The art world, then and now.

When I arrived in Miami Beach in1957, the closest thing to cultural arts in the area was the glittering lobby of the Fontainebleau hotel.  Bal Harbour Shops, with its elegant art galleries, hadn't been built yet, nor was I-95  available to speed you southward to the little village of Coconut Grove with its bohemian enclave of young and unknown artists.

I'm remembering the early 60's, when the arrival of the Coconut Grove Art Festival, thought up by my fellow PR practitioner, Charlie Cinnamon, to publicize the local theater, was the really big artistic deal of the entire year.  Absolutely everyone went to those exciting outdoor shows. It was the only game in town for many years.  I have numerous treasured purchases from my own visits on display around my apartment to this very day.

What precipitated my "musing" is that I am planning to visit PAMM (the Perez Art Museum Miami) this afternoon, to view the newest exhibition at this architecturally fabulous new art center, perched on the banks of Biscayne Bay, in Miami's Bayfront Park.  PAMM is just part of the cultural explosion that has been taking place around here the last few years, ever since the arrival of ArtBasel Miami, held on Miami Beach every December, and its sister show, ArtMiami, in the fast growing, newly gentrified Wynwood district of  the City of Miami.

Wynwood, formerly a derelict industrial area just north of downtown Miami, has emerged as the City's new art center, bustling with restaurants, shops and galleries, especially on Saturday Night Art Walks.  Prices of the art, like the rents in the area, have skyrocketed over the years.  In Switzerland, where ArtBasel originates, they actually know all about us these days.  We've become a respected  international art center and a favorite destination for wealthy art lovers.

What a difference a mere 57 years can make!!!
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PAMM (Perez Art Museum Miami)

It's that time again. . .

I've decided that my father really wanted to have a son.  Since he was blessed with two daughters, his only alternative was to make them both sports nuts.  If you are wondering at this point, what is she getting at now, I may have to remind you that it's football season once again, and the Dolphins played their first game Sunday afternoon.

Sunday night was the start of Rosh Hashonah, and for most Jewish families, an evening for a traditional holiday meal complete with matzoh ball soup, brisket, kasha, the works. I was invited to join my sister Fran's family in Broward County for dinner, and since I don't love driving home on I-95 late at night, I planned to sleep overnight at her Ft. Lauderdale apartment. 

 Here's how our phone conversation on early Sunday morning went.

Fran:  "Joan, what time are you planning to get here?"
Joan::  "I should leave here around noon, I guess."
Fran:  "The game starts at one.  You'll miss the kick off."
Joan:  "Oops, you're right.  I better start at 11."
Fran:  "Don't worry.  I'm TiVoing it anyway, in case I want to go back and 
           review a play."

Did I mention that my sister just turned 89?  She watches every Marlin's baseball game and like myself, has been a Dolphin fan since day one.
We're pretty sure our Mother didn't have any interest in sports, so when our Dad wanted to go to see his beloved Yankees play ball, or take the train into NYC to Madison Square Garden to attend a track meet or a basketball game, she probably said "OK, if you insist, but only if you take one of the girls".  That how both of us learned to love sports, not very usual for girls in those days.



Dad and his girls, plus our dog Frisky

Fast forward. . .Fran and I watched the game together, and wonder of wonders, the Dolphins actually managed to pull it together in the second half and win, thanks to an incredible punt return by Jarvis Landry.  Then off to Fran's daughter Vicki's house for a delicious dinner.

Is there a better way to spend New Year's????
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