I’m back, and happy to tell you that the newest restaurant, on the fanciest street in Miami Beach, has hit a home run. It’s not only gorgeous, but the food is absolutely delicious. What was it like to be Rosa de la Cruz, one of the top art collectors in the world, with your own private museum? You’ll find out in my most recent podcast. Join Miami’s movers and shakers at the upcoming Grand Gala benefiting Baptist Health. Freadom is not a typo, it’s a  free concert to kick off National Banned Books Week.

What A Catch

The newest restaurant, on the fanciest street in Miami Beach, has hit a home run. It’s not only gorgeous, but the food is absolutely delicious. Catch Miami Beach is a 23,000 sq.ft. dining destination with an open-air rooftop terrace that has great views of the town.

The Catch Hospitality Group is  one of the most renowned companies in the restaurant business. It started in 2011 in New York and now has restaurants all across the country.  See the list in the photos.

The group I am dining with, the Greenberg’s, has been together for more than 26 years. We like to eat and drink. Ruth is really the ring leader. It’s strange how she is the skinniest one. She keeps the score card of the newest and the best restaurants. She doesn’t allow any of us to miss out on any new addition.

From left to right, Robert Armada, (the newest addition. He belongs to Steve Greenberg all the way to the right), Eliot Hess, me, Ruth Greenberg, and Howard Greenberg (Ruth’s husband and brother to Steve).

I was really surprised how much the group really liked Catch because we all have different tastes. The Gem Salad is not to be missed because it is one of the best you will ever have. It’s a mixture of everything that just makes it perfect. The  Branzinos and Salmons were succulent in every temperature range. The desserts were a big surprise with a chocolate cake that explodes and a vegan cheesecake that tastes better than many of the dairy ones.

Oh, one more thing. The bartenders aim to please. Ruth wanted her Chocolate Martini made a certain way and the mixologists gave her just what she wanted without making a fuss. The signature drinks show just how much a restaurant cares. I had the Lush Lemonade cocktail, and it was so good I guzzled it down. My husband Eliot had to remind me it was not soda pop.

What Is It Like to Be One of the World’s Top Art Collectors?

A few weeks ago I did a podcast with one of the best-known gals in the Miami area, Ibett Yanez del Castillo. For 19 years, she worked very closely with Rosa de la Cruz, one of the top art collectors in the world, who also owned her own private museum. This podcast is probably one of the most intimate and detailed interviews you will ever hear about art collectors as successful as the de la Cruz’s. Ibett has accomplished so much in her career that you will just have to read her bio below to see all of the activities. I know Ibett very well because she is now the director of the very successful art gallery, Emerson Dorsch. We see each other all the time.

Ibett Yanez del Castillo

Rosa and Carlos repeatedly earned a spot on the ARTnews Top 200 Collectors list.  Rosa died at the age of 81 in her home on Key Biscayne, Florida on February 25, 2024, following a long battle with an undisclosed autoimmune disorder. Rosa had five children, 17 grandchildren and six great grandchildren

Ibett thinks about Rosa every day and credits her with the successful and fulfilling life she has had in art.  Ibett tells us all about Rosa and how she and Carlos assembled one of the finest collections of contemporary art, particularly postwar German paintings. She will also give us the background on how and why Rosa and Carlos opened one of Miami’s first private art museums. She also reveals how Rosa selected the art in her collection, and she didn’t buy a piece just because she loved it.

Ibett has been with Emerson Dorsch Gallery since 2019 and is the Founder of Ground Control Miami, where she provides tailored collection management and art consultation services for institutions and collectors. With over 20 years of experience, she has worked with galleries, collectors, non-profits, and private and public educational institutions within the greater Miami community. She earned a BFA from the University of Florida (New World School of the Arts). She began her career at the Moore Space, serving as assistant director from 2004-2007. In 2008, she became the founding director of the de la Cruz Collection, where she oversaw the construction phase of the collectors’ 30,000 square-foot museum in Miami’s Design District. She established all aspects of the collection’s mission, from its educational programming to its annual exhibitions, achieving worldwide recognition.

In 2009, with the vision and philanthropic dedication of Rosa and Carlos de la Cruz, along with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and numerous educators and community members, Ibett, together with gallerist and NWSA faculty member Fredric Snitzer, initiated the New World School of the Arts Travel Abroad Program. Since its inception, this program has provided hundreds of students with unique artistic and cultural experiences, enhancing their understanding of world history and the arts through direct exposure. The program continues to benefit Miami artists today.

Ibett has cultivated extensive relationships within the contemporary art network, establishing multiple educational programs, visiting artist seminars, performances, and exhibitions. She has developed connections with the world’s leading auction houses, galleries, foundations, and academic institutions, including The Fabric Workshop and Museum (Philadelphia), White Columns (New York), The Sculpture Center (New York), School of Visual Arts (New York), Parsons The New School (New York), The Pritzker Family Foundation, The Hyatt Foundation, The Key Biscayne Foundation, and The Miami Foundation. In 2014, she attended the Fabric Workshop and Museum in Philadelphia and the Acadia Summer Arts Program (ASAP) on Maine’s Mount Desert Island, founded by Marion ‘Kippy’ Boulton Stroud, also known as Kamp Kippy, which hosted hundreds of artists and their guests and families over its nearly three-decade run.

In 2017, Ibett was nominated and accepted into the International Association of Curators of Contemporary Art (IKT) and has been an active board member at the Fountainhead Residency since 2019.

As Director of Emerson Dorsch Gallery, Ibett has worked with gallery partners Brook Dorsch and Tyler Emerson-Dorsch to strengthen the gallery’s presence in Miami and the global art scene. Founded by Brook Dorsch in 1991, Emerson Dorsch Gallery has shaped the trajectory of Miami’s contemporary art scene by championing artists at all stages of their careers, both local and international.

In 2022, gallery partners Brook Dorsch and Tyler Emerson-Dorsch, along with Ibett, expanded their vision to include an artist residency on a 68-acre property in rural western North Carolina. The Metcalf Creek Holler (MCH) serves as an artists’ residency and retreat, offering artists the opportunity to immerse themselves in the natural beauty and culture of the Western North Carolina mountains. MCH also supports community programming that features resident artists and their work.

Episode 25 – Ibett Yanez del Castillo | Art Lovers Forum Podcast

https://www.artloversforum.com/e/episode-25-ibett-yanez-del-castillo/

Oct. 5. Miami’s Movers and Shakers

If you ever wanted to meet the most accomplished, and most philanthropic folks in Miami, then plan on attending The Grand Gala Benefiting Baptist Health, on Saturday, October 5, 2024, at 6 p.m.

Dance the night away with an exclusive performance by global music icon and philanthropist, Marc Anthony followed by The Danny Beck Party Band.

The event will take place at the Miami Beach Convention Center, Grand Ballroom, 1900 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach.  Complimentary Valet Parking.

Eliot and I belong to The Baptist Health Foundation. We joined because we wanted professionals to help us navigate the choice of doctors and secure appointments that are usually difficult to get. Hopefully, we will not need them for a long time.

Through philanthropy, the Foundation supports and expands Baptist Health’s ability to provide outstanding patient care and bring the latest treatments to patients and families affected by a serious illness. Donor contributions also allow the Foundation to assist Baptist Health facilities in keeping pace with technology and equipment advances, perform cutting-edge research, and offer continuing education opportunities to medical staff.

Hospitals:

Baptist Hospital – Supporting the modernization of the facility’s main entrance and lobby, NICU and surgical suites.

Bethesda Hospital – Extending access to superior care.

Doctors Hospital – Benefiting groundbreaking research initiatives and outcomes.

Fishermen’s Community Hospital –Benefiting a new Fishermen’s Community Hospital.

Homestead Hospital – Supporting essential equipment for one of the busiest Emergency Departments in South Florida.

Mariners Hospital – Expanding our emergency services to better care for our community.

South Miami Hospital – Creating a new, expanded home for the Center for Spine Care.

West Kendall Baptist Hospital –Supporting academic programs for resident physicians, nursing and allied health students across Baptist Health.
Unrestricted gift to Baptist Health South Florida to be used where the need is greatest.

Baptist Health Medical Group –Benefiting the Medical Staff Well-Being Fund.

Baptist Outpatient Services – Supporting the implementation of telehealth solutions and the addition of a behavioral health navigator.

For additional information, please visit www.BaptistHealth.net/Foundation, call 786-467-5400 or email Events@BaptistHealth.net.

Sept. 22. Free concert kicks off National Banned Books Week

If you want the freedom to read every book that has ever been published since the beginning of time, consider attending this Miami concert.

The Books & Books Literary Foundation will kick off National Banned Book Week with a free concert featuring GRAMMY-winning singer-songwriter Joanie Leeds. The event is called “Sing For Freadom, a free concert to kick off National Banned Books Week.

The event will feature a performance from Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Joanie Leeds, live readings of banned children’s books and opportunities to purchase books. Books & Books, the popular Miami bookstore, has been a vocal advocate against book bans in Florida. 

When: Sept. 22, 3 p.m.

Where: Coral Gables Congregational Church, 3010 De Soto Blvd., Coral Gables

Info: Free to RSVP. https://www.booksandbooks.com