Art of the Weekend

 

Judy Polstra's "Showgirl" will be on exhibit at Symbolic Visions, which opens Feb. 3 at Studio 18 in Pembroke Pines.

Plenty of art to see this weekend. Here's a rundown of some of the shows that are opening ...


Studio 18

1101 Poinciana Drive, Pembroke Pines, 954-961-6067, Ppines.com/studio18

Ernesto Kunde's "International Inn" at Studio 1

Symbolic Visions, which opens 7-9 p.m. Feb. 3, will feature works by local artists Ernesto Kunde, Claudio Perez-Leon and Judy Polstra.

Kunde, a Brazilian-born Miami-based artist, is self taught and has tackled various subjects in a variety of media,  from acrylic abstract and landscapes on canvas to more recent bodies of work, one of which explores darker themes through charcoal on found wood, and another that brings iconic Miami landmarks to vibrant life on canvas using black and white paint and just a splash of color.

Perez-Leon describes his work as "rooted in Western Civilization and its worldwide iconography with some subtleties proper of my Peruvian origin" and notes that it references "literature, philosophy, psychoanalysis, comparative religion and  theology.

As for Polstra ... Have you ever been cleaning and come across that drawer where you've been hoarding old checkers, game pieces, dice, beads, dominoes etc. It's a gorgeous little stash of junk so you hold onto it thinking that one day you'll make something out of it  Well, the difference between Polstra and others is that she takes that next step and the resulting figural sculptural assemblages and furniture items are pretty fabulous. She began making these works in 2002 after her mother and two grandmothers died. She couldn't sleep and was up late at night sorting through bags and boxes of their old jewelry and other assorted objects.

Rather than plan each work, she creates intuitively. "My goal is to engage the viewer’s imagination as well the eye by hinting at private feelings, dreams, or abstract thoughts, often with a glimpse of humor or darkness and sarcasm," she explains in her artist statement. Polstra will exhibit some of her sculptural images, including "Mixed Memories," which she describes as "a six-foot tall woman with a white ghost-like (button-covered) face, dressed in toys, doll parts, old furniture and resin-coated doll dresses, most of which were mine or my sister's. At her feet are a pile of belts, some folded in half, others left long, as is. I am inviting people to add belts to the installation as a protest against child abuse. I have people from all over the U.S. who have sent, are sending, or are bringing belts to the opening. I'm hoping the title "Mixed Memories" will raise questions, cause discomfort. It should."
The show opens 7-9 p.m. Feb. 3 and runs through March 30, with an artists salon 7-9 p.m. March 2.

Norton Museum of Art

1451 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach, 561-832-5196, Norton.org. Cost: $12 for adults, $5 for visitors ages 13-21, and free for members and children under 13

 Tacita Dean studied painting before moving into the “photo-based” artworks she produces using a 16mm camera, paint, drawings and handwritten text. Her show is a 20-year retrospective that will include some previously unexhibited works. According to Norton, it will focus on "how Dean co-opts found images that she paints, draws, or writes on to draw out latent themes, or create new social commentary." Her Czech Photos contains 326 small black-and-white photographs in a wooden filing box, while "Fernweh" is described by the museum as "a multi-panel piece that is 12-feet wide and fills one gallery wal" and "an imagined landscape which uses four found photographs as its source materials and includes quotes from Goethe's Italian Journey." Another work, the 16-foot Monkey Puzzle II, was recently acquired by Norton. The show runs Feb. 3 through May 6.


Ponce de Leon Circle Park
2600 Ponce de  Leon Blvd., Coral Gables

Art in the Park, featuring art, cocktails, beer and music from Suenalo! and Elastic Bond, runs 7 p.m. to midnight Feb. 3.

Take the trolley around Third Avenue Art District's annual art walk on Saturday, Feb. 4

SATURDAY

Third Avenue Art District Artwalk
On and near Northeast Third Avenue, north of Broward Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, Thirdavenueartdistrict.com/events

Third Avenue Art District Artwalk is an annual event where people can visit 11 artist studios in the Third Avenue Art District. A trolley will make the rounds to the studios and also stop at the Museum of Art and the Girls' Club which will be open for the tour. Artists in the Third Avenue Art District are Francie Bishop Good, Henning Haupt, Janet Gold, Madeline Denaro, Margi Glacovic Nothard, Mary Lou Siefker, Michel Pellus, Rosanna Saccoccio, Tin Ly, Tobey Archer and Wilma Bulkin Siegel. The event will run 6-10 p.m. Feb. 4 (though the Museum of Art will close at 9 p.m.).
 

Bakehouse Art Complex
561 N.W. 32nd St., Miami, 305-576-2828, Bacfl.org 

Savage: Art Made by Animals for the Benefit of Animals, presented by the Bakehouse, Zoo Miami and the South Florida Chapter of the American Association of Zookeepers, will feature paintings by tigers, elephants, birds and other inhabitant of Zoo Miami to raise money for animal conservation projects, will kick off 5-7 p.m. Feb. 4 with a VIP reception for Bakehouse and Zoo Miami members and continue with a public reception that includes food trucks, live music, raffle, a silent auction, open studios and animal encounters from 7-11 p.m. Parking and admission are free.

 Blu Moon Studio
3444 Main Highway (top floor), Miami, 305-794-0329, Blumoonsheri@gmail.com

5 Artists featuring work by Chris Riggs For Mayor, Judy Horowitz, Luis Berros, Oswaldo Franco and Sheri Friedman, opens 7 to 10 p.m. Feb. 4 with a reception that will include live painting, music and a chance to meet the artists.

SUNDAY

The Bubble
810 N.E. Fourth Ave., Fort Lauderdale, 954-562-3804, Independentworkingartistnetwork.com

Pinned Up South Florida, which offers attendees a professional photoshoot, with fashion designers, makeup artists and hairstylists, for $50. Photographers will include Mary Brandenberg Photography, Truly Yours Photography and V Photography. The event runs 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 5.

For more art events, visit Arterpillar's South Florida Arts Guide.