miami camps will run concurrently with the participation of children from the war torn city of Gvozd in Croatia. Children and artists from both cities will work side by side to create meaningful pieces of artwork that reflect the theme of tolerance and understanding in our world. In addition, Artoconecto is excited to announce that they have been awarded their second grant from the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs for KIDSART, as well as a generous grant from international arts organization CEC Artslink. This will allow Artoconecto to expand its children’s program and partner with the Croatian organization Sunkocret (Sunflower) Center for Community Development. The grants will facilitate both organizations’ implementation of a five-week arts camp where kids will participate in collaborative art projects designed by established artists. The pieces produced during the camps, alongside the artwork of the participating artists, will be exhibited in a gallery space in December, during Art Basel Miami Beach 2011.

...PLUG IN

2011-04-27T07:25:00.000-07:00

UPDATES AND NEWS

+++Artoconecto starts a free after-school arts program with Teaching Artist Leda Almar at Art Studio Miami. “Carving Your Message” will run on Wednesdays and Fridays.

First class photos-click here! [link]

++++Artoconecto wins grant from CEC ArtsLink for KIDSART Bridges, an international arts project with Croatia! From the CEC ArtsLink website:

2011 ARTSLINK PROJECTS AWARDEES

Alexandra Rangel
with students

ARTOCONECTO, MIAMI, FL

Host Country: Croatia

"$4,300 to support a collaboration with Suncokret Center for Community Development to carry out two simultaneous 5-week visual arts programs led by international artists for at-risk youth in Gvozd, Croatia and Miami, Florida. The programs will culminate in an exhibition of the students’ work held in Miami during the 2011 Art Basel Miami activities."

Go to CEC ArtsLink to see all of the award-winners!

KIDSART Bridges is an international exchange arts camp between kids from Croatia and Miami.

Project Summary

Artoconecto, the dynamic non-profit arts organization in Miami, Florida, (US) and the progressive organization Suncokret Center for Community Development from Gvozd, Croatia, propose an arts exchange camp called KIDSART BRIDGES which will have the participation of children from their respective areas. The program will run concurrently in both countries during the summer of 2011. For a period of five weeks, children from both partnered organizations will participate and engage in the creation of meaningful pieces of artwork, by following a theme that will address the various socio-economical realities in both cities. This will create a cross-cultural, international dialogue that will not only educate the audiences about the missions of both organizations but also emphasize the importance of the arts in the lives of our children. The arts camps will be conducted simultaneously, and will be filmed by Alexandra Rangel, Founder of Artoconecto. The artwork produced during these workshops, and a short documentary, will be featured in an arts exhibition in the City of Miami, during the festivities of Art Basel Miami Beach in December 2011.

KIDSART MIAMI

Miami art camps will start on July 30^th and will run through the month of August. Register your kids early. Space is limited to a group of 20 kids. For additional information contact us at artoconecto@gmail.com or call 786-246-2052.

PAST KIDSART ARTISTS

2009 KIDSART Artists: John DeFaro, Johnnie Robles, Luis Valle, Agustina Woodgate, Oscar Fuentes and Tracey Hagen

2010 KIDSART Artists: Karen Rifas, Onajide Shabaka, Morphologic Studios, John DeFaro and Alexandra Rangel

KIDSART BRIDGES CROATIA

Art camps in Croatia will start on July 30^th, in the region of Gvozds in conjunction with Suncokret [link]

MIAMI’S HOTTEST FOOD TRUCKS TEAM UP WITH ARTISTS TO FEED KIDS ‘BODY AND SOUL’

2011-03-10T12:53:00.000-08:00

The dynamic arts non-profit Artoconecto presents KIDSART BRIDGES: Tolerance and Understanding In Our World, the third annual series of summer arts camps that will take place locally at artists’ studios in Miami, and internationally in Gvozd, Croatia. This summer, Miami’s hottest food trucks, including Ms. Cheezious, Wing Commander, Mac and Food, Gastropod and Catered Bliss will team up with local artists to feed kids ‘body and soul’. “We are very gratified that the arts community and the wildly popular food trucks of Miami have so generously embraced KIDSART,” says Executive Director Alexandra Rangel, “and we are excited that we will have the opportunity to expand the program internationally.”

Five artists in the Miami area, including Bhakti Baxter, Leda Almar, Doug Hoekzema, Pachi Giustinian and Sinisa Kukec, will conduct one camp per week, on Saturdays from 10 AM to 1PM. The camps will include all materials and art supplies. After each project, the kids will find a different food truck waiting, parked outside the artists’ studios. “We want to feed the kids ‘body and soul’,” says Rangel, “and lunch at a food truck after the workshops continues the fun and discovery for the kids.”

Children in Miami from the ages of 6 through 12 are welcome to participate this summer, where camps will run concurrently with the participation of children from the war torn city of Gvozd in Croatia. Children and artists from both cities will work side by side to create meaningful pieces of artwork that reflect the theme of tolerance and understanding in our world. Artists in Croatia include Hrvojé Mitrov, Stipe Zoroja, Lila Herceg, Nikola Faller and Aleksandra Podrebarac. In addition, Artoconecto is excited to announce that they have been awarded their second grant from the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs for KIDSART, as well as a generous grant from international arts organization CEC Artslink. This will allow Artoconecto to expand its children’s program and partner with the Croatian organization Sunkocret (Sunflower) Center for Community Development. The grants will facilitate both organizations’ implementation of a five-week arts camp where kids will participate in collaborative art projects designed by established artists. The pieces produced during the camps, alongside the artwork of the participating artists, will be exhibited in a gallery space in December, during Art Basel Miami Beach 2011.

THE KIDSART BRIDGES program this year will have the participation of four under-privileged children selected through a partnership with Art Studio Miami, who will receive full scholarships for the camps. It is a tremendous opportunity to not only have your child participate in the most exciting arts camp in Miami, but also, you will directly contribute to sponsoring a child.

“KIDSART helps kids build a meaningful foundation for learning, and all kids deserve the chance to fulfill their potential,” says Rangel.

Starting day: Saturday July 30^th

Continues on: August 6^th, 13^th, 20^th and 27^th.

Times: from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Contribution to the program, tax deductible: $100 per child: includes materials, lunch and sponsorship of under-privileged children.

Space is limited to 20 children.

2011-03-08T18:04:00.001-08:00

CALL FOR PROPOSALS
DEADLINE MARCH 31ST, 2011

Requesting Artist for Art Camps
Benefiting Miami's At Risk-Youth & Children in Foster.

The local arts advocacy organization Artoconecto, Inc, in conjunction with Art Studio Miami, Empowering Young Minds, are seeking local emerging visual artists, who have bold and exciting artistic ideas ready to be implemented at a series of arts camps for at-risk youth and children in foster care, at Art Studio's location in Little Haiti. The camps are scheduled to start March 2011 and will run consecutively through May. Artists in all mediums are invited to participate. The goal is to select two emerging artists who are ready and enthusiastic about implementing their dream project and work with a group of children in need, on a volunteer basis in exchange for valuable Teaching Artist experience and training. In addition the chosen artist's will have the opportunity to be eligible for a paid summer teaching artist position with Artoconecto's KIDSART program and a possible artist-in-residency at Art Studio.

Artoconecto's KIDSART program, in partnership with Art Studio, will provide selected artists with the tools, materials, population of at-risk youth, space, technical support and guidance necessary to successfully complete their art projects, therefore training them as teaching artists and adding a valuable set of skills to their CV/Resumes. Once selected for the volunteer Teaching Artist training, these artists will be recognized and participate with an honorarium in a paid position at the summer art camp of Artoconecto's KIDSART program, making it a sustainable and rewarding experience for the artist who in the process becomes an agent of change. In addition, the artists will be eligible to become an artist-in-residence within Art Studio.

Artoconecto is expanding the KIDSART project within Art Studio's premises, where during two months and under the tutelage of one artist per month, a population of children in need in the area of Little Haiti, will receive an afterschool arts program (2pm-6pm weekdays) that will serve as a compliment to their primary education.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD APPLICATION

KIDSART to Join Forces with Miami HEAT Superstar Dwyane Wade and Art Studio Miami to Raise Funds for Local Youth Programs

2010-11-29T13:16:00.000-08:00

THIS FRIDAY...DECEMBER 3RD...7:30-9:30PM!

Miami HEAT superstar Dwyane Wade and his charity, Wade’s World Foundation, today announced a collaborative endeavor with Art Studio Miami, a local nonprofit aimed at empowering young people through artistic expression. The initiative, tied to Art Basel Miami 2010, will raise funds for the youth art program, based in Miami’s Little Haiti, as well as other community-based arts programs like KIDSART.

“The positive impact that art can have on a young person’s life should never be underestimated,” Wade said. “I am proud to support Art Studio Miami, and help inspire the talented youth in Little Haiti.”

On November 20 and 21, Wade’s World Foundation sponsored 12 members of the youth community of Little Haiti, ranging from the ages of eight to 18 and participating in creative and educational “TEAM” activities during Art Studio’s “WE ARE” integration program. With the guidance of artist-mentors, the children had the opportunity to create their own personal work.

The event will culminate in a “Hope in Action” cocktail reception from 7:30-9:30 PM on Friday, December 3 at the W Hotel South Beach, where the artwork created by the youth participants of the Art Studio Miami will be displayed, and artists’ works will be auctioned off to raise funds for their programs. In addition, the works of the Art Studio Miami teaching artists, including those of Haitian decent, will accompany the student-featured show.

“We are thrilled that KIDSART will be a partnership program at Art Studio and uniting forces with Dwyane Wade and Wade’s World Foundation,” said Alexandra Rangel-Brody, founder and Creative Director of Artoconecto, KIDSART’s parent organization. KIDSART, through Art Studio Miami, will be one of the local arts programs for kids that will benefit from the event. “Mr. Wade is passionate about his commitment to the kids of Miami, and we hope to forge a strong relationship with him and his foundation to help build a better future for all of the children in our community.”

Event is Free and Open to the Public!

'W' Hotel South Beach

2201 Collins Ave.

Miami Beach

This Friday! Gala and Awards Ceremony!

2010-11-08T08:53:00.000-08:00

Artoconecto is partnering this Friday in a benefit for all the children of Miami. Please help to keep the arts alive in our children's lives!

ARTOCONECTO CREATING NEW WEBSITE

2010-09-27T20:57:00.000-07:00

WE ARE CURRENTLY REVIEWING AND REVISING ALL THE MATERIALS THAT HAVE BEEN ACCUMULATED OVER THE YEARS.

THE NEW WEBSITE IS SCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER 2010.

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR NEED TO CONTACT US, PLEASE EMAIL: ARTOCONECTO@GMAIL.COM

Artoconecto...plug in

ARTOCONECTO AT THE FALL FOR THE ARTS FESTIVAL, SEPTEMBER 12TH, FROM 12-6

2010-09-07T05:15:00.001-07:00

COME AND VISIT US AT OUR FANTASTIC BOOTH, WHERE WE WILL RAFFLE ORGANIC PRODUCTS FOR KIDS FROM HANNAH AND HER SCISSORS
www.hannahandherscissors.com

AND DELICIOUS CUPCAKES--FRESH ALL DAY LONG, FROM SWEETCAKES
www.sweetcakesedibles.com

KIDSART 2010 IN THE MIAMI HERALD

2010-08-25T16:53:00.001-07:00

KIDSART 2010: INTERTIDAL LIFEFORMS by Colin Foord

2010-08-25T13:02:00.000-07:00

Colin and Theo from the Biscayne Nature Center show the kids the road to Bear Cut

KIDSART 2010: THE RAINMAKER. The Kids and Karen Rifas

2010-08-18T11:54:00.000-07:00

The kids with Karen Rifas and staff members of De La Cruz Collection. Please click on the icon to the right to enter KIDSART blog.

KIDSART 2010: HIDDEN IN THE WATER FOREST. The Kids and Onajídé Shabaka

2010-08-11T13:28:00.000-07:00

Photo by: Alexandra Rangel-Brody
'Hidden in the Water Forest' artist Onajide Shabaka and the kids at the foot of their white canvas. Please click on the KIDSART icon to the right to see more photos and fun details about the workshop.

KIDSART 2010: THE GATOR. The Kids and John DeFaro

2010-08-04T15:50:00.000-07:00

Photo credit: Fernando Ramos

John DeFaro tells the camera the real story behind The Gator. Also, Rosie, Kurt and Luke assemble different parts of this magnificent Florida reptile.

KIDSART 2010: THE POOL. The Kids and Alexandra Rangel

2010-07-27T17:24:00.001-07:00

Photo credit: John DeFaro
PLEASE CLICK ON THE ICON TO THE RIGHT--FOR KIDSART UPDATES AND FUN PICTURES.

CONFIRMED ARTIST WORKSHOPS:
Alexandra Rangel: Video art--EXECUTED
John DeFaro: Sculpture-EXECUTED
Onajídé Shabaka--EXECUTED
Karen Rifas--EXECUTED
Morphologic Studios: SATURDAY AUGUST 21ST AT THE BISCAYNE NATURE CENTER

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED KIDSART 2010

2010-06-30T07:47:00.000-07:00

DUE TO THE TREMENDOUS RESPONSE, REGISTRATION FOR KIDSART PROGRAM, Elements in Time and Nature--THE FREE ART PROGRAM IN MIAMI, IS CLOSED. THANK YOU TO ALL THE PARENTS AND CHILDREN--IT WILL BE LOADS OF FUN. We have 20 children participating this year. WE WILL ANNOUNCE THE NAMES OF PARTICIPATING ARTISTS AND CHILDREN SOON.

ANNOUNCING KIDSART 2010

2010-06-15T10:03:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Alexandra Rangel-Brody

artoconecto@gmail.com

786.246.2052

www.artoconecto.org

Artoconecto’s KIDSART returns this

summer with artistic environmental project.

Miami, June 11, 2010. Artoconecto, the dynamic Miami arts non-profit and 2009 Community Grant Grantee from the Miami-Dade County Dept. of Cultural Affairs for KIDSART, is returning this summer to host a series of workshops, where children between the ages of 7 to 13 will engage in the search for ‘Elements in Time and Nature’. This exciting and innovative program will explore a variety of environmental issues, using the arts as both a conduit, and a medium, for a deeper understanding. Each week, the children will be given an exploratory environmental theme, guided by a panel of arts professionals, culminating in a public exhibition of their work.

"We are very concerned about the many environmental challenges that children are going to encounter in their lifetime, with this program, we want them to understand the fragility of nature and the delicate connection that exists between humans and nature,” said Alexandra Rangel-Brody, Executive Director of Artoconecto. "We are working with organic, discarded and natural materials, as we aim to demonstrate to children that many of the common objects used by them daily were once made with biodegradable matter. All their experiences will be recorded on video and will be presented as video art.”

Artoconecto is actively looking to partner with local artists who have a related environmental theme that can be implemented and would like to share their time one Saturday morning. Any artist that wishes to participate can contact Artoconecto. The workshops will be followed by lunch provided by World Resource Cafe, which will allow the children to interact informally with the artists and each other.

KIDSART was created to expose as many schoolchildren as possible to the arts community of Miami, through Saturday morning studio visits and workshops presided over by working artists. The children will be exposed to the vibrant arts community of Miami, helping them to understand the important role that art can play in their daily lives. We will be working with artists across the spectrum, and the children will get to experience art in its most inspiring forms.

KIDSART will take place for four Saturday mornings from July 24th through August 14th, and culminate on September 11, 2010, when the participants will experience the Second Saturday Art Walk with a public exhibition of their creations. KIDSART will be open to children ages 7-13, who are at an age when it has been shown that the creative arts can have a great impact on their future learning skills and overall educational well-being.

###

'Art or Porn' Controversy...

2009-12-04T11:01:00.000-08:00

Revealing Controversy Surrounds Art Basel Exhibit....MIAMI (CBS4) ―

December 3-An art display that's part of Art Basel is turning a lot of heads and raising the hackles of some people who walk by the display. The bare facts are that the exhibit is in a gallery window on Flagler Street and it's causing some to debate the naked truth of the meaning of art.
More-Full Story and video of the 'Controversy' over Eurydice's artworks...

Hip Hop Movie Screening and More!

2009-12-03T20:09:00.000-08:00

ARTOCONECTO...PLUG IN PRESENTS:
CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS IN DOWNTOWN MIAMI. 2 WEST FLAGLER ST AND MIAMI AVENUE.
A-B(o)MB II Exhibition open to the public from Tuesday thru Saturday from 11 to 7

DECEMBER 16
PRESERVING ARCHIVING AND TEACHING HIP HOP HISTORY. FILM BY DAN PEREZ.
HOSTED BY: BRIMSTONE
SEE EVITE ABOVE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

DECEMBER 17
MEET AND GREET YOUR NEIGHBORS
HOSTED BY MIAMI BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP, DOWNTOWNMIAMI.COM AND ARTOCONECTO...PLUG IN
FOR RSVP PLEASE SEND E-MAIL TO ARTOCONECTO@GMAIL.COM

DECEMBER 19
KIDSART. Arts workshop event for children. FOR MORE INFORMATION E-MAIL US AT ARTOCONECTO@GMAIL.COM

DECEMBER 10, 11, 12
MIAMI MUSIC FESTIVAL 27 VENUES IN THE DOWNTOWN AND BRICKELL AREAS ARE PARTICIPATING. 7 TO 8 HALF PRICED DRINKS AND FREE CONCERT ENTRY

DWNTWN's Only Pop-Up Gallery for Basel on the Big Screen!

2009-11-15T03:43:00.000-08:00

A-B(o)MB Drops on Black Friday!

2009-11-13T11:10:00.000-08:00

Artoconecto Announces

'A-B(o)MB II: The Fallout'

The DWNTWN Basel/Miami

Satellite Art Fair
Artoconecto presents a VIP Sneak Preview of 'A-B(o)MB II (Art Basel (off) Miami Beach): The Fallout, a juried show of emerging national and international artists, on Friday, November 27, 2009, from 6-10PM, featuring a live performance by selected artist Gregorio Boscan, who will premiere ACQUA a site specific installation designed for the exhibition. There will be also be complimentary cocktails and hors d’oeuvres kindly provided by some of the hottest new spots in Downtown Miami. This will be an RSVP-only sneak preview event, in anticipation of the official Opening Reception, on November 28th, from 7-11PM, which will also feature the opening of the Oolite Visual Arts Showcase, Miami artists under 30. A-B(o)MB II will take place at the legendary Macy’s corner, 2 West Flagler Street NW, Miami, Florida, with the generous support of Macy’s and DWNTWN, and will present an exciting calendar of arts and cultural events that will run through the month of December in the heart of Downtown Miami.
'The Fallout' is Artoconecto's first satellite show in conjunction with Basel/Miami, and will be held at Macy's/Burdine's historic Flagler Street during Basel week. The jury includes artists Gregory de la Haba (NYC), Clifton Childree (Miami), and Christina Pettersson (Sweden/Miami), giving artists a true voice in the selection process.
This will be our second show in Miami, after over a dozen shows in Washington, DC, where Artoconecto was a National Endowment for the Arts Grantee. Artoconecto was awarded a grant from DWNTWN (Downtown Development Authority) for A-B(o)MB II: The Fallout, after receiving grants this year from Miami-Dade Cultural Affairs, for KIDSART, an arts program for children, and from the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce for the Borscht Film Festival. According to Executive Director Alexandra Rangel, "Miami’s Downtown has evolved from a bustling business core to an international entertainment destination. Casual and upscale dining, lounges, nightclubs and music venues have created an excitement around Flagler Street, Downtown’s traditional ‘Main Street’. Arts venues are the latest addition, adding a cultural layer to an already thriving mosaic. ‘A-B(o)MB II: The Fallout’ will present the best that Downtown has to offer through a month-long celebration of the arts."

For more information or to RSVP, please contact Alexandra Rangel at Artoconecto@gmail.com or call at 786-246-2052.

A-B(o)MB to Examine 'Sense of Place'

2009-11-13T11:08:00.000-08:00

ABOMB II: THE FALLOUT, will explore the dialogue that continues to evolve around the perception of place-internally, externally, and wherever the two intersect. Today's 'American Dream' has its own surreal waking life in art. With its dangerously twisting highways, the American narrative seems to have been building to a booming crescendo, only to end with a flatliner. Or as Texas-born sculptor Joel Ross famously said, "Everything I’m thinking about right now falls under an umbrella of examining a f**ked up place called America." In Miami, a city perhaps more truly American than any other, where the curvilinear skyscrapers with ocean views and thirty-foot balconies mock the more earthbound among us, we are challenged every day to make art out of America. The big question is, will there be a real narrative, one that is pieced together from those bold enough to risk poking their fingers into the whirling machine to remove some tiny, gritty granules of truth?

Highlighting The Jury

2009-08-16T17:30:00.000-07:00

Gregory de la Haba

"There are few buttons that Gregory de la Haba's work does not push, few boundaries it does not transgress, few sacred cows and fewer horses it does not upend. The New York City-based artist and provocateur's wild hell-ride of a sculptural installation, Between Nothingness and Paradise, is a sprawling critique of politics, gender, and sexuality, cloaked in the mantle of old-school artistic swagger. To behold the dramatically posed, erotically assertive taxidermic equines at the heart of this formally and conceptually formidable installation is to be awed, attracted, repulsed, intrigued, piqued, and struck plain dumb."

for the full essay by Richard Speer http://delahaba.com/dlh_catalogue_essay.html

Gregory de la Haba and his work were the most talked-about sensation at last year's Art Basel/Miami Beach, with major pieces in both the Miami Herald and the Miami New Times. Gregory is a NYC-based artist, who has long been recognized as an exemplary practitioner of the more traditional asthetics of fine art; accolades and honors have come regionally and internationally and have firmly established the artist as a brilliant draftsman who proceeds with an acute conceptual edge. A cum laude graduate of Harvard University, as well as a star pupil at the Museum School of Fine Arts in Boston, MA; La Universidad del Sacrado Corazon in Santurce, PR; and Artes Plasticas in San Juan, PR, de la Haba's work has been displayed from the giant billboards of Times Square, to Caeser's Palace; and is in many private collections, including The New York Historical Society's permanent collection.

http://www.delahaba.com/

Clifton Childree

Miami resident Clifton Childree is a filmmaker/artist who in 2003 completed his six-year solo feature film project, The Flew, which Cashiers Du Cinemart Magazine named as one of the top 50 Midnight Movies made in the last ten years. In 2004 Childree received the South Florida Cultural Consortium Fellowship and presented an installation of The Flew at the Miami Art Museum. His recent projects include She Sank on Shallow Bank, a stop-motion animated/live action dance film, Something Awful, a slapstick comedy/gore film co-commissioned by the Miami Performing Arts Center and the Miami Light Project for their 2006 Here and Now Festival and It Gets Worse made with funding from his 2007 Legal Art Native Seeds Grant. Childree is a featured artist in the book Miami Contemporary Artists. Childree was the first recipient of the Hilger Artist Project Award and in September 2008 after working for 2 months installing at Locust Projects in Miami, presented his life-sized amusement park installation, Dream-Cum-Tru.

His films have been screened at dozens of national and international film festivals, as well as museums and galleries, and have won numerous accolades.

http://www.cliftonchildree.com/

Photo courtesy David Goldman/The New York Times. Arts Section-Front Page

{At New York's Armory Show, there are also special commissioned projects like the Miami artist Clifton Childree’s 'Miamuh Swamp Adventure'-at Pulse Art Fair- a rickety installation resembling a rotting silent-movie theater. Inside is a film about Miami real estate scams at the end of the 19th century.}

(March 6, 2009)

Christina Pettersson

{Self-Portrait}

The multi-talented and captivating artist Christina Pettersson was born in 1976 in Stockholm, Sweden and currently lives in Miami, Florida. She has been published multiple times in New American Paintings and Manifest Drawing, and was the most recent Miami Herald Art Basel Competition Winner. Her latest video was chosen for the Museum of Contemporary Art's Optic Nerve XI show. She works primarily in drawing, and also creates video and installation.

"I am examining the notion of self as an evocation of the whole of one's history, not as one lives it in acts of circumstance, but as one's imagination creates it, in the mind and passions. Reality is not simply the world as it exists outside our minds but the product of the imagination as it shapes the world. Because it is constantly changing as we attempt to find imaginatively satisfying ways to perceive the world, reality is an activity, not a static object. We put together parts of ourselves in an attempt to make it seem coherent. To make sense of the world is thus to construct a world view of ourselves thru an active exercise of the imagination....In the end this work achieves what memory and the body cannot, a kind of immortality."

In 2006 she was awarded the South Florida Cultural Consortium Fellowship. In 1999 she returned to her native Sweden as a Fulbright Scholar, attending the Valand School of Fine Arts in Gothenburg. In 1997 Pettersson studied at the Studio Arts Center International in Florence, Italy as part of the study abroad program of the Maryland Institute, College of Art, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1998. Among other grants and awards she received a graduate grant from the School of the Art Institute, Chicago in 1999 and a grant in painting from the Vermont Studio Center in 2008. Christina is in the permanent collections of Martin Z. Margulies at the Warehouse, Miami, FL, Marty & Cricket Taplin at the Sagamore Hotel, Miami, FL, and the Birmingham Museum of Art. Christina has exhibited work at the NADA, PULSE, SCOPE and Chicago Art Fairs, Museum of Contemporary Art in Miami, Birmingham Museum of Art, AL, Baltimore Museum of Art, MD, Rocket Projects, Miami, FL, Carol Jazzar Contemporary Art, Miami,FL, Farside Gallery, Miami, FL, Gallery Geskel, Gothenburg, Sweden, Ayer Lofts Gallery, Lowell, MA, Brent Sikkema Gallery, New York, NY, SACI, Florence, Italy, and the von Liebig Art Center, Naples, FL. She is represented by Spinello Gallery in the Design District of Miami.

'We Are No Longer In The Land Of Kings', graphite on paper, 86"x68" (top)

Still from the MOCA-selected video, 'Legend' (bottom)

For a recent interview with Christina, see Miami Photo.

http://christinapettersson.com/home.html

http://www.spinellogallery.com/

Alexandra Rangel-Brody

Photo Credit: David Lachapelle

Alexandra Rangel arrived in Washington, DC from Venezuela nearly twenty years ago. Upon receiving her B.A. in Mass Media Art and Television Production, from the University of the District of Columbia in 1999, Alexandra began her journey in the pursuit of the perfect Art Show. While working as a producer for National Geographic, Alex realized that she was dissatisfied with the conservative culture of many of DC’s art galleries and the DC art scene in general; and she sensed that many of the people who wanted to see exciting art by new or upcoming artists, had no options in the DC area. She also understood that many emerging artists, who had a burning desire to show their work, did not have any venues in which to do so. She recognized that she would have to create a space, and Artoconecto was born.
A recipient of the prestigious City Arts Projects grant three years in a row, Alexandra turned Artoconecto from a small, Adams Morgan neighborhood art show, into one of the premier ‘underground’ art shows in Washington, DC. Fifteen shows later, many produced with the help of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, as well as the National Endowment for the Arts, Artoconecto took a three-year hiatus, as Alex moved to Miami, FL, and, with husband Danny Brody, opened Stop Miami. This notorious Wynwood/Design District wine & tapas bar became a local hangout for all manner of creative types, including writers, artists, gallery owners, and collectors, and was a showcase for many local artists and musicians. When it was sold in 2007, Alex formed a partnership with Bakehouse Art Complex to help finance and produce their Wynwood Art Walk openings, culminating, last October, with Miami's first A-B(o)MB. With this year's 'A-B(o)MB II: The Fallout', she will be producing Artoconecto's first art fair concurrent with Art Basel/Miami Beach.

Alex is currently producing 'Arte Kultura', an international art and culture show, for Voice of America Television. She also created and launched the very successful KIDSART, a Saturday morning arts program for kids, this past summer in Miami. Her mission is to continue to nurture and support the creative process, development, and growth, of artists.

Artoconecto Announces Call For Artists For A-B(o)MB II: 'The Fallout', and The CCCV: Oolite Visual Arts Showcase!

2009-08-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

Artoconecto presents 'A-B(o)MB II: The Fallout', the second annual juried show of emerging national and international artists that will run during Art Basel/Miami Beach, from opening night preview November 27th, through the month of December. Last year's A-B(o)MB (Art Basel (off) Miami Beach), drew almost 300 entries from around the world, and 39 artists saw their work exhibited at this wildly successful show, with many works sold. 'The Fallout' is Artoconecto's first satellite show in conjunction with Basel/Miami, and will be held at Macy's/Burdine's historic Flagler Street location in the heart of downtown Miami during Basel week. The jury includes artists Gregory de la Haba (NYC), Clifton Childree (Miami), and Christina Pettersson (Sweden/Miami), giving artists a true voice in the selection process. Jury Prize Winner(s) will be announced during Art Basel, with full media and Internet exposure given to all selected artists and their work. Artoconecto is also proud to present, in conjunction with 'The Fallout', The CCCV:Oolite Visual Arts Showcase, for Florida artists under 30, as part of the annual CCCV: Borscht Film Festival. For more info, please visit www.borscht.info or email visualartsubmission@borscht.info

ABOMB II: THE FALLOUT, will explore the dialogue that continues to evolve around the perception of place-internally, externally, and wherever the two intersect. Today's 'American Dream' has its own surreal waking life in art. With its dangerously twisting highways, the American narrative seems to have been building to a booming crescendo, only to end with a flatliner. Or as Texas-born sculptor Joel Ross famously said, "Everything I’m thinking about right now falls under an umbrella of examining a f**ked up place called America." In Miami, a city perhaps more truly American than any other, where the curvilinear skyscrapers with ocean views and thirty-foot balconies mock the more earthbound among us, we are challenged every day to make art out of America. The big question is, will there be a real narrative, one that is pieced together from those bold enough to risk poking their fingers into the whirling machine to remove some tiny, gritty granules of truth?

Artists in all media are encouraged to apply, and we are also accepting proposals for a site-specific piece. Our shows take place in a festive and unique atmosphere, and include live music and performance. This will be our second annual show in Miami, after over a dozen shows in Washington, DC, where Artoconecto was a National Endowment for the Arts Grantee.

Deadline for submissions has been extended to October 30, 2009, with the opening reception to be held on November 28, 2009. The show will run through December.

Contact: Danny Brody
Media Relations
786-246-2047

Alexandra Rangel
Executive Director
artoconecto@gmail.com

Artoconecto…plug in

A-B(0)MB II: The Fallout...Guidelines and Entry Form

2009-06-01T06:52:00.000-07:00

Artoconecto presents the Explosive 'A-B(o)MB II-The Fallout'
Art Basel (off) Miami Beach:In the Heart of Downtown Miami!

Artoconecto, the dynamic arts non-profit based in Miami, FL, presents a sequel to last year's wildly successful A-B(o)MB, Art Basel (off) Miami Beach. 'A-B(o)MB II: The Fallout', is an internationally-juried showcase of new and emerging local, national, and international artists, located in the heart of Downtown Miami, during Art Basel/Miami Beach. Open to all artists working in all media, this exhibition is devoted to the discovery and introduction of cutting-edge visual and performance art, and will feature Recent Works by each artist represented, as well as site-specific pieces created for this exhibition. The jury includes artists Gregory de la Haba (NYC), Clifton Childree (Miami), and Christina Pettersson (Sweden/Miami). The opening preview reception will be held on November 28, 2009, and the show will run through December, 2009. This exciting show is presented by Artoconecto, a federally-recognized 501(c)3 arts non-profit, and a National Endowment for the Arts grantee in 2001-2003 in Washington, DC.

CD/DVD'S ALLOWED FOR SUBMISSION: Submit CD/DVD'S, labeled with artist’s name, title of work (if untitled please number), media, and dimensions of work. Indicate top of work on abstract work. Self-addressed stamped envelope must be included with sufficient postage for the return of CD/DVD'S. CD/DVD'S will be returned within 30 days of show opening. Entries without a SASE will not be returned. All other formats will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Entries may also be submitted electronically, to Artoconecto@gmail.com, accompanied by completed entry form and handling fee.

SITE-SPECIFIC WORK FOR A-B(o)MB II: The Fallout: Artists are encouraged to submit a proposal for a site-specific piece for this show. This is considered a separate entry, with a separate entry fee.

FEES: There is a $40.00 handling fee per entry for up to five images. Additional images are $5.00/each. Payment must be made by check or money order in dollars, payable to ARTOCONECTO, or may be made online at Artoconecto.org.

AWARDS: Jury Winner (or Winners) will be announced during Art Basel Miami Beach 2009, one of the most important international art fairs in the world. Full media and Internet exposure will be given to all selected artists and their work.

TERMS: Artoconecto encourages sales to the public and will charge a 25% commission on all work sold during the exhibition. Be sure to price your work accordingly. All work must be framed and suitable for hanging. 3-Dimensional work must be accompanied by a pedestal or stand.

LIABILITY: Artists are responsible for shipping and insuring their own work. Artoconecto will handle all work with extreme care. However, Artoconecto assumes no responsibility for damage or theft. Shipped work must be insured. All claims for works damaged in shipment are the responsibility of the artist and the shipper. Artists whose works are not sold will be financially responsible for arranging the return of their work. Artoconecto will send accepted artists detailed instructions on shipment and return of works. A pick-up date for artists in the Miami area will be assigned. Artoconecto will not be responsible for unclaimed artwork after assigned date.

DEADLINE: The final postmarked deadline has been extended to October 30, 2009. Entries must be postmarked by this date. Artists will be notified within two weeks.

{PLEASE PRINT]
ENTRY FORM
Name Telephone
Address email
City State Zip
Image List: please number images, and list title, medium, dimensions, and price below.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
SUBMIT BY MAIL OR ELECTRONICALLY, BY OCTOBER 23RD, THE FOLLOWING :
IMAGES, SIGNED ENTRY FORM, SASE, ENTRY FEE
MAIL COMPLETED APPLICATION TO:
ARTOCONECTO 941 NE 84th St, Miami, FL 33138
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO EMAIL US TO RECEIVE MORE INFORMATION
Artoconecto@gmail.com
Submitting an entry form constitutes an agreement on the part of the artist with all of the conditions in this prospectus.
_______________________________________
(signed)

Miami Herald Lauds KIDSART!

2009-05-28T09:45:00.000-07:00

Artoconecto to offer free art program for children throughout Miami-Dade

KIDSART, a new art program by Artoconecto, will bring out the inner artists in kids ages 7-13 -- and it won't cost a thing.

BY PATRICIA GONZALEZ

Special to The Miami Herald

Painting a color-by-number mural, decorating bottles to be hung on a tree and making a giant collage of family photos. These are some of the activities offered in a free art program for kids that takes place this summer.....more

Artoconecto Awarded Grant for KIDSART!

2009-05-28T08:12:00.000-07:00

Artoconecto, the dynamic Miami arts non-profit, has been awarded a Community Grant from the Miami-Dade County Dept. of Cultural Affairs, to help launch KIDSART, a Saturday morning arts program where children ages 7-13 will visit artists' studios to attend workshops led by the artists themselves. Each week the children will be given a community-oriented theme, like recycling, or diversity, and guided through arts projects correlating to those themes, culminating in a public exhibition. "We are very excited to begin KIDSART, especially now, at a time when arts programming has been cut back so severely in our public schools," said Alexandra Rangel-Brody, executive Director of Artoconecto. "We are also very excited to partner with national volunteer group, City Year, and we hope to add the arts as an additional component to their current mentoring programs in our schools."

Artoconecto is actively looking to partner with local artists who would like to share their studio space one Saturday morning, giving kids an opportunity to experience the artist's working environment. Any artist that wishes to participate can contact Artoconecto. The workshops will be followed by lunch, sponsored by World Resources Cafe on Lincoln Road, which will allow the children to interact informally with the artists and each other. Art supplies and materials generously donated by Utrecht Art Supplies; photo services by Tropicolor. Additional sponsors, as well as matching funds for the Miami-Dade grant, are being actively pursued as well.

KIDSART will include a partnership with 'City Year', the national service organization already working in 8 Miami-Dade public schools, who will have senior corps members attend the workshops and also write evaluations of the program for Miami-Dade, Artoconecto, and for the potential inclusion of KIDSART in their own volunteer programs. KIDSART will take place for five Saturday mornings from July 18th through August 15th, and culminate on September 12, 2009, when the participants will experience the Second Saturday Art Walk with a public exhibition of their creations.
KIDSART BLOG Coming Soon!
For more info and registration forms, please contact:
Danny Brody
Community Relations
artoconecto@gmail.com
786.246.2047

KIDSART made possible through the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners

PLAYWRIGHT COMPETITION

2009-04-17T10:56:00.000-07:00

ARTOCONECTO ANNOUNCES:

DON'T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, GUIDELINES AND PRIZES GO TO:

For more information, please contact:

Ana Nuchowich

General Producer of the Hispano-American Playwriting Competition

E-mail address: TEATROBID@iadb.org

Or visit our website: www.teatrobid.org

e) We will not accept phone inquiries or scripts sent by e-mail.

THE HISPANO-AMERICAN

PLAYWRITING COMPETITION

In celebration of the

Fiftieth Anniversary of the IDB

The “Bárbara Simon” Theater Club of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Staff Association invites playwrights to participate in the Hispano-American Playwriting Competition in celebration of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the IDB. The IDB Staff Association is an organization that represents employees

of the IDB. One of its purposes is to promote their wellbeing through social, cultural, sports, and recreational activities. Contemporary Hispano-American playwrights have an arduous task in convincing theaters to premiere

their plays. This is where literary competitions play a crucial role: by endorsing the quality of a playwright, they create an opportunity that has the potential to advance his or her artistic career. The public has the

final word, deciding the fate of the playwright’s work by either accepting or rejecting it, but first, the curtain must rise. Competitions today are an important door to the stage for playwrights.

To participate in the competition, authors may choose one of the following categories:

a) Great Hispano-American Comedy for a minimum of seven characters (Written in Spanish)

b) Hispanos in the U.S.A., pero without stereotypes (Written in Spanish, English, or “Spanglish”)

c) Children’s Theater (Written in Spanish)

Participation in the competition is open to native citizens or foreigners with proof of more than five years

of residence in any of the IDB member countries:

Argentina, Austria, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, the People’s Republic of China, Peru, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, Slovenia, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

ARTOCONECTO ANNOUNCES

2009-04-17T10:09:00.000-07:00

Artoconecto is excited to announce the opening of the Miami World Cinema Center. We recently created a partnership with the Borscht Film Festival, for which we obtained a grant from the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce. Artoconecto, in conjunction with the Borscht's Visual Arts Committee will oversee the visual arts aspect of the Festival. We are currently accepting donations. For more information please contact us at artoconecto@gmail.com.

Press release

Miami, Florida – On December 1st, 2008, the John S. and James L. Foundation recognized the Miami World Cinema Center (MWCC) as one of the 31 recipients of the Knights Arts Challenge Grant with a matching-funds grant of $750,000 over four years. Out of 1,643 entries, Patrick de Bokay – Former Director of the Miami International Film Festival – and University of Miami graduates Josh Miller and Sam Rega, directors of the documentary Miami Noir: The Arthur Teele Story, proposed to create a hub for creative talent in filmmaking and promote local production. Today, after much research and planning, the Miami World Cinema Center inaugurates its new offices in Wynwood, Miami„s newest up-and-coming arts district. As the first non-profit film studio in Miami, MWCC‟s mission is to provide tools for filmmakers and ensure an increased production of high quality films. In order to achieve these goals, MWCC has assembled a Board of Directors comprised of established professionals in the industry with ties to Miami. Their role is to ensure that MWCC will fulfill its mission with the strongest support and guidance. The members are: South Florida resident David Frankel, director of films such as Marley & Me and The Devil Wears Prada, Ben Odell, Partner and Head of Production for Miami based feature film company Panamax, Sam Grogg, Dean of University of Miami School of Communication, Deborah Liebling, President of Production at Fox Atomic and Steve Krams, President and CEO of Continental Film and Digital Labs. “Miami is a young emerging metropolis with about 100 years of film history and plenty of creative artistic talent. Since films only exist because of creative artistic talent, our mission is to find it and facilitate the filmmaking process”, said de Bokay, CEO of Miami World Cinema Center. “We are delighted to have such a distinguished group of professionals on our board of directors. We hope that MWCC will be the catalyst for the South Florida industry to become compact and cohesive.”

The MWCC lot welcomes the Borscht Film Festival, a yearly event held at iconic Miami venues showcasing the work of local filmmakers under the age of 30 who specialize in telling Miami stories that go beyond the typical portrayal of the city. MWCC and Borscht have teamed to transform the underground festival‟s fifth year into one of national recognition. This year‟s festival unites acclaimed local directors with Miami‟s top emerging talent in the creation of Miami-centric films.

Robert F. Merton's 'Temperatures' Coming to Miami!

2009-02-22T10:53:00.000-08:00

ROBERT F. MERTON’S 'TEMPERATURES'

Artoconecto is excited to present painter Robert F. Merton’s first solo exhibition ‘Temperatures’, on Thursday, April 9, 2009, for a sneak VIP preview, followed by an exhibition open to the public on Saturday, April 11, at The Buena Vista Building in Miami’s Design District. The painter, who resides in the colder climes of New England, in the seaside village of Cohasset, will unveil his exciting new work in the tropical climate of Miami, where his work has received considerable early attention. His vibrant work, like his family name, demands historical perspective-his grandfather, Robert K. Merton, was a groundbreaking sociologist, who coined terms like 'self-fulfilling prophecy', and 'unintended consequences'. His father, Robert C. Merton, won a Nobel Prize in economics in 1997 for his work on a new method to determine the value of derivatives. And his own study of 15th-17th century European history, when a human-powered economy evolved into a mechanized economy (and a mechanized society), has influenced his understanding of the transitions through whi ch society and its members must evolve. "The transition period is what interests me," says Merton. "We are in an era of change, and we must embrace that."

Perhaps the natural progression of generations, from preeminent sociologist, to Nobel Prize winner, to visual artist, to whatever the future may bring for the youngest Merton, his son, Robert A. Merton, not only defines Robert F. Merton's work, but bestows upon it its enduring resonance. "Not everything has an immediate 'cause and effect'. But everything in the past has an effect on the present." Through his exacting work he alludes to the creative sweep of time; but Merton remains firmly rooted in the present, while acknowledging the ever-evolving and challenging journey towards our future.

Artoconecto, the dynamic arts non-profit based in Miami is adding a new layer to its mission statement of promoting emerging artists with Robert F. Merton’s Temperatures, by providing one artist with the tools to prepare for their first solo exhibition. “We would like to be able to create the first solo show for artists whose work we believe in; and who also have the drive, the talent and completed works ready to exhibit, but have not yet been approached or selected by a commercial gallery”, says Alexandra Rangel-Brody, Executive Director of Artoconecto, which has been operating since 1999 in Washington, D.C.

Robert F. Merton’s Temperatures is made possible by the generous support of Ms. Cosette Alves, President and Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of The Inter-American Culture and Development Foundation and the support of Dacra. For more information, please visit:

www.robertfmerton.com

When: VIP reception, Thursday, April 9. Second Saturday opening, April 11
Where: The Buena Vista Building, 180 NE 39th Street, Gallery 120, Miami, Fl, 33137
Private viewing: by appointment only.

Ends: Thursday, April 30

Contact: Alexandra R. Brody

R.S.V.P: (786) -246-2052

artoconecto@gmail.com

www.robertfmerton.com

www.artoconecto.org

Artoconecto Announces Exciting New Partnership with Borscht!

2008-10-29T10:03:00.000-07:00

The Borscht Film Festival (est. 2005) is an annual exhibition of new works by emerging Miami filmmakers. Each year we reunite to share our work at an iconic Miami venue, surrounded by local artwork and music.

We believe in Miami’s potential to host a world-class independent film industry. We are doing our part by collaborating to tell stories about, inspired by, or set in the city that go beyond the typical cinematic notions of Miami as a beautiful, vapid, backdrop. Our Miami has the richness of character to compete with Woody Allen’s New York, Fellini’s Rome, or Godard’s Paris. We want you to join us in telling Miami’s stories and shaping Miami’s onscreen legacy.

Any artist under 33 who lives and works in South Florida, as well as artists who were born, grew up, or were inspired by Miami and have moved elsewhere are invited to participate. The event is always free and open to the public.

The fourth annual festival’s theme is CCCV (triple-cee vee, or Miami’s iconic 305 area code in roman numerals), was a celebration of Miami’s idiosyncratic culture. The Short Film Showcase took place at the historic Tower Theater in Little Havana.

A-B(o)MB Photos!!!!

2008-10-22T00:12:00.000-07:00

Miami Herald http://www.miami.com/see-do/a-bomb Thank you Jipsy!
Miami New Times http://www.miaminewtimes.com/StreetTeams/galleryLocation/?data%5BStreetTeam%5D%5Blocation%5D=Artoconecto+presents+Art+Basel+of+Miami+Beach

Click To Enlarge!

2008-09-23T07:42:00.000-07:00

Don't Forget to RSVP for the VIP Sneak Preview!
Artoconecto@gmail.com

Artoconecto's 'Purvis/Peck' Project

2008-09-22T07:58:00.000-07:00

September 09, 2008 BAC to Restore Purvis Young Mural
by Kyle Munzenrieder-Miami New Times

Purvis Young's earliest works were painted with whatever materials he could get his hands on. One of his first public projects involved colorful plywood hung in the windows of abandoned Overtown buildings. Back then nobody worried much about preserving many of these pieces. Now, Young has been recognized as a true artistic talent, and the administrators of the Bakehouse Art Complex and Artconnecto have made restoration of a mural he painted on the building's walls in the early '90s a priority. Known simply as "The Mural," it has sustained damaged over the years do to the elements and neglect. An event celebrating the kick-off of the restoration is scheduled this Saturday, September, 13 at 10:00 am at the BAC (561 NE 32nd street, Miami FL, 33127). Young will meet renowned muralist Byron Peck for the first time. The two will discuss plans for the restoration of the mural.

Artoconecto on Plum TV Miami Beach!

2008-08-20T10:05:00.000-07:00

Please go to:

http://miamibeach.plumtv.com/videos/arto_conecto

for the entire interview!!

Highlighting The Jury!

2008-06-20T09:42:00.000-07:00

Claire Breukel graduated from the University of Cape Town with a BAFA honors (photography and English) and began working for the South African Center for Photography and the Association for Visual Arts, both non-profit organizations. Breukel went on to curate exhibitions including the 2002 Cape Town Month of Photography biennale, the Vision Photography Festival as well as the Brett Kebble Art Awards in 2003 and 2004. Her introduction to Miami was through the Rubell Family Collection Internship, after which she took the position of Director of Exhibitions at ArtCenter/South Florida. In September 2006, Breukel went on to join Locust Projects, a renowned Miami non-profit organization, as their Executive Director. http://www.locustprojects.org/

Born and raised in Miami, Jen Stark graduated with a BFA from Maryland Institute College of Art in 2005. Upon viewing her artwork, one may think of complex microscopic patterning, rainbows, and mysterious organic structures. Her work reminds us of how repetition slowly changes shape over time. Stark's artwork begins through a simple process but manages to grow into intricate structures. She frequently challenges the constrictions of paper and creates three-dimensional sculptures using only an exacto and glue. http://www.jenstark.com/

Internationally exhibiting LA-based artist and curator (http://www.dreamlandshow.info/ )Annie Wharton was born in Tallahassee, Florida and lived in Stuttgart, Germany, New York, NY, and Miami Beach, Florida before moving to Los Angeles in late 2005. Her work has been featured in publications that include the New York Times, Art in America, Art Papers, Art.Es (Spain) Ha'aretz (Israel), Giornale dell'Arte (Italy), Glamour, and German Elle. In addition to a wide array of international art fairs, gallery and alternative spaces throughout the US, Israel, Japan and Europe, she's shown her work in group shows at museums such as the Museum of Contemporary Art in Washington, DC, the Ringling Museum of Sarasota, and in Miami at the Lowe Museum the Bass Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Art and in solo museum exhibits at the Kirishima Open Air Museum in Kirishima, Japan and The Wolfsonian-FIU Museum. Her work is in important private collections throughout the world and can be found in public and corporate collections such as the 4 Seasons Hotels, the Neiman Marcus Collection, Trump Towers, The Related Group, the Miami-Dade Public Library, and the Kagoshima Public Art Collection. Her studio is located in Chinatown in Los Angeles, California. http://www.anniewharton.com/

G. Byron Peck is the Founder/Artistic Director of non-profit City Arts, and has created over 80 murals throughout the United States and abroad, including the iconic Duke Ellington mural in Washington, DC, where he resides. He has created paintings for shows in New York and Washington D.C., taught classes at the Corcoran School of Art, the Smithsonian Museum, George Washington University and George Mason University. He has won four grant awards from the D.C. Arts and Humanities Commission (1987,’95, ’97,’99), two Fellowships for Painting from the Virginia Museum of Fine Art (1977,’79), and received the prestigious District of Columbia Mayor's Art Award, for Excellence in Artistic Discipline in 2000. Mural commissions have included the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the American Embassy in Santiago, Chile and the U.S. Nuclear Energy Commission Headquarters. Peck is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, where he received a BFA in painting and printmaking. For the last nine years the development of the arts organization City Arts has been his main concern. http://www.peckstudios.com/

Alexandra Rangel arrived in Washington, DC from Venezuela nearly twenty years ago. Upon receiving her B.A. in Mass Media Art and Television Production, from the University of the District of Columbia in 1999, Alexandra began her journey in the pursuit of the perfect Art Show. While working as an associate producer for National Geographic, Alex realized that she was dissatisfied with the conservative culture of many of DC’s art galleries and the DC art scene in general; and she sensed that many of the people who wanted to see exciting art by new or upcoming artists, had no options in the DC area. She also understood that many emerging artists, who had a burning desire to show their work, did not have any venues in which to do so. She recognized that she would have to create a space, and Artoconecto was born.
A recipient of the prestigious City Arts Projects grant three years in a row, Alexandra turned Artoconecto from a small, Adams Morgan neighborhood art show, into one of the premier ‘underground’ art shows in Washington, DC. Fifteen shows later, many produced with the help of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, as well as the National Endowment for the Arts, Artoconecto took a three-year hiatus, as Alex moved to Miami, FL, and, with husband Danny Brody, opened Stop Miami. This notorious Wynwood/Design District wine & tapas bar became a local hangout for all manner of creative types, including writers, artists, gallery owners, and collectors, and was a showcase for many local artists and musicians. When it was shuttered in 2007, Alex formed a partnership with Bakehouse Arts Complex to help finance and produce their Wynwood Art Walk openings, which included the wildly successful 'Pablo Cano in Wynwood'. She shares with Bakehouse the mission of continuing to nurture and support the creative process, development, and growth, of artists.

Miami Herald Raves About Artoconecto Launch Party!

2008-03-06T07:48:00.000-08:00

http://www.miamiherald.com/236/story/533927.html