fbpx

Meet and Greet

South Florida’s public sculptures have stories to tell

South Florida’s public art is just as colorful and creative as its millions of residents.

Craig Robins, an art collector and developer of Miami’s Design District, says public art “gives people a sense of place.” Developer Jorge M. Perez, who is responsible for Miami becoming the permanent home to “Awilda,” a 39-foot sculpture of a Dominican girl’s face, believes works like it establish a city’s “unique” identity.

For any public art to come to life, it needs to be “involved in human interaction,” says Bonnie Clearwater, director and chief curator of Fort Lauderdale’s NSU Art Museum. Then, there’s give back: what the art returns to its viewer. “Successful public art offers respite from the structured urban environment and moments of contemplation for visitors in parks and plazas,” she says.

Take our tour of four of the most interesting public art “people” in Miami-Dade. You can easily see all four works in under an hour. But before you go, learn the stories of how each became a permanent part of the SoFla landscape.

Awilda2NickGarciaPhotography“Looking Into My Dreams, Awilda” by Jaume Plensa;

East end of Museum Park, 1075 Biscayne Blvd.

The Spanish artist who created it in 2012 invites visitors to stand in front of his gigantic sculpture and feel as if they are looking into a mirror. His message is that the head is the power of big dreams. The piece initially was shown in Rio de Janeiro and then traveled to Chicago’s Millennium Park, where it was installed in 2014. That’s where Perez saw it and purchased it as a promised gift to the Perez Art Museum Miami. “For ‘Awilda,’ Miami is the perfect place to live. Water is the main public space in the world,” Plensa says. The head is made of marble, resin and fiberglass, and is composed of 15 individual pieces, which are dismantled when “Awilda” is moved.

LeCourbesier1“Le Corbusier” by Xavier Veilhan; Miami Design District, Palm Court, second level near Panerai, 140 NE 39th St.

The French artist’s fiberglass sculpture of architect Charles-Edouard Jeanneret, aka Le Corbusier, is one of Miami’s most-photographed selfie spots. The 10-foot, waist-up bust of one of the pioneers of modern architecture is dressed in a suit coat and bow tie with pen in hand, deep in thought, creating one of his drawings. Veilhan based the sculpture on a photo he saw of Le Corbusier. The larger-than-life depiction originally was installed atop the Cité Radieuse (“Radiant City”) in Marseilles, France, one of Le Corbusier’s most famous buildings. The artwork, which Robins purchased for the Design District, fit with the developer’s idea of the district being a creative center, as well as a luxury shopping mecca.

Meditation“A Meditation on the Possibility of Romantic Love, or Where You Goin’ with that Gun In Your Hand, Bobby Seale and Huey Newton Discuss the Relationships Between Expressionism and Social Reality in Hitler’s Paintings” by Daniel Joseph Martinez;

Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum, Florida International University, 10975 SW 17th St.

To look at the two nondescript silhouettes, standing about 6 feet, and made of white Carrara marble, you’d never know they were meant to make a big political statement. Martinez’s work depicts an infamous 1960s photograph of Black Panther revolutionaries Bobby Seal and Huey P. Newton. Martinez was inspired by large-scale sculptures that would stand guard before palaces and tombs in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, and he reimagined the pair as protectors of civil rights and liberties.

The sculpture, created in 2005, was part of the Frost Art Museum’s exhibit “Because I Say So …” in 2009. The owners of the work, Miami Beach art collectors Dennis and Debra Scholl, decided that the piece should make a permanent statement at the university museum, and they donated it in 2016.

La Dance“La Danse” by Alice Pittaluga; Pinecrest Gardens, Hammock Pavilion, 11000 Red Road

The Brazilian artist’s creation was inspired by Henri Matisse’s 1910 painting of the same name. Fascinated by movement, she created a three-dimensional representation of the work in sculpture. In her homage, five male and female nudes whirl in a frenzy. It’s one of two such tributes to “La Danse”; one resides at Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden; this one was donated to the village of Pinecrest in January 2014 by Pittaluga’s husband, Carlos Bueno, after her death.

Alana S. Perez, director of Pinecrest Gardens, says the Bueno and Bonnier families were instrumental in making the sculpture an important part of the Gardens. Carlos’ son, Roberto Bueno, and his wife, Tora Bonnier Bueno, are Pinecrest residents.

Tora is an art consultant and curator, and served as curator of the Garden Gallery. Tora’s mother, Annette Bonnier, also a Pinecrest resident and photographer, is a founding member and on the board of The Garden Fund, “which has done so much for the botanical well-being and beautification of the Gardens,” Perez says. “The Bueno and Bonnier families are truly philanthropic, artistic and cultured in every way.”

You May Also Like

A&E Spotlight: Alan Cumming

The acclaimed actor, author, entertainer and activist has more on his mind than his upcoming cabaret show in Boca.

The Beat Goes On

The drummer for rock band Spektora shares insights into his journey and the live music scene in South Florida.

Spotlighting Live Local Music

Meet the talented musicians who make their living by taking the stage at venues throughout South Florida.

Montana Tucker Uses Worldwide Influence to Honor Jewish Heritage

The TikTok sensation and Boca native puts dancing on hold long enough to share a life-altering exploration of genocide.

Other Posts

Picturing Fame

It was the era of La Belle Époque in late 19th century Paris, a “Beautiful Age” of more than just peace, prosperity and technological advances. The cultural scene had exploded, giving artists, authors, poets, actors, singers and dancers an inspired, vibrant atmosphere in which to showcase their talent. But it took more than just a

Legends in the House 

April brings a host of entertainment icons to the guitar-shaped resort at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino for what promises to be a memorable month of shows at Hard Rock Live.  Janet Jackson kicks things off with two shows (April 14 & 16) as part of her “Together Again” tour that includes special guest Ludacris. The five-time Grammy

Local Music: The Venues

Johnnie Brown’s: This popular spot near the railroad tracks on Atlantic Avenue has them dancing in the streets with live local music seven nights a week. (301 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; johnniebrowns.com) Crazy Uncle Mike’s: Founder Mike Goodwin’s brewery and live music haven draws rock tribute bands, singer/songwriters, guitar-driven blues acts, reggae groups—and more—to

Blackwater Beauty

Story by John Pacenti Steven Kovacs was no more than 5 years old, walking the beaches of Nova Scotia in his native Canada when he found a starfish and “went crazy over this creature.” “I was just enamored with underwater life from a very young age,” Kovacs recalls. “It was probably watching TV shows such