Stefano Campanini opens Wine by the Bay in Downtown Miami

On fall 2011, Stefano Campanini, owner of Etra Fine Art, embarked upon a new project in Downtown Miami that combines two of his greatest pleasures: collecting art and collecting wine. Wine by the Bay will function not only as a wine store that will satisfy the most demanding palates, but also as a cultural center that each week will offer a program of exhibitions, poetry readings and lectures about the visual arts.

By Ashley Knight

ARTDISTRICTS - Stefano, you have a long tradition as a gallerist, first in New York and then for the last seven years in the Miami Design District with Etra Fine Art, a well-established and prestigious gallery within the city’s artistic community. What does this new project consist of?

Stefano Campanini - I am putting together two passions. I created a new formula that Downtown Miami needs-wine and art. What’s better than this? At Etra Fine Art I display artists’ exhibitions that last a long period of time-at least one or two months at a time. Here at Wine by the Bay I feel that I can change exhibitions weekly. It’s feels like a breath of fresh air. During Art Basel week I will have an exhibition featuring Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Hunt Slonem and Donald Sultan, while many of my wines are great for the wine collectors. See, here I am closing the loop with a great collection of Burgundies, Bordeaux, Montrachets and the top end of Italian and California wines. I believe I will have more wines 96 points and up that anyone else in town. Etra Fine Art continues to exist, and I love being a gallerist, but Wine by the Bay is going to be a great-and fun-project.

Stefano Campanini, director of Etra Fine Art and founder of Wine by the Bay. In the background, a painting by Colombian artist Mario Vélez.

A.D. - Why precisely did you choose Downtown Miami as the site for Wine by the Bay?

S.C. - I love the crowd and the energy of Downtown Miami. An art and wine store across from the Miami Art Museum, the Science Museum, next to the Genting resort and the Freedom Tower with its good exhibition program is beyond what I could have ever imagined. Downtown Miami is growing again after a few years of depression in the real state market. Sales in the Downtown area have increased notably during the last months. Many upscale restaurants and bars moved their headquarters there. I think that it will become shortly the top area in our city. The energy in Downtown is unique. You can’t find this vibe anywhere else in Miami.

A.D. - You mentioned that Wine by the Bay will function as a cultural center that each week will offer a program of exhibitions, concerts, conferences, etc. Could you provide more details about these programs?

S.C. - Well, concerts is an overstatement. I‘ll leave those for the American Airlines Arena (laughs). But some live music on the terrace on Biscayne Boulevard is within my reach, once in a while, in the evening. So yes, we are organizing exhibitions, lectures, poetry readings, book presentations, similar to what made Etra Fine Art special.

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Wine by the Bay is located at 888 Biscayne Bay, Suite 112 in Downtown Miami.

A.D. - Over the years Etra Fine Art has supported various charity projects for groups and communities in need not only in the United States, but also in Central and South America. Will Wine by the Bay also contribute to these causes?

S.C. - Certainly, I am very involved in the support of Arts for Learning, a not-for-profit organization that educates children through art appreciation. We reach more that 10,000 children every year. Arts for Learning activities certainly change the life of many children in our county. I am also a founder of La Casa de la Mujer de las Américas, whose mission is providing impoverished populations in Latin America with sustainable solutions to improve their quality of life by designing and building facilities that make them self-supporting. We are planning different charity events at Wine by the Bay to benefit both organizations.

A.D. - What exhibitions do you have planned for this space in the next few months?

S.C. - I am planning to show a few well-known artists and a few great local artists, something that I have never done at Etra Fine Art, and it is going to be fun to have them as guests at the openings. Among the internationally known artists, I will display works by Francisco Toledo, Edgar Negret, Mario Vélez, David Kessler, Robert Indiana, Fernando de Szyszlo and many others.

A.D. - What has the public’s reaction been to this new cultural space?

S.C. - I didn’t plan to have such a big reaction, but many people are talking about Wine by the Bay. Yes, I know many people in Miami, but I didn’t expect it. Wow. As I said before, wine and art, what’s better than this? Cheers.

Wine by the Bay is located at 888 Biscayne Bay, Suite 112. Downtown Miami, 33130. Phone 305 455 9791 / www.winebtb.com / info@winebtb.com