Miami Art Scene / Miami Art Scene

I was honored to participate in a great event for a wonderful cause on July 24, 2015 in Miami’s Wynwood Arts District, Art for Autism. I was invited to donate artwork for this event, which was organized and hosted by the American Autism Association. Twelve little gems from my Truck’N With Vito! series were donated and exhibited for this spectacular showcase held at the Pan American Art Projects gallery in Wynwood. The evening was dedicated to exhibiting the local, talented artists within the autism community, displaying their artwork alongside professional visual artists on the autism spectrum.

The mission of the American Autism Association is to help families through their journey as they raise a child with autism. The organization offers information, support for families, and free of cost recreational programs or workshops for families. I am happy that the proceeds from the artwork sales at Art for Autism benefit the local autism community, this is something that I truly care about. The American Autism Association was a great organization to work with, they thanked all those who were able to attend the Art for Autism event. Autistic artists from around the world were more than happy to display their hard work for the cause, and equally appreciate the support from our local and national communities. Overall Art for Autism was a success and we could not have done it without our amazing supporters and sponsors Wynwood Brewing, Insomnia Cookies, Sweet Jalane’s, and many more!

Thanks to the event, the American Autism Association will be able to fund two more recreational and therapy programs in South Miami and New York. These programs help to enrich the lives of autistic children in the area and provide support to families. If you are interested in attending, please email programs@myautism.org for any inquiries or more information. Please visit the website to learn about AAA’s recreational programs in Miami and New York here. You can see the photos from the event on AAA’s Facebook page here.  A huge thank you to Miami Art Scene™ who was integral for providing local, national and international coverage of the event. We were lucky to have caught the interest of numerous visual arts organizations and tons of media coverage. Check out more info about the event on WLRN Public Radio and Television, who picked up the story and helped us spread awareness. Read the amazing article here to find out more about the families, artists, and supporters who attended the event.

I’m proud to announce my representation with ArtBlend Gallery of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Several art pieces from my Obsessions & Meditations series are on exhibit and available through the gallery. In addition to my artwork on display, I’m excited about the gallery’s upcoming events including a Summer Exhibition and magazine party.

“Staying true to his hyper focused hybrid dream-state style, Vito Bonanno takes his abstract expressionism aesthetic to a level where silent images shout for your attention from off the canvas and demand that you take a closer look into the secrets and treasures hidden in plain sight; leaving you to ponder the wonders of the human mind and psyche as experienced by Bonanno and others who live and work with the daily challenge of autism. Bonanno’s most recent works are comprised of  multiple layers of painted and drawn images on canvas that resemble the multi-layered, chaotic thought process of images and thoughts that call his mind their home.  His mind is a place where images, thoughts and words float around in a bumper-car like world, crashing and speeding in all directions.” -ArtBlend Gallery

ArtBlend’s Summer Exhibition 2015 opens on Saturday, June 27th from 6-8pm. The evening will feature the artworks from the exceptionally talented artists that the gallery currently represents. Boasting an outstanding diversity in paintings, photography and sculpture by artists from around the world, I am very happy to be part of the ArtBlend family.

You can encounter various mediums, subject, styles, colors, sizes and prices. The evening will have complimentary wine & cheese and a special, custom-made cake from Fabulous Cake Couture. The event is free, open to the public and plenty of parking – located at 2736 East Oakland Park Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33306.

The gallery is owned and operated by longtime gallery owners in the neighborhood. The fine art gallery has 4,250 square feet of event space spread across two rooms with contemporary design details such as polished marble floors, granite countertops, and stainless steel track lighting, as well as garage doors that are large enough to fit a car into the space! The gallery has a built-in sound system and Wi-Fi, and the art changes quarterly.

My work is on display in Miami now through March 2015 at the uber cool McCormick Place in the Miami Downtown Arts District. I have (5) works hanging in the art gallery there and I’m very excited to have work showing in Miami for a 3-month long exhibit. McCormick Place is a multifaceted arts space located in the heart of Downtown Miami. The space consists of a gallery and special events space and also houses artist studios and creative start-ups throughout the building. The venue features indoor and outdoor areas for cocktail receptions, performances, and exhibitions.

The Downtown area is the Southern neighbor to Wynwood and has its own blossoming art district. Home to the Perez Art Museum, the Downtown art scene is a whole new look and feel of local artists with smaller galleries and venues, and the businesses that exhibit and support the arts such as the MegaYacht SeaFair docked in Downtown at Bayfront Park, 100 Chopin Plaza in Miami – the world’s first mobile megayacht venue and one of the ten largest privately owned yachts in the United States. Groundbreaking in scale, ingenuity and style, the yacht – which remains dockside during each event, pairs international fine art, jewelry and collectibles with dining and cocktails at Bayfront Park in Downtown, Miami. The SeaFair hosts the 6th Edition of MIA, the Miami International Art Fair from Jan.15-19, 2015.

When I toured the art gallery at McCormick Place, I loved hearing the story and history of the building and learning about how it all evolved. The original building I was told was constructed in 1924, and was first a US Customs Warehouse serving as storage of confiscated goods and look-out post for the nefarious characters coming into Miami via the Biscayne Bay and the Miami River. The property was purchased in 1970 by Edward J McCormick, Sr. and dedicated to his father, Dr. James McCormick. Now, three generations later, Sean McCormick is not only reviving this venue but the Downtown area, creating the epicenter for the cultural crossroads of Miami.

I am happy to have artwork on exhibit at the McCormick Place Art Gallery. My team and I are looking forward to the monthly Downtown Art Walks & Gallery Nights, hoping to make new friends in the Miami market, always open to new opportunities and of course acquiring new collectors.