Churning Butter in Miami

Churned. The Second Edition.

No Facebook invite was made, just a few old fashioned flyers were distributed. The infamous Miami promoter, Ernesto Reyes, might have made a few phone calls; but other than that, it was meant to be an intimate affair. After all, it was the Vernissage for an art exhibit. But when the DJ lineup reads the way ours did, it can be expected that people are going to show up en masse. And that they did.

It is not often that Moodymann visits Miami, especially accompanied by Rick Wilhite and Dez Andres. A line up without historical precedents in the magic city, then again this was "Mi Casa es Su Casa : Miami Welcomes Detroit" and nobody churns butter in the Big D like these legendary producers. 

Thanks to Red Bull and Cullen Traverso our sound system was flawless, not to mention spectacular. The modified MX International Red Bull vehicle that acted as our DJ booth is a show of it's own. Most importantly, tough enough to handle the five hour earth shaking set by the Mahogani Music artists.

The second edition of Churned was presented by Butter Gallery and the Fordistas program, taking place on December 3, 2013 at the Gesamtkunstwerk building in Miami.

Detroit's Godson Rick Wilhite

Thanks to Moodymann for taking a leap of faith to Miami.

Thanks to Redbull and Perrier for taking the plunge.

Serena Dominguez and a naked Vagner Whitehead.

All star promoter Ernesto Reyes (center)

Moodymann meets cuarator Torrance Gettrell.

Greatest dancer? Inspirational source Ryan Hall.

About Fordistas

Driven to Unite. The Fordistas program is a platform for emerging arts and culture powered by South Florida Ford and executed by Product/81. 

About Moodymann

Kenny Dixon Jr. better known by his stage name Moodymann is a Dj/Producer based in Detroit. Owner of KDJ Records and a member of 3 Chairs.

About Gesamtkunstwerk

Opening in 2012, the Gesamtkunstwerk building in Miami is a multi-disciplinary creative initiative located west of the Wynwood Arts District in Miami. The building houses a diverse group of tenants that include Butter Gallery, Parker Projekts, Wynwood Radio, Product/81, Panther Coffee, Spinello Projects and the Gesamtkunstwerk Projektraum.

About Churned

Churned, a periodical event produced by the Butter Gallery, aims to showcase exceptional musical talent alongside the gallery's art exhibitions. Previous musical guests include Tedd Paterson (Cielo NY) and Laura of Miami (Vamos a la Playa).  Link :: Churned, The First Edition on NBC Miami.

Blame it on Moodymann.

It takes a significant event to resurrect a deceased blog. And of course, the longer such blog is dead; the more significant the reviving event must be. Considering our previous post at Butter Gallery was more than a few years old, the event needed to bring back to life this old blogger account required an event of such magnitude; as the religious concept itself.

And then Moodymann showed up, along with Rick Wilhite, Dez Andres and their boxes of precious vinyl; to christen a Vernnissage dedicated to the arts and culture of an American City of many names, but officially known as Detroit.

The Motor City, Day-Twah, The Big D, Dee-Troit. Call it as you wish. Mi Casa Es Su Casa was the name and Miami welcomed Detroit as best we could. It was an open invitation to the sights and sounds of the most fascinating city in all of the land and to properly do so Butter Gallery hosted Detroit based artists Scott Northrup, Alice Schneider and Vagner Whitehead.

Butter Gallery’s exhibit “Mi Casa Es Su Casa, Miami Welcomes Detroit” and it’s musical component titled “Churned” was made possible thanks to a generous donation by South Florida Ford; and the help of Product/81, Red Bull, Perrier, Kid Inc., Miami Brewing Company and Spinello Projects. So don’t blame just me for the comeback of this rambling writer. Blame them. Blame Moodymann.

Emerging Artists from China at Butter Gallery

Butter Gallery presents two new exhibits opening January 8, 2010.

纸 (zhǐ) – Paper

Group exhibition of work on paper debuting 4 emerging artists from Hangzhou, China for their first US exhibition.

123PolutionSolution 2010

Selection from NYFA artist, Chin Chih Yang’s large scale found objects installation.

Curated by Inez Suen, sponsored by ICFAC (International Chinese Fine Arts Council)

 

About 纸 (zhǐ) – Paper

China’s art market, which has spread the idea of art as a strong social force within Chinese culture, has cultivated vast exposure for younger Chinese visual artists in the west through curators based outside the country. Fresh out of the China Academy of Art, these Western-influenced artists who have also trained within the Eastern Chinese tradition have given the Chinese art market – the world’s third-largest after overtaking France last year – a modern sensibility and expression primed for the international stage. “纸 zhǐ – Paper” – named for a primary media of this new art and in honor of the essential Chinese invention – pries open the minds of four of these young Chinese artists (Guo Tiantian, Qi Yuan, Su Xianpan and Zheng Tianming). These are artists who grew up in the new China, the post Tiananmen Square government that slowly recognized that stagnation equaled death. Appearing for the first time in the United States, these artists’ works reflect the evolving sense of individuality and personal identity formulated because of, or in spite of, a culture that still remains quintessentially Chinese.

 

About 123PolutionSolution 2010

Chin Chih Yang sees that pollution has become a pervasive part of our lives. His large-scale 123PollutionSolution 2010 project transforms thousands of used aluminum cans into a colorful landscape with its varied topography. Yang collected discarded cans found in New York City trash cans left by students and parents from a local School. Ubiquitous concavities and hills, slopes and peaks, the installation features cans that are bunched into various abstract and geometric shapes. The structure represents an otherworldly utopia constructed out of salvaged waste.

About Inez Suen 

Born and raised into a family of art enthusiasts, Inez Suen has an eye for the obvious, the outrageous and the overlooked when it comes to discovering and promoting fine art. Moving to Miami after 10 years in the NYC art world, Suen now oversees and serves as director of the International Chinese Fine Arts Council (ICFAC). A native of Chicago by way of Taipei. She first learned about art from her grandfather, a Chinese painter and calligrapher. Suen holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois and attend of Masters Programs in the History of Design at the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Parsons School of Design in New York. She is fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

About ICFAC 

Formed in 2006, the mission of the International Chinese Fine Arts Council is to create global understanding of the Chinese culture through art and music, to promote Chinese arts across the world and to educate and expose the general public to contemporary Chinese aesthetic. Overseen by Inez Suen, a curator with footholds in contemporary design and art, as well as Asia and the United States, the ICFAC fosters a sense of belonging and communication among the Chinese Diaspora on every continent, bridging the vast cultural gaps with the nation’s rich traditions and modern elegance.

 

About China Academy of Art

The China Academy of Art in Hangzhou China is the most influential academy of fine arts with the most complete range of degree offerings and programs of study in China. It houses a diverse pool of artistic talent, has a distinctive structure integrating theory and practice, focuses on human care and social needs, and combines modern technical and cultural disciplines with traditional artistic ones. The academy features the study of theories of fine arts, architecture, film and new media, which constitute the humanities and reflect the Chinese national spirit and creative theories of the era.

 

About Chin Chih Yang

Born in Taiwan, Chin Chih Yang has resided for many years in Lower Manhattan. He moved to the US when he was in his early twenties and attended Pratt, supporting himself by working various jobs. An accomplished painter, performance artist, video artist, and photographer, his interests in ecology and constructed environments have resulted in interactive performances and installations that have been exhibited in such spaces as: the Chelsea Museum, Queens Museum, the Godwin-Ternbach Museum, Exit Art, Flux Factory, the UN, and Union Square Park.

Butter Gallery fundraiser. WOW!

Butter Gallery would like to thank all of our amazing friends for coming by our BBQ fundraiser and helping us raise $500 for the Women of Wynwood project of the Lotus House. It was a beautiful Sunday in the neighborhood and a perfect day for such an event. Artist Ahol Sniffs Glue was a lot of fun to watch as he completed his mural on the outside walls of the gallery. 

Infamous characters... Ahol Sniffs Glue and John Hood.

Sunday BBQ on NW 2nd Avenue.

This is a family neighborhood. Samantha, Sabrina and Kevin.

Artist Michael Owen and son.

Joe Furst of Goldman Properties.

Lori Klein and Michelle.

Jason Jimenez of Sweat Records and friends.

Some old fashioned glue sniffin'. 7.625 fluid ounces to be exact.

Mofongo Second Saturdays?

That is my compatriot and good friend Jimmy Carey of Jimmy'z Kitchen, walking around Wynwood. What is he doing in the neighborhood on a week day you ask? Well, Jimmy is looking for a place to open another location of his well known south beach original and is considering the Wynwood area for his new venture. Jimmy is a very personable restauranteur with an impressive culinary résumé and it would be amazing to have him as a neighbor. Can you imagine a weekly "Mofongo Holiday" within walking distance of the gallery? Now that would be butter. Aqui te espero Jim!

Fun in the sun...

To be young and free! Running on a grassy field with blue skies above. Today a group of Northeast Elementary first graders visited the Wynwood Arts District on a day trip full of art and fun. I am absolutely jealous about their private tour of the Margulies Collection. But by the looks of it, the fun part was the well deserved recess at the Wynwood Walls compound; the perfect place to release all that extra energy build up. It reminded me of my father's mandatory "cultural trips", which on most ocassions consisted of a visit to an art museum or gallery of his choice, followed by an equal time activity of mine; like the go-karts track.

Oh me so hungry...

After trying every dish in the menu at Joey's, which by the way, it's still my favorite restaurant in Miami; it was time to venture out in search of other tasty venues in the neighborhood. Wishing for a cafeteria with authentic puerto rican food, I drove around the streets of Wynwood in what seemed like an attainable goal, considering the area's demographics. 

Small cafeterias are common in Miami's industrial areas. Been to many great ones in Hialeah, where for a few dollars a man can indulge and exceed his necessary caloric intake. And although I did find a place to satisfy my addiction to rice, there were no gandules in this menu. This elusive hole in the wall, with authentic dishes and affordable prices that locals know about, and this outsider has just discovered, is Korean. A perfect find, I knew immediately after seeing it's untranslated menu hanging on the wall and the small television set blaring a Korean soap opera; but most importantly, the evident approval of its mostly Korean clientele. 

Unfamiliar with these exotic dishes I continue to try the recommendations of Kim, the restaurant's only server. All the dishes are amazing, but so far the Bibim Bab is my favorite. Wish I could tell you where it is, but Im afraid that if it became too popular, it could loose its charm. Just kidding, Choice Cafe is located on the corner of 28 street and NW 3 avenue. Jal meokkesseumnida.

Choice Cafe

Kim

Bibim Bab

One panel. Two panels. Gone!

During Art Basel week 2009, Shepard Fairey created a magnificent one block wide mural on wood panels facing NW 2nd avenue for Country Club Gallery. After it's completion, my route to work slightly changed so that I could look at this mural on my commute to the gallery. Two blocks down, the now famous Wynwood Walls. Slowly but surely Wynwood is becoming a beautiful urban landscape, graced by the world's best artists and their murals. 

Shepard's piece was incredible. Beautifully big and perfectly designed with enough visual impact for a viewer driving by at 30mph and detailed enough for those who stopped. Fairey is one of my favorite artists, so many times my coffee breaks became strolls that went from his piece at Wynwood Walls to the grassy area in front of the Country Club mural. In my opinion the Country Club Gallery sponsored mural was the strongest piece Shepard Fairey created during his visit to Miami last year. It was so amazing to look at, until what I feared would be inevitable in a post Art Basel Wynwood happened. One day a panel was missing. A few days later, another one. Then another one, and in less than three weeks the rest was gone. 

For a while I felt like dropping nukes, but now just wonder where those panels are; as if scheduling a visit to their captors den would be a possibility. Wonder if it was a single thief in repeated attacks or was it multiple unrelated takers? Curious if the panels are together or in multiple living rooms across the city. Those curiosities most likely will never be answered, all I know is that they are not on my way to work anymore.

Shepard Fairey and his mural on NW 2nd Avenue.

Power to the People!

Gallery and business owners from Wynwood's NW 2nd avenue corridor gathered yesterday at Joey's Restaurant in an attempt to come up with new ways to better promote the area. For quite some time Harold Golen has been trying to rally up other gallery owners to implement ideas that would bring more people to our district. Although the turnout was low, great ideas were suggested and recorded. Rumors of a Wynwood radio station by a group of MTV executives were also discussed and the creation of an active WADA sub committee suggested. But the one thing everyone agreed on... more owners need to get involved, so get in touch.

Artistic theories...

Butter Gallery artist Jahmal Williams and indie film maker Josh Stewart. Two artists, entrepreneurs and long time friends that enjoy sharing notes.  The three films Stewart independently produced under the name Static are only one testament of his editorial achievements. At his current project, the popular website Theories of Atlantis, content is king. So when these two creative forces coincided in Miami during Jahmal Williams exhibit at the Butter Gallery and Stewart's visit to the Magic City while working with MIA for their upcoming film; the stellar alignment was inevitable. Butter Gallery would like to thank Josh Stewart for bringing his camera along with his talent for the proper documentation of Jahmal Williams solo exhibit, Inside Out. We can't wait to see the footage...

Jahmal Williams :: Inside Out

Butter Gallery proudly presents artist Jahmal Williams in a solo exhibit titled Inside Out. Following his retrospective exhibit at FTC in Tokyo this new solo show also features recent works by the artist. 

Contemporary ideas merge with his traditional approach to painting through a body of work that seeks the high esthetic standards of his persona. With the use of bold tittles and brush strokes, Inside Out explores the intimate details of the artist's constant quest for freedom in a modern urban setting. His mastery of abstract expressionism is exposed in the powerful compositions of his work on canvas and three dimensional wooden sculptures.  With a section of the exhibit dedicated to a retrospective of the artist's work, Inside Out, will also feature sketches and studies by the artist dating back to the last decade.

Wooden Sculptures and study on canvas. 2009.

Opening Night

 

Mr. and Mrs. Ed Selego with artist Jahmal Williams.

Musica 2001; Mindfulness 2003; Enamel and mixed media on wooden sculptures.

Left :: Compassion (36"x24")  Right :: Love Supreme (92"x48")

Left :: Dreaming Awake (84"x46")  Right :: The Observer (40"x30")

Jahmal Williams

The finishing touches...

Details may take forever, but attention to detail is what will immortalize his art and everything he touches. Following his solo show at FTC in Tokyo, Jahmal Williams gets ready for the Butter Gallery exhibit which opens on Saturday, January 9, 2010 at 6:00 pm. 

More Rick Falcon on NBC Miami

Nice photo essay of artist Rick Falcon on the NBC website.

Media Coverage

Rick Falcon :: Sacrificial Offering :: Butter Gallery

Thanks to all of the media outlets that covered the event:

Sunpost, The Miami Eight :: by John Hood

City Link Magazine, Basel can wait :: by Coleen Dougher

NBC Miami, Like Butter :: covered by Nefarious Girl

Upcoming Exhibits 2010

Butter Gallery proudly announces the upcoming exhibits for the year 2010

Jahmal Williams "Inside Out" (January)

Yuri Tuma "Roof Less" (February)

Ahol Sniffs Glue "7.625 FL OZ" (March)

Tawnie Silva "You like everything about me except me" (April)

John Hood writes about Butter...

It’s Butter, Baby… And You Better Be There

 

Wynwood is about to get a bit wilder come Friday the 13^th when long-time player and all-around man about town Francisco De La Torre sets up smack dab in the middle of all the fact action with his much beloved Butter Gallery. And there’s not an art aficionado in all the land that isn’t already keen on making this mad happening.

 

You know De La Torre, probably as Paco, and you know Butter. For three years it was the one cool thing about Coconut Grove. And it surely was the only world class gallery to make the once Bohemian village a place to be again. But all good things do conclude; or at least they move onward. And De La Torre has decided to do just that.

 

Accompanying the mission-prone gentleman is the Butter brood, which right now stands at five and resembles a family more than a stable. The quintet, which spans the spectrum of this city’s increasingly bustling scene, consists of Miami’s most vivid visualists. And their creations literally define the tagline Much in Demand.

 

Take Yuri Tuma, whose work can veer from a forward angling ala Calatrava to a refracted elegance that harks back to Peter Saville during the days the Brit did flowers for New Order. Or Ahol Snifs Glue, who could be considered the street equivalent of Roger Dean, had the legendary prog-rock cover artist listened to Biggie rather than Yes when he was reading all that J.G. Ballard.

 

There’s also Tawnie Silva and his painstakingly representative commentaries, which can range from the deeply anatomical to the robustly environmental without ever once becoming pedantic. And old-school skate pro Jahmal Williams’s new tricks in the gear trade, which made a Dogtown outta Beantown, and a Bahne board outta the whole MIA.

 

Then of course there’s Rick Falcon, whose debut solo show opens the new Butter. Falcon, a deific portraitist of exactitude and grace, creates the kind of cosmos that seems to wink at the work of Walter Keane even as it delves deftly into Renaissance mastery. Think Giotto gone Pop after a bout of Max Ernst and you might get some idea of Falcon’s neo-classic iconography. Imagine an instant historicity and you’d have a notion of its impact.

 

 

De La Torre too is an accomplished arranger of imagery, in many, varied disciplines. And whether he’s summoning his inner Tibor Kalman, stopping the presses at Tiempos, pulling out the palette and getting back to painting, or shepherding Butter’s brood into a bold, new world, his work belies a multi-dimensional life lived to its proverbial fullest.

 

Like the emulsion from which it takes its name, Butter is churned from something earthy and organic. Unlike that emulsion, however, Butter has immense miscibility. In other words: Butter mixes, in all proportions, to form a solution. A solution to the way we will look at all things from here on out.

 

Dig it. 

John Hood

photo by Rudy Duboue

An evening of bike collecting

"An Evening of Bike Collecting:" Vintage Roadbike Exhibit + Goldsprints from cudak888 on Vimeo.

Sacrificial Offering by Rick Falcon

Save the date. Friday November the 13th, 2009. Rick Falcon's first solo exhibition tittled Sacrificial Offering at the new Butter Gallery. Its going to be amazing... more details soon.

Luis Diaz visits the compound.

Artist Luis Diaz recently stopped by the compound for a quick visit before we all headed out to a networking party of the South Florida's Artists Association. Besides working hard at unifying the local art scene Luis has been preparing for his solo show at Harold Golen Gallery this November. For more information visit his website at www.ldiaz.com