CANDO Arts Coop is a contemporary Art Center in Miami Beach that was founded by Ray Breslin, president of Collins Park Neighborhood Association (CPNA) in November, 2009. CANDO, which stands for Cultural Arts Neighborhood Districts Overlay is in the Collins Park neighborhood.
The thought-provoking work of resident and guest artists is showcased in 5000 square feet of gallery space. The historic building, known as Palm Court, is a work of art in itself, with archways framing tall display windows. Having been previously occupied by the W Hotel’s administrative offices, the gallery’s interior is impeccably designed. Over a dozen professional artists display their work in sections of the contemporary atmosphere. The center space is used for special exhibits.
The artwork at CANDO Arts Co-op is not only emotionally stimulating but is created from a diverse assortment of materials. For instance, various types of plastic bags are the fabric for a collection of clothing by Lucinda Linderman. She has also turned her junk mail into large, naturally speckled hand-made paper wall hangings. Adriana Carvalho uses steel wool and metal to create fine art in the shape of gowns. Using advertisements from the 1950s and 60s, Sid Daniels relays messages about women and sexuality in his collage on paper pieces.
Augusto Esquivel creates threedimensional images by suspending hundreds of buttons which have been precisely aligned; Paula Turk makes abstract sculptures from welded metal; Paul Saint Laurent works with wood to create contemporary wall pieces and large, sculptured bowls. Annfaye uses dead bugs and rusty nails in her sculptures of melancholy heads. Her contemporary figurative paintings on canvas cast a similar, curious aura. Janet M. Mueller’s freely painted canvases are attached to old boards and sit on tin cans. These three-dimensional works have the appearance of robot-like figures; Julio Green paints textured abstracts in deep, muted tones onto huge canvases.
Alissa Christine’s illuminated photo boxes cast sensual images in bold colors. A video of Bots High by Joey Daoud projects a match between remote-controlled devices that crash into each other.
CANDO Arts Co-op is located at 309 23rd Street, one block west of Collins Avenue, Miami Beach. Regular hours are Thursday and Fridays 4-7pm / Sat and Sun 12-6 pm.
The co-op is also open on the second Saturday of each month from 7-10pm. CANDO Arts Co-op is also open on the First Saturday night of each month from 6- 10pm as part of the Gallery Walk with the ArtCenter/South Florida.
If you are interested in visiting the CANDO Co-op during other hours, you are invited to call 305-672-3336 to make an appointment.
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