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Bakehouse Art Complex Turns 25
“The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work“
- Emile Zola
By Irene Sperber
The Bakehouse Art Complex began as a beacon in the small creative oven of a Miami art community sprung from the enclave of the Grove. A bastion of resourceful visionaries, by the late 1980s Coconut Grove was a victim of its own success. Artists were financially pushed to find less pricey accommodations in which to work their alchemy.
Artists’ studios at Bakehouse Art Complex.
Buoyed by the force of several intrepid citizens, the Bakehouse Art Complex’s not-for-profit facility opened its studio doors in 1987, purchased with funds from Dade County, Miami and the Council of Arts & Sciences. An old 1920s bread factory called The Flowers Bakery was purchased in 1986 thanks to the unflagging effort of Helene Pancoast, Ellie Schneiderman, Faith Atlass, David and Nathalie Nadel, George Fishman, and Ann Sams. These are the people who stirred the recipe for a success that endures today. Locating Miami’s version of a communal Parisian atelier was the group’s mission.
Maria Martínez-Cañas, a successful artist who rented space in 1987 for the first year and half, remembers using the bread trays on wheels left over from the bakery to stack her work. “It was a very different time in Miami, not a lot of artists. It was a very community-oriented place. Everyday at 2:00 p.m. I would make Cuban coffee and everyone would stop by my studio for 30 minutes to talk about their work. It was wonderful…I loved it!”
Today, the 33,000 square foot BAC houses 70 artist’s studios, two galleries, a full photography and print lab, a kiln area, as well as a dedicated outdoor expanse suitable for Industrial artists to work on wood and metal.
Every milestone should be heralded by a celebration; marking the 25th Anniversary of the Bakehouse Art Complex is no exception. Miami has become a significant force in the international art world. It is befitting to revisit the roots of our climb up the ladder of aesthetic sensibilities to where we stand today. The bar has been raised, and BAC has had to mature in tandem. BAC has set aside Sunday, April 17th, from noon to 4:00 p.m. to honor their community involvement with a Family Day.
I caught up with the Executive Director of the Bakehouse, Arlys Raymond, to check on BAC’s compass for the future. The original concept of this studio space has not changed: “We have stayed true to our mission, which keeps us focused.” Thanks to generous grants and donations for facility renovation, the BAC looks forward to working on a long-range strategy: ”There is tremendous growth opportunity for the organization. It just takes thoughtful planning.” She sees the resident artists benefiting from the success of BAC as an organization. Raymond, who served as Executive Director for the past four years after being on the Board for more than three years, has a business and marketing background. She saw this position as an opportunity to give back to her community, utilizing her skills to the advantage of a whole locale. She considers BAC “family-oriented and a staple to the community.”
Photo Courtesy Bakehouse Art Complex
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Proud to have survived as a non-profit for 25 years, the BAC staff has improved the quality of its exhibitions. They have developed a more “stringent and objective jurying process for visual artists seeking studio space.” Studio artists must be in residence during opening nights and use it as a workspace rather than strictly for exhibition or as a storage facility. Artists can work year around, 24/7, so even the most dedicated night owl/early riser has an available working environment. One reason people seek out a communal studio is to avoid working in a vacuum. BAC’s numerous work areas (kiln, photo lab, etc.) allow for experimentation. Having other artists on site allows the artists to educate each other and brainstorm together to promote crossover techniques and encourage the integration of many media.
Long-term artists often cite BAC’s marketing and a well run Board for their ongoing tenancy. Opening exhibitions on the second Friday of the month allow visitors to wander among the studios. Observing the workspace of a creative mind is comparable to peering behind the curtain, quite literally as well as figuratively. At times even more intriguing than a finished thought is the womb of process.
The studios are at full capacity. Approximately 300 artists have worked under the umbrella of the Bakehouse since its inception, and thousands of visitors walk through the doors every year. The Director sees the new generation of artists as more marketing-savvy, adept at using the Internet and social media. They are seeing more installations and new media in contemporary work, though all media are accepted. Where there used to be 6 or 7 exhibitions per year, the Bakehouse now offers 18 to 20. BAC’s two galleries (Swenson and Audrey Love) entertain exhibits from around the world and can be a venue for Bakehouse artists to organize their own shows.
Arlys Raymond, executive director Bakehouse Art Complex. Photo Irene Sperber
Last year, the Bakehouse held a very well-reviewed, internationally-juried exhibition entitled “SIN!” in the Audrey Love Gallery. One hundred fifty applicants vied for the opportunity to exhibit. “SIN!” required artists to visually comment on one of the most deadly of vices: Greed, Lust, Envy, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath and Pride. I know, hard to pick a favorite isn’t it?
The panel of judges read like a “who’s who” of Miami’s museum elite. Each museum director was given the task of judging one deadly sin: Greed: Silvia Karman-Cubiñá (Bass Museum of Art director and curator), Lust: Brian Dursum (Lowe Art Museum director & curator), Envy: Jeremy Chestler (Art Center / South Florida director), Gluttony: Bonnie Clearwater (Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami director & chief curator), Sloth: Peter Boswell (Miami Art Museum senior curator), Wrath: Carol Damian (Frost Art Museum director and chief curator), and Pride: Cathy Leff (The Wolfsonian director). “SIN!” included a stimulating interchange with the jurors on their responsibility to the community and Miami’s art climate since Art Basel. This was moderated by Brett Sokol (Editor of Ocean Drive Magazine). Lauren Wagner, Associate Director of Exhibitions for the Bakehouse, organized the event. Sixty-five chosen artists’ works culminated in a show which held its own during the 2010 Art Basel Fair.
Twenty-five years after its inception, this growing and prolific art community has as its landmark the two huge silos, towering in the courtyard, that used to house bread flour. These were recently intervened by Primary Flight, a group of world-class artists from around the globe who have collaborated on facades throughout Miami.
The Bakehouse Art Complex is located at 561 NW 32nd Street, Miami, FL 33127. Phone 305.576.2828 / http://www.bacfl.org / Hours 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
25th Anniversary Celebration: Sunday April 17th, noon - 4:00 p.m.
Irene Sperber is a photographer and writer based in Miami. She has contributed to Miami Art Zine, The Examiner, South Florida, Casa y Estilo and Art in America.
