Alternative Spaces & Art Schools
At the time of the cancelled
ABMB2001, Rosa and Carlos de
la Cruz had planned to present
an exhibition of work by young
Miami artists in their home.
Delays in the construction of
their newest set of galleries led
Rosa to approach Robins for the loan of a
space. The result was "Humid," a group
show curated by Dominic Molon that
inaugurated what is now known as the
Moore Space, a 10,000-square-foot showroom
in the Moore Furniture Company
building. This 1920s structure has
become an important venue for contemporary
art. In May 2003, the Moore
Space, whose facility, programs and catalogues
had been wholly supported by the
de la Cruzes and Robins, was given nonprofit status.
Eugenio L6pez, founder of Mexico City's
Colecci6n Jumex, now provides additional financial
support. Silvia Karman Cubifia, an independent
curator from Puerto Rico, has been appointed
gallery director.
This past summer, the Moore Space featured" ...
Butt Seriously: A Show About Humor," curated
under Cubifia's direction by Aja Albertson, a student
at New World School of the Arts. Albertson
integrated work by a few fellow students, among
them Jiae Hwang, Pepe Mar and Ali Prosch, into
an exhibition featuring more established artists
from Miami and elsewhere. Standouts were sculptures
by Robert Chambers and drawings by
Hwang. Among the pieces by the former was a
sculpture in black marble, based on the ethanol
(alcohol) molecule, which strongly resembles a
poodle. Hwang, an adept draftsman, presented an
intricately worked wall mural in Day-Glo colors
featuring a cornucopia of junk foods and candy;
eyes and partial faces peek out, as if to beckon or
spy. This exhibition grew out of the Moore Space's
commitment to working closely with students at
New World and DASH, the latter located directly
across the street from the Moore building.
In addition to mounting four exhibitions a year
and offering various public programs, the Moore
Space plans to establish a curator-in-training program
that will draw from the local community. A
sharpened focus on curatorship is something
Miami currently could use; given the variety and
sophistication of Miami area work, there is a need
for a critical framework.
