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To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Coconut Grove Arts Festival (CGAF), organizers commissioned Signe and Genna Grushovenko, a married duo from South Carolina, to design this year’s commemorative poster, given their extensive collection of vintage artworks of bygone days and carefree ways.
The poster was unveiled before an eager crowd on Jan. 18 at CocoWalk Rooftop overlooking Coconut Grove.
CocoWalk, the popular community hub, hosted the unveiling and invited Botanico Gin & Cookhouse to add their touch of creativity with hors d’oeuvres atop the venue’s idyllic rooftop overlooking the neighborhood, which was broadcast live on NBC6 News.
“We were honored to have the poster unveiling for the second consecutive year, reaffirming our dedication to contributing to the thriving arts scene within the Grove,” said Wendy Seher, executive vice president-Eastern Region president at Federal Realty Investment Trust. “The panoramic views from our rooftop served as a demonstration of our commitment to offering an engaging atmosphere for all of our community and private events. For us, it was a privilege to be a cultural hub and to nurture the spirit of the Grove.”
The commemorative poster depicting the iconic Monty’s Raw Bar was revealed by NBC6 news anchor Roxanne Vargas and the legendary Monty Trainer. It was promptly received with from the public.
Signe and Genna Grushovenko like to say they are partners in art and life.
“We were honored to be given this historic task. Because we always tend to look back on ‘the good ole’ days’ with fondness. It was natural for us to take an image of the iconic Monty’s and give it our artistic perception, thereby allowing the viewer the ability to travel back in time,” said Signe who expressed that this year’s poster would remind people of a beloved relative, relationship, or memory of Coconut Grove.
Their work on this year’s poster began with a brightly colored abstract canvas painted by Genna using techniques of pouring, striping with brushes, squeegee, and whatever else popped into his head at the time. Once Signe received his abstract, she used the image of Monty’s in Coconut Grove as inspiration to create a figurative painting on top of his painting.
“The resulting piece was a balance between abstract and figuration, full of eccentric color and pattern that pulses through from underneath,” Signe said.
As with all their work, the couple leaves any faces undefined in their works of art, thereby giving people the opportunity to bring their personal history to the table.
Camille Marchese, executive director for the festival, explained what was behind the overall look for the 60th anniversary. When she met with the marketing team at EngageLive!, she asked for a mid-century modern theme, characterized by clean lines, minimal decoration, and a connection to nature. Given that the origin of the festival was at the top of the MidMod, it was a natural fit. As such, the team at EngageLive! enjoyed taking on the challenge of developing this year’s concept, creating the artwork that encapsulated sixty years of the Coconut Grove Arts Festival.
“It was a truly synergistic effort, and I was excited by the overall look and the nostalgia that it evoked,” Marchese said. “In addition, the beauty of the Grove’s cool, art deco style served as a great aesthetic fit for the theme and the mid-century of the Grushovenkos.”
Ironically, the CGAF was one of the first fine art festivals in which the Grushovenkos participated, somewhere around 2006.
“We’ve had the honor of showing there approximately a dozen times. I remember feeling like we had won the lottery with that first acceptance,” Signe said. “We’re chaffing at the bit to get back to enjoy the show, the Grove, the arepas — our very favorite festival food, Miami, and all of the wonderful collectors we’ve been missing.”
The Coconut Grove Arts Festival is slated for Presidents’ Day Weekend on Feb. 17, 18 and 19. General admission and VIP Collector’s Club tickets already have gone on sale.
The 60th iteration of this highly frequented outdoor festival promises to display a diversity of styles, textures, media, colors, and cultures to fill the senses. According to Marchese, festivalgoers should expect that the art they’ll see this year will be like nothing they’ve ever seen before.
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