As expressive of South Florida as the inspired creations at the recent South Miami Arts Festival, the rainy weather seemed only to foster a closer connection between artist and art lover as they huddled together to stay dry during much of Saturday’s 45th annual Chamber South event.
“We all come from the mother…there is nothing more beautiful,” said painter Roy Rodriguez who in 2011 left a banking career to commit full time to his craft. A multi-year festival exhibitor, he says many of his pieces are born of the street side ambiance. “I love the energy of the street and mingling with the people, its so Miami.”
Rodriguez’s geometric shadowed female subjects in bold primary colors celebrate a reverence for womanhood and his signature image represents that historical feminine presence. “She is always there, ever evolving and evoking…I can always go back to her.”
Jayne Vander Woude is another local artist of the 120 present for the two day show who poetically captivates the neighborhood in her subject scenes of coconut clusters, bromeliad blossoms, birds of paradise, butterfly gingers and images from Fairchild Gardens.
“Many of the people who come to this festival are local,” said Vander Woude. “I’ve been living here 16 years now and I’m blown away by God’s creations all around us. I try to celebrate this amazing beauty and the stories in nature to help locals connect with what we are blessed to be surrounded by.”
Mother Nature’s intimate presence at the festival was complimented by the company of man’s best friend. Many artists and guests brought along their four legged family member to share the day.
Mike Lopez and his Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy “Zero” stood sentry by his wife Joanne’s booth greeting every passerby with unconditional love. Vito Lastayo and his 7 year old Bohemian Shepherd “Hayden” (rescued from the streets off Quail Roost Drive and SW 117 Ave) seemed to favor the “Dama de las Piedras” artist Matty Marcos.
Anouk Ohayon and her 14 month old Golden Retriever “Jules” hung out at the family fruit and veggie juice table at the Shops at Sunset Place. Over 20 booths camped out on the mall’s ground floor where tenants like Tea and Poets showed off popular merchandise among the organic soaps, Zen t-shirts, and intricately hand-painted cell phone covers.
The Shops entrance was overtaken by student art. Cristina Mallet and Victoria Gonzalez of South Miami Senior High redesigned the sidewalk in pastel chalk. Montana Ligman of Coral Reef High put words and images together in poignant messages with her canvases resting on easels outside Z Gallerie.
First time festival artist from Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, Craig McManus, credited the four years he spent homeless following the 2008 recession as the impetus behind his new livelihood. He calls it a full circle awakening because he left Miami “with his tail between his legs” and re-emerged as a supremely skilled aluminum sculpture artisan.
“I was getting whatever work I could cutting sheets of aluminum for golf carts,” said McManus. “Then I began to draw some images on Autocad. I cut the sheets at 23,000 degrees with a plasma torch, then made cuts using 70 pounds of pressure. The last step is to grind the images to fine tune each piece.”
The emerged barricuda, hummingbird, pelican, turtles, shark, dragonfly, palm trees, hibiscus, and pensive-faced suns hanging on the walls of his booth served as pleasant reminders to the dampened patrons why South Florida deserves revery.
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