Miami is now a major art town, and the Fredric Snitzer Gallery is participating in an emergency fundraiser for Ukraine.  There’s a restaurant in Miami Beach that will make you feel like you are on a Greek Island. I have long been an admirer of Evelyn Politzer’s fiber artwork, and I’m excited to see her latest exhibit, “Tree Huggers and Nests” at Miami Botanical Garden. And if you want a one stop cultural shop, Art Burst Miami is it. Two great Tomato events coming up: The Renewal Summit and a Call for Talent for the next Tomatoes Got Talent Show.

Artists for Ukraine

A number of years ago, very few people would buy a serious piece of art in Miami. We just didn’t have the respected name galleries and the type of artists that collectors wanted to buy. All that has changed. In the last five years Miami has become an art town. Some of the wealthiest collectors visit the Magic City on a regular basis to see who is being shown here and what folks are buying.

My new friend Pavlo Kerestey

For the last few weeks, the Fredric Snitzer Gallery has been a major destination for artists from all over the United States and Europe, to participate in an emergency fundraiser for Ukraine.  I met one of the artist organizers, Pavlo Kerestey, who spoke to me all about it.  We both agreed it’s a beautiful thing when people come together to help others. Pavlo was born in Ukraine but now lives in England and Germany. He is in Miami to help the fundraiser. We are attending this week to give our support. Contributing galleries include Piero Atchugarry Gallery, Breach, Emerson Dorsch, LnS Gallery, Diana Lowenstein Gallery, Mindy Solomon Gallery, Pan American Art Projects, and Spinello Projects.

In conjunction with this fundraiser, Voloshyn Gallery will also have a pop-up presentation in the secondary exhibition space showcasing timely work by Ukrainian artists—an effort to raise funds to support the artist’s individual needs. Artists include Nikolay Karabinovych, Susanne Clausen + Pavlo Kerestey, Vlada Ralko, Mykola Ridnyi, Oleksiy Sai, Yevgen Samborsky, and Maria Sulymenko.
https://artistsforukraine.org

GET THE DETAILS.

Belly Laughs 

Santorini by Georgios is one of those places you go to when you want to show Miami friends a good time. That’s what we did this week when friends from south Miami came to visit us on the beach. The funny thing about Miami is that many folks who live on the other side of Biscayne Bay rarely come to Miami Beach and vice versa. It has a lot to do with traffic and the crowds. The beach is known for rowdy partying and the balance of Miami is kind of like living in the burbs. Yes, there are areas like Brickell Avenue and Mary Brickell Village that look like New York City because of the influx of high-rise condos and restaurants. However, the beach is the beach.

There is nothing like living adjacent to one of the most beautiful beaches in the world and that’s exactly where Santorini by Georgios is located. It’s actually in the  Hilton Bentley Miami/South Beach. The restaurant is in the back of the hotel, steps away from the sand and the ocean. During the day you can rent lounge chairs and umbrellas directly on the sand and get served food from Santorini’s. This is the ultimate beach experience.

Photos by Eliot Hess

The Greek restaurant has indoor and outdoor dining accommodations. The outside has room enough for 100 diners so it’s very special. The ambiance, which includes a talented trio playing a wide range of music plus Middle Eastern for belly dancing, makes you feel like you are on a Greek Island.

Santorini by Giorgios offers Mediterranean cuisine. They have something for everyone, whether it’s an after-work drink with tapas, lunchtime meal, or a special celebration. Find specialties like flaming cheese saganaki, chicken souvlaki, lamb kebab with couscous, and a variety of fresh seafood, wood oven pizza, Greek pasta and salads.

By the way, the Kardashian’s have stayed at the Hilton Bentley many times. You just can’t beat the view and these gals only travel first class.

Tree Huggers and Nests

I have been an admirer of Evelyn Politzer’s fiber artwork for many years. I first saw her creations in an exhibit at the Miami International Airport. We were just coming off a flight from New York when I spotted a row of handcrafted objects in a glass case. I thought they were very unusual. I immediately took photos of them so I could show others. I later learned that Ms. Politzer  is a fiber artist who creates art objects by using the traditional methods of knitting, crochet and embroidery. Her work, which usually focuses on nature, is usually seen on small 2D tapestries to monumental sculptural forms. She uses yarn, thread, and fabric. Since then we have seen a number of Ms. Politzer’s exhibits that always seem to amaze me. I watched my mother crochet blankets for many years, but I never realized that the wool she used was also perfect for works of art.

Ms. Politzer, who was born in Uruguay (where the number of sheep exceeded the number of inhabitants), has lived in Miami for many years. After becoming a lawyer, she went on to get a degree from Parsons School Of Design because of her passion for art. She has often stated that natural fibers are still an important tool for the livelihood of many people, especially women. In promotional materials for her work, Ms. Politzer has said, working in fiber art allows her to “foster community, bringing people together to knit for different positive causes.” Ms. Politzer co-organized Worldwide Knit in Public Day In Miami from 2016 till 2019. During the 2020 pandemic, she created a platform for others to share their textile art journey. Together with two other local artists FAMA-Fiber Artists-Miami Association was born, with the mission of education and advancement of the contemporary fiber arts in Miami.

Ms. Politzer’s current exhibit starts this weekend at Miami Botanical Garden. It’s called Tree Huggers and Nests: The Art of Evelyn Politzer. It’s located at 2000 Convention Center Drive.  This exhibition is a “call to action showing the need to defend and create measures to protect the planet’s natural reserves, particularly the Everglades in Florida.” Ms.  Politzer’s work “pays an homage to the Everglades. The use of organic materials produces changes or mutations, that gradually blend within nature, making the viewer aware of the beauty of our environment.” This art exhibit is in honor of Earth Day. Get the details.

Miami’s One-Stop Culture Shop 

ArtburstMiami.com was born when the Miami Herald was forced to cut back its entertainment editorial coverage. I can’t believe how lucky we got in Miami when a group of art journalists decided to get together to start a nonprofit source of theater, dance, visual arts, music and performing arts news.

Not many areas of the country have a dedicated site that give you all the information you need to have a full life in the arts. It’s so important to get out of house, mingle with others, and get involved in meaningful programs. Make sure your future is filled with positive things to do. Life can be wonderful.  Sign up for the newsletter and never miss a story.