Sagamore Hotel Hosts Art Basel Brunch

On Saturday, December 7, 2013, Sagamore, The Art Hotel, along with its owners Martin and Cricket Taplin and six local museums-the Bass Museum of Art, Lowe Art Museum, Perez Art Museum Miami, Museum of Contemporary Art, The Patricia & Phillip Frost Museum of Art at FIU, and the Wolfsonian-FIU-hosted one of the most sought-after events of the season, the annual Art Basel Brunch.

From 8:30 a.m. through 1 p.m., droves of art lovers, artists, gallery owners, art critics, collectors and celebrities gathered at the invitation-only event to enjoy mimosas, freshly made crepes and good company, as well as the opportunity to bask in the property's 2013 exhibition FRAMING THE MOVING IMAGE, which features a selection of innovative film, video, new media, and performance art curated by John Hanhardt, renowned film and media art curator.

Drawing art influencers and household names alike, art collector and property curator Cricket Taplin welcomed VIP's including business magnate, writer and television personality Martha Stewart, artistic couple Eva and Adele, and artists Tony Oursler, Michele Oka Doner, Robert and Metta Chambers, Michael Vasquez, Agustina Woodgate, Eve Sussman and Simon Lee to experience the event and inspiring installation. The brunch provided a homecoming for artists whose pieces have been previously featured in the Sagamore's Art Basel installations, including Jose Felix Perez, Rafael Salazar and Olaf Breuning, as well as an opportunity for local art aficionados to celebrate the growth of the Miami art scene. Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Bass Museum of Art Miami Beach, Silvia Karman Cubiña; Cathy Leff, Wolfsonian -FIU Director; Brian Dursum, Lowe Art Museum Director and Chief Curator; Maura Reilly, Executive Director of the Linda Pace Foundation; Visual Arts Dean of the New World School of the Arts, Maggy Cuesta; Owner of the Fredric Snitzer Gallery, Fred Snitzer; Founder of Spinello Projects, Anthony Spinello; and VIP Relations Manager of Art Basel, Stefanie Reed mingled and enjoyed video and live performance art alongside guest curator John Hanhardt.

"We look forward to hosting the Art Basel Brunch each year because it allows the art community to come together to relax after the hustle of Art Basel has subsided," said Cricket Taplin. "We hope that our guests enjoyed this year's installation of FRAMING THE IMAGE; it has been an absolute pleasure to collaborate with the talented John Hanhardt."

FRAMING THE MOVING IMAGE featured pieces from a diverse selection of established and emerging artists, including Bill Beirne, Aaron S. Davidson and Melissa Dubbin, Ernie Gehr, Sandra Gibson and Luis Recoder, Kathleen Graves, Ken Jacobs, Raphael Montanez Ortiz, Peter Moore, Antoni Muntadas, Takeshi Murata with Billy Grant, and Shannon Plumb.

Exploring the way artists capture, compose and represent our traditions and histories, as well as our changing material landscapes, the exhibition features dynamic pieces that thoroughly stimulate the senses.

Additionally, the Sagamore welcomed Little Sun, a global artwork project about energy access, opportunity, compassion and collaboration. Olafur Eliasson began the project with solar engineer Frederik Ottesen, working to bring their artistic, handheld sun-shaped solar lamps to rural off-grid communities in Africa. A mobile display of the lamps was parked in the Sagamore's front driveway, where guests purchased individual lamps for themselves or "business boxes" of 72 lamps for distribution in Africa.

In the past, the Sagamore has displayed an array of progressive projects and hosted world-renowned artists such as Massimo Vitali, Will Ryman, Enrique Martinez Celaya, Yoko Ono, Spencer Tunick, Olaf Breuning, Elliot Erwitt, and Roxy Paine.

For further information, call 305-535-8088 or visit SagamoreHotel.com.