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Of art and design
A look at the creative geniuses who have awed the avant-garde community, the books that put it all in perspective, the spaces that house some of the world’s most treasured and important pieces and the shows that lure the masses to
come and admire the works.
The Three Muses
Design, architecture, video, mural, painting, sculpture—these are the arenas in which artists funnel their creative forces. They are as different as their works—from the architect who sees space and decor with an visionary eye, to the artist whose work was inspired by the industrial relationship between the United States and Mexico,
to the young upstart considered to be the art world’s next big thing.
 Ana de la Cueva
New York and Guadalajara.
The Guadalajara, Mexico native has been a favorite in the art scene in her native city since 1990. Now sharing time between New York and Guadalajara, this artist has made a name for herself with her installations that incorporate textiles, paintings, videography and mixed media. She made a big splash in the art world with the exhibit of her work Maquila, a video installation in which an industrial sewing machine is shown embroidering the outlines of the U.S. and Mexico in white thread on white fabric and stitching a red border between them. An award-winning artist, De la Cueva has shown all over Mexico, in the U.S. and Europe. In addition to her gallery work, art lovers can see her work in public art pieces in San Francisco, Edmonton, Canada and Miami.
 Luis Pons
Miami and Venezuela
Luis Pons has built a creative empire spanning the worlds of art, architecture, interior design, landscape, sculpture and even jewelry design. The multi-talented artist and founder of the firm Aponwao Design, Inc., has designed structures in Miami and turned them into live-in sculptures, integrating the elements of surprise, a sense of humor and a touch of magic. One of this many goals is to transcend function and envision new, and perhaps unexpected, applications. His designs have been featured in everything from Architectural Digest to The New York Times.
 Bhakti Baxter
New York, Miami and Paris
Argentine American Bhakti Baxter is a hot commodity in the art world. His professional career launched in his very early 20s when he began to exhibit in New York, Paris and Miami, where he now resides. Baxter collaborated in the creation of an alternative art space called The House. His geometric work seems to play off themes of symmetry, space and chaos. They engage the mind-optical relationship, as several of his pieces explore scale and perspective, and others play on portraiture. Baxter was so admired that in 2007, the Latin Grammy Awards selected his design as the official image for the awards.
The Books
One tells the story of a Cuba now lost. Another shares insights into a photographer’s travels. All are visually stunning works meant for more than a table top,
and each offer a glimpse into the creative world.
 Pedro E. Guerrero:
A Photographer’s
Journey
By Pedro E. Guerrero with
a foreword by Martin Filer
Princeton Architectural Press
The photographer shares his life in pictures, from his youth in segregated Mesa, Arizona to his work with Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin West and other artists. Both biography and photo book, A Photographer’s Journey is also a history lesson in design and architecture
 Fragile Demon:
Juan Soriano in Mexico, 1935 to 1950
By Edward J. Sullivan with texts by Octavio Paz and Carlos Fuentes, Yale University Press
With a career spanning nearly the length of his adult life, Soriano’s art was something of an anomaly. Originally printed to accompany a showing of his early works at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Fragile Demon serves to catalog his most powerful works and interpret the impact left by this Mexican artist.
 CUBA: Art and History from 1868 to Today
Edited by Nathalie Bondil,
Prestel Publishing
A nation’s history is told through art in this ambitious and heavy tome. Bondil, the director of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, selected numerous paintings, drawings and photos created over the past 150 years. In addition, the book includes essays examining the Cuban arts.
 Inverted Utopias: Avant-Garde Art
in Latin America
By Mari Carmen Ramírez and
Héctor Olea, Yale University Press
Considered one of the first large-scale reviews of 20th century avant-garde Latin American art, this book’s considerable 600 pages
containing hundreds of works of art and interpretive essays.
The Spaces
Spaces hosting the works of Latino artists are growing in number and prestige. This month art lovers can choose from exhibitions al over the country that highlight amazing artists and strengthen the community.
 Museum of Latin American Art (MoLAA)
Long Beach, California
www.molaa.org
What not to miss: Wilfredo Lam in North America, through August 31. Sixty five works of the Afro-Cuban Chinese artist, including paintings and drawings, are on display.
National Museum of Mexican Art
Chicago, Illinois
www.nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org
What not to miss: A Declaration of Immigration, through September 7. The exhibition portrays works expressing views held by immigrant communities.
Art Museum of the Americas
Washington, D.C.
www.museum.oas.org
What not to miss: Oscar Niemeyer: An Invention of Time, September 10-October 26. The works of the visionary architect who transformed buildings into public art are on display.
El Museo
del Barrio
New York, New York
www.elmuseo.org
What not to miss: Summer Nights at El Museo. This free concert series, held in the Heckscher Theater showcases musical talent.
 Museo Alameda
San Antonio, Texas
www.thealameda.org
What not to miss: Of Rage and Redemption: The Art of Oswaldo Guayasmin, through August 17. The first U.S. exhibit of the Ecuadorian artist’s work in almost 60 years.
Museo de las Americas
Denver, Colorado
www.museo.org
What not to miss: Spanish Happy Hour. Strengthen your Spanish and share in the love of art.
National Hispanic Cultural Center
Albuquerque,
New Mexico
www.nationalhispaniccenter.org
What not to miss: Puerto Rico Literario, through August 31. The exhibition covers Puerto Rican poster art over 50 years.
The Scene
Contemporary art and design shows shine a spotlight on all things creative. These fairs boasting Latin American and international flare are
among the country’s most anticipated and
acclaimed exhibitions.
Must Sees in 2008:
FotoSeptiembre USA
September 2008
San Antonio
www.fotoseptiembreusa.com
Providing an outlet for photographers and artists to show their works of photojournalism, portraits, series, photo-based art and more has been the mission of FotoSeptiembre since its inception 12 years ago. The latest installment saw a collection of 75 exhibits at 62 venues throughout the country showing the works of photographers from all over the world.
Pinta USA
November 13-16, 2008
New York
www.pintaart.com
The consummate Latin American art show in New York brings together 50 galleries from the U.S., Latin America and Europe and companies such as Christie’s and Sotheby’s for the exhibition. It showcases contemporary art representing the abstract, concrete, neo-concrete, kinetic and conceptual.
 Art Basel Miami Beach
December 4-7, 2008
Miami Beach
www.artbaselmiamibeach.com
Arguably the most important art and design show in the United States, this is the sister event to Art Basel in Switzerland, a 38-year-old art institution. Just like the Swiss version, the Miami show lures some of the best artists and galleries from all over the world and especially from Latin America. The result is a multi-venue celebration with thousands convening to see and buy works by more than 2,000 artists.
SCOPE Miami
December 3-7, 2008
http://scopemiami.com
An international venue for original emerging art has called Miami home for the last six years and has grown with each year. More than 250,000 people have visited the show to set eyes and ears upon unknown and lesser known artists. Many now famous artists had their first international exposure at SCOPE, which has shows in Miami, New York, London and in the Hamptons.
Mark Your Calendar in 2009:
SCOPE New York
March 4-8, 2009
New York
http://scopenewyork.com
Known as SNY09, New York’s SCOPE fair is an invitation-only affair, hosting only the upper crust of the art world in its home at Lincoln Center’s Damrosh Park. Limited to only 50 invitees, the artists representing four continents and 20 counties show in solo, group and thematic exhibitions. Additional shows include tours, screenings and special events.
 ArteAméricas
March 27-30, 2009
Miami
www.arteamericasmiami.com
Seventy galleries from throughout the Americas gather on Miami Beach over four days to represent the best of modern and contemporary artwork of the Western Hemisphere. Dozens of paintings, sculptures and multimedia art from well-known masters, mid-career and emerging artists are on display.
Art Chicago
May 1-4, 2009
Chicago
www.artchicago.com
The second city hosts its own global arts fair with more than 180 galleries displaying work, from the classic world to the most avant-garde creators. It’s an ideal spot for visitors to learn about a plethora of artists including Pablo Picasso, Vik Muniz and others.
Art Santa Fe
July 2009
Santa Fe
www.artsantafe.com
In a city famous for its rich arts culture, Art Santa Fe is more than just another art show in the busy city. An excellent forum for Southwestern art, for which Santa Fe is arguably the Mecca, the fair also features global selections and works from galleries from all over the U.S.
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