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AC Fine Arts
An Approach to Modern and Contemporary Masters
By Shana Beth Mason
Seldom do those who are dearly attached to the Wynwood-Design District lot venture south towards Coconut Grove. However, a look back into Miami’s not-too-distant contemporary art past reminds us that many of the well-known galleries’ first locations were a few minutes south in Coral Gables, where the nearby Lowe Art Museum opened at UM’s campus in 1952, and this year the Coconut Grove Arts Festival celebrates its 48th anniversary. Perhaps a wander down Route 1 might do some good…
Salvador Dali, Agony of Love, 1978, edition of 350, 21.5"x29.5"
A step into AC Fine Art in Coconut Grove offers a welcome sight of large and small-scale editions from Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Tom Wesselman and Jasper Johns, among other artists. In a district populated by galleries not widely known for critically groundbreaking rosters, gallery director Steven Steele brings a dose of Pop from his own collection garnered over a 30-year period. “I’ve been an art dealer for roughly 25 years now,” Steele comments, “I began collecting with vintage French posters of the Art Nouveau period. I grew up in an environment of antiques and classic automobiles, but I’ve always been interested in modern and contemporary art.”
What bolsters the appeal of this gallery, since opening its new location a year ago, is Steele’s dedication to enhancing the cultural backdrop for the local community. Steele has time-honored experience in fine art, antiques and appraisals, which he readily brings to his gallery operations. He has experience in art fairs and auctions, but the preserved editions of modern and contemporary masters are a rare treat to Miami-based collectors and art aficionados alike. Even better is Steele’s uncomplicated approach to visitors. “Novices sometimes ask me about $10,000 to $100,000 reproductions because they simply don’t understand limited edition prints. It is amazing how many people are unfamiliar with Andy Warhol, whom we specialize in. They might not know that it’s just a little piece of history.” The proliferation of these editions is vast in the international marketplace, to be sure, but the number of gallerists willing to maintain such stock here in Miami is few.
- Purvis Young, Cars, 1994, house paint on Plywood, 48”x48”
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As Miami continues to climb the ladder of global arts prominence (in a range of formats including music, visual art, dance and theatre), it is worth remembering that galleries such as AC Fine Art continue to offer a necessary first look at works which, otherwise, might be lost to an image in a book or a slide flashed in an art history lesson. “Aura” be damned and “authenticity” is mute; South Florida needs its secondary market as much as its creative trailblazers, and Steele seemingly has no intention of giving up any time soon. Adding to his eclectic mix of contemporary editions and turn-of-the-century posters are original works from Purvis Young, the original Highwaymen and several local and international artists. Seeing a Jim Dine and a Frank Stella on one wall opposite a charming seascape from Florida’s first generation of fine artists does strike quite an unusual, but satisfying chord.
More important, Steele has made his home in South Florida where he has been well known for his community service for over twenty-five years. “My passion, in addition to bringing these world-renowned artists to Coconut Grove, is reminding collectors and novices that Andy Warhol and his contemporaries are still viable options in this ‘cutting edge’ market.”
AC Fine Art is located at 2911 Grand Avenue. Coconut Grove. 33133
For more information visit www.ACfineartsite.com / Phone: 305 742 7071
Shana B. Mason is a South Florida-based art critic and consultant. She pursued an M.A. with a focus on Modern and Contemporary Art from Christie’s Education in London.
