Celebs and other art symbiots at Miami

This year's Art Miami and Context Art Miami fairs were visited by prominent attendees, including actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who was the first to see both fairs in a private tour prior to the opening, and actor/artist Adrien Brody attended the closing on Sunday. 

Many other notable celebrities, collectors and art advisors filled in the week, including Elle Macpherson; Troy Garity (Jane Fonda's son); Jorge and Darlene Pérez; Canadian business mogul and "Shark Tank" investor Kevin O'Leary and his wife Linda; basketball star Alonzo Mourning; fashion magnate Tommy Hilfiger; Stephen and Kara Ross; George Collins (former CEO of T. Rowe Price); Edgardo Defortuna; TV producer Larry W. Jones; Jessica Goldman Srebnick and Scott Srebnick; Richard Perlman and Ellen Hanson; Chris and Jane LaGuardia; Sandy Gross; Hilary and Wilbur Ross; owner of Philadelphia Eagles, Jeffrey Lurie; President & CEO of Miami Dolphins Tom Garfinkel; Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Barak and wife Nili Priel; U.S. Ambassador Earle Mack; Ahmet Kobasiuk (Borusan Contemporary, Istanbul); Harry Cooper (curator and head of modern art at the National Gallery of Art); The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery assistant curator of prints and drawings Asma Naeem; Don Bacigalupi, Founding President for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (Chicago) and Former President and member of the board of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art; collectors Lizbeth and George Krupp (Boston); David Mirvish (Toronto); Howard and Mary Frank (Miami and Southampton); Maxine and Stuart Frankel (Michigan); Paul and Paula Wittmann (Palm Beach); Andrew and Stacey Kroll; collectors Robert and Dede Moss; basketball player David Lee; philanthropists Jeff and Yolanda Berkowitz; artist Carole Feuerman; Derek Harte; entrepreneur and philanthropist Mark Ein; andart advisor Kim Heirston. Artists present included Bernie Taupin and wife his Heather; Apex; Alexis Diaz; Gino Miles; Gary Lang and Ruth Pastine; John Henry; Doug Argue; Dana Louise Kirkpatrick; and Robert Sagerman. Notable guests at the VIP Preview included board members, artists, major collectors, business leaders, curators and directors such as: Merrill Lynch Wealth Management's Market Executive Josh Moody and Managing Director Andres de Corral; Christie's International Real Estate's CEO Dan Conn, Senior Vice President Rick Moeser, and Founding Member and Advisory Board member Jeff Hyland; Debi and Jeffrey Wechsler; Martin and Audrey Gruss; Bruce Makowsky; Marvin Ross Friedman and Adrienne Bon Haes; Ed Shumsky and Sue Kronick; Michel Witmer; art advisor Kim Heirston; Pérez Art Museum Miami's new Director Franklin Sirmans and Deputy Director for External Affairs Leann Standish; Bechtler Museum's (Charlotte, NC) Andreas Bechtler; Steve Schwarzman; Jerry Powers; Jane Wooldridge and Stetson Glines; developer Tony Cho; and stylist Elysze Held, along with many museum donors and young contemporaries from Pérez Art Museum Miami, Guggenheim Museum of Art, CORE Club, Cooper Hewitt Design, Bass Museum of Art; Frost Art Museum, ICA Miami, St. Louis Art Museum and Wolfsonian, among many others.

The Alper Initiative is ready to accept proposals

 
The Alper Initiative for Washington Art promotes an understanding and appreciation of the art and artists of the Washington Metropolitan Area. They provide and staff a dedicated space located within the gorgeous American University Museum, to present exhibitions, programs, and resources for the study and encouragement of our creative community.

The Alper Initiative space will feature five exhibitions per year. 

Jack Rasmussen, Director and Curator of the AU Museum, and one the DMV's strongest supporters of area artists, will select a curator (or curators) for each exhibition to develop shows that highlight regional artists. Washington area artists and curators are encouraged to submit exhibition proposals and work for consideration.

You can submit your proposal here. 

I plan to submit a proposal! If you have any ideas, drop me a note.

Wake effect

Constant readers already know that I'm always taking about the "wake effect" of doing art fairs.

Tim Vermeulen showed with us at Context Art Miami this past week and sold well.

We've also now just closed the deal on five commissions for him!

Bethesda Fine Arts Festival

Application Deadline: December 20

The Bethesda Fine Arts Festival features 130 booth spaces for artists. All original fine art and fine craft is eligible to apply. All work must be created by the artist; no manufactured or mass produced work is eligible. All artists must provide their own white tents and weights.

Details and application here.