Happy November!
October was a whirlwind in The CAMP Gallery, not just because of the success of our two exhibitions: 40 Women Pulling at The Threads of Social Discourse: F.A.M.A & Guests, and Feminism From South to North, but also because we moved locations! Bye-bye Little River, Hello North Miami! Thanks Jan for all you did, and Gabe, Maria, and Andres! I am super excited to announce that our new gallery address is: 791 N.E. 125th Street, North Miami. Our new space is much smaller and more intimate, which is a nice change! Here, we aim to forge more connections for our artists, but also become a space that fosters more than the visual arts. Stay tuned for that, we will have announcements coming.
With the new smaller space, we have planned a kaleidoscope of exhibition topics, mainly focusing on local Miami artists. I think it is about time to focus on Miami and the artists living there, so check out the exhibition schedule and mark your calendars! Though we will be open, we do still very much prefer that appointments be made for viewing.
This month, the new CAMP Gallery will kick off with Feminism From South to North. We all felt that the exhibition had more to say than the couple of weeks that it was up at the old space—so please come by, make your appointments and see the range of textile works exploring what feminism means from outside our shores.
In December during Miami’s art week, at the gallery we will be exhibiting Karla Kantorovich, in a solo exhibition. We will also be part of Grela Orihuela’s latest project and collaboration with The Sagamore Hotel featuring Aurora Molina and Edison Peñafiel, and participating in the online version of Pinta Miami – The Modern & Contemporary Latin American Art Show, curated by Gabe Torres and Maria Di Giammarco, featuring: Carlos Rancaño, Silvana Soriano, Khotan Fernandez, Rosana Machado Rodriguez, Clara Fialho, and Gustavo Fernandes.
But that is not all we have planned, we have some online exhibitions launching next week and through Basel week. Beginning with Nature and the Artifice, curated by our own Mario Rodriquez. Next up is the revisiting of a subject from last year with Monochromos II, curated by yours truly; Andres J. Mora, will curate and present Not Dior’s New Look II; and lastly I am thrilled to announce that with Emperia, out of the UK, we will launch our first OVR gallery and exhibition: Art from an Experience Based Identity, curated by myself, Maria Di Giammarco and Brianna Fernandez!!!
But that is not all that is going on—we have welcomed new artists to both The CAMP and Spotlight. Starting with The CAMP, we welcome Alice de Kruijs, Karla Kantorovich, Leslie Sheryll, Riso Chan, Shelly McCoy, Silvana Soriano, and Solange Avena. Wait until you see their work and the plans we have for exhibitions in 2021!
With the Spotlight, check out: Elly Azizian, Idris Black, Miriannys Montes de Oca Mirabel, Sonya Revell featuring Queef Latina, and Tatana Kellner.
So far, this Fall season, even amongst all the turmoil, we are still serving artists, our collectors and creating a space, both physically and virtually, where everyone can take a break, sit back, and look at art. It is a blessing to be part of this, to work with the amazing staff I work with, to work and create relationships with the artists, to learn about them and their work, to create exhibitions both physical and virtual, to promote the works, to be a source for collectors and art lovers alike—I just LOVE my #artlife!
PS. After watching Saturday night’s coverage of President-elect Joe Biden's, and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ addresses, without being political, but being a woman, and one involved in the last exhibition of 40 Women—watching Ms. Harris, wearing white in honor of the Suffragists, walk out to the podium to Mary J. Blige’s words embracing all, (one woman I truly admire for her presence, perseverance, and power as a woman), I couldn’t but think how long this path has been for women.
As she walked out, I thought of the works from all the artists in the 40 Women exhibition and of the statements they made, but I also went back to my own time at NYU and some classes I took, like "Representations of Feminism in Literature and Film", of being exposed to what is known as the Female Malady, reading Elaine Showalter, and so many more. Thinking of “The Yellow Wallpaper,” The Rest Cure, and what women went through, quite possibly my own great grandmothers, I think of the Zora Neale Hurstons of the world, the Frida Khalos, the Billie Holidays. I think of the women in The Civil Rights movement, like Diane Nash, and all the women who have fought for not just the rights of women, but the rights of all. I think of all the mothers who had to stifle their ambitious voices and ambitious daughters. I think of all the labels women have had endure because of gender. I think of Rosa Parks, of Simone de Beauvoir, Susan Sontag, Lorna Dee Cervantes, Lisa Suhair Majaj, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I think of all the trailblazers.
I hope that all this suffering from my gender under the patriarchy could just be approaching its end. That we women just may not be seen as “emotional,” that we may not be rendered to the sidelines, a position we have kept warm for centuries, that we just may finally be heard, but not through any of the past patriarchal filters, but from a plane of equality.
Stay well, stay tuned, and support the artists!
Melanie