The Bass Museum of Art continues its quest to find a new director … and get its act together. File photo by Michael Menchero.

The Bass Museum Board of Trustees met Tuesday to begin discussions on how to find a replacement for longtime director Diane Camber, who retired on June 29.

The first step: selecting a selector.

Gary Farmer, the city of Miami Beach’s cultural affairs program manager and the museum’s “interim administrator,” presented the board with a few proposed selection firms to handle the task. Farmer has worked for the city a little more than two years. Meanwhile, Farmer’s salary in his capacity as Bass director will be absorbed by the city of Miami Beach as he continues to pull double-duty in the two positions.

“I’m looking forward to serving until we can find a new director,” Farmer said during a short introduction to the board Tuesday.

Farmer informed the board that the leading firms he had approached would each cost between $40,000 and $60,000, plus expenses. All of the firms would expect to begin the process by making site visits to the museum and creating a job description.

An outfit in Tampa “refuses to submit referrals” for its work as museum director headhunter, according to Farmer.

Heidrick & Struggles, the New York consulting firm that found a new director for the Miami Art Museum to replace longtime MAM leader Suzanne Delehanty, quoted Farmer in the range of $65,000 to find a replacement for Camber.

Opportunity Resources Inc., also out of New York, has an under-construction Web site but also has a credit to its name — finding the replacement for retired Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Trust Director Richard Farwell. The company specializes in executive searches for nonprofit cultural institutions and would ask around $50,000 to replace Camber. The company told Farmer it would also require another $20,000 just to meet with the Bass Board of Trustees to go over a game plan for the task.

For the most part, Farmer said the firms he is looking into will conduct “an almost identical process” to find the replacement: meeting with the board of trustees and any search committee the board put in place, putting the word out to the art world that the position is open, checking references, interviewing prospective candidates and introducing them to the board.

Depending on the search firm selected, Farmer expects that process to take between four and eight months.

All the firms are available and willing to do the job. But first the Bass must begin the task of selecting a company that will start the work.

And it will be no small task. There are currently between 25 and 30 open museum director positions nationally, and the Bass is a little behind in the game.

For one thing, the museum is still hashing out its mission for the future, another item that generated some discussion at Tuesday’s meeting.

Then there’s the art itself. The Bass has been struggling with an insufficient cataloging system for the actual pieces in the museum’s holdings — its physical catalogs are often incomplete or inaccurate, Farmer said. While museum staff have their hands full figuring it all out, he said he has come across listings for art pieces in the museum collection catalog that have blanks in the location column: They know the pieces are there; they just don’t know where they are stored. (Storage alone for the museum’s pieces costs well over $100,000 a year.)

Camber’s policy was to accept every piece that was donated to the museum. As an example, Farmer had some silver tea-set pieces displayed in the credenza behind him. “A man showed up with a plastic bag full of silver,” Farmer explained. Apparently the previous owner had, in his will, recently left the pieces to the Bass, with the stipulations that he be identified as the donor and the pieces remain together on display in the museum. Farmer used the pieces as a metaphor for the types of policy challenges facing a new director.

Then there’s the money: Not everyone knows about an endowment that the Bass Museum possesses — somewhere between $10 million and $20 million. Few prospective directors worth their salt would entertain the prospect of directing an underprivileged museum. But there is a war chest in place somewhere, according to Miami attorney Dennis Richard. Richard describes his involvement with the museum as that he “stands in the shoes of John Bass,” and he holds the rights to the contract between the city of Miami Beach and the Bass Museum.

“John Bass had the wisdom to create a permanent endowment, just under a different name,” Richard said.

Another task to be completed before the board can seek out applicants: governance.

“Any prospective director would want to know, ‘Who’s my boss?’ ‘Whom do I report to?’” said Miami Beach City Manager Jorge Gonzalez, also a board trustee. “We need to clarify that governance issue — who’s in charge?” Gonzalez asserted that since the search would be funded with public dollars, a committee should be formed among the board members to handle a competitive process.

Board of Trustees Chair Princess Thi-Nga also raised a concern of what type of director the Bass would want: For such an eclectic museum, they want someone who “would maintain the integrity of the collection,” she said.

“Your mission now — as a ‘mini-MET’ [Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York] — that you encompass all forms of art is unrealistic,” Farmer warned.

The solution: The board passed a motion that Gonzalez and Richard will comprise a form of subcommittee charged with orchestrating the next steps. Because Richard is not a member of the city-funded board, no Sunshine Laws will be compromised by their collaboration.

“There’s a lot of work that needs to be done for the administration of a museum,” Gonzalez said.

Comments? E-mail angie@miamisunpost.com.

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Coral Gables

Meeting Mama

Stephanie Miller Offers Therapy For Those Suffering From Post-Bush Syndrome

By Charlotte Libov 

To her listeners, she’s known as “Mama,” so when it was announced that Stephanie Miller would appear at a “Meet and Greet Mama” cocktail party at Books & Books in Coral Gables last Saturday night, hundreds of fans showed up to turn it into a love fest.

“I don’t know how I would have kept going after Bush was elected without you,” said Ana Langyel of Miami Beach. “I come home after the gym and I’d be so depressed but I’d listen to you and you’d make me laugh,” she said. One after the other, the fans echoed her sentiments.

The nationally syndicated, progressive talk show host was in town to pick up the “Democrat of the Year” award given by the Young Democrats of Broward County at a sold-out luncheon the next day, but she ventured into Miami-Dade County to appear at the Books & Books event sponsored by 940-AM radio, which airs Miller’s show Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-noon. She showed off her comedy chops, holding court with a microphone in the umbrella-shaded courtyard until humidity forced the event inside the bookstore. (“Regarding Bob Allen, he was probably just in the park to plan an event. To some of us, oral sex is an event,” said Miller, referring to the Florida state representative accused of offering to perform a sex act on an undercover cop.) Inside the bookstore, her fans lined up politely, touting presents including a “Miami Loves Mama” T-shirt, boxed wine (which Miller professes to be fond of) and lots of photos of dogs to be cooed over by the pup-loving radio personality. “I’m a hugger,” exclaimed Miller, rebuffing handshakes in favor of giving everyone who ventured up an enthusiastic hug. She feigned not wanting to let go to one particularly buff-looking young man, telling the woman by his side, “You can be replaced.”

Miller is reed slender and more neatly put together than she portrays herself on the radio — the Monday after her appearance she joked that, because of Miami’s infamous summer heat, she was drenched in sweat on this night and her hair in danger of frizzing out, neither which appeared to be the case. Among the group was Chris Chiari, president of the Broward Young Democrats, who said she was honored because “we wanted to show our gratitude to the radio station and the Jones Radio Network [the show’s syndicator] because, two years ago, we didn’t have this point of view on the air.”

Miller, whose show originates in Los Angeles, is no stranger to politics. When she was three years old, her father, former U.S. Rep. William Miller, was Barry Goldwater’s running mate in the 1964 presidential election. “My dad’s job was to step up after Goldwater spoke and explain to the audience what he had actually meant to say,” said Miller in an interview afterwards.

She studied theater, cut her teeth at comedy clubs and got some acting jobs, as well as a TV talk show, which was soon cancelled. But she’s a solid hit on the radio and is obviously adored. Her show is fast-paced, and she mixes comedy with scintillating political commentary aided by sidekicks “voice deity Jim Ward” and Chris Lavoie, who did not join her to the Gables.

As for Miami, Miller had lots of souvenirs to tote home, including a CD of original songs given to her by Nancy Wuerzburger, songwriter and past president of the National Organization for Women, Broward County; it included a copy of her song “They Lost My Vote.” And, if that doesn’t tickle the 45-year-old Miller’s funny bone, Wuerzburger noted, “I also have a very funny song about menopause.”

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Miami

What’s Another $1.4 Million?

Subcommittee Backs Funding Request for Gusman Theater Restoration

By Youseline Aldajuste

Beautification and repair projects to renovate the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, and a list of parking improvements to restore and reopen Virginia Key Beach Park, were among the various arts and culture items that the Homeland Defense/Neighborhood Improvement Bond Oversight Board’s Audit Committee recommended for approval, during a meeting Tuesday.

Alejandra Argudin, deputy director for Miami Parking Authority, and Guy Forchion, director of operations for Virginia Key Beach Park, were among the presenters who discussed their projects with the board.

Four years ago, the Miami Parking Authority, which oversees the Gusman, started the renovation project to restore the theater’s historical design, spending $3.5 million so far. According to Argudin, the scope of work needed to complete the restoration amounts to about $1.4 million. The Parking Authority is asking the board to approve $825,000 to match the $584,000 in grant money expected from Miami-Dade County.

“We are asking the city to match these funds from the county not only because the city owns the theater, but we feel that we have not come to the city for money to upkeep it or for anything else,” Argudin said. “In order for us to complete the project, we need $1.4 million. If not, we’ll lose the money we already have in the bank.”

These funds will not only serve to renovate the theater, but also to pay for a four-year certification service renewal fee. Among the theater renovations are seating replacements for the top tier, new sound equipment and carpeting.

Though the Parking Authority assured the Audit Committee that approving this amount would ultimately make the 600-seat venue much more competitive with similar venues, some of the board members asked the city to split the tasks and allocate funds in fractions to avoid additional funding requests.

“I have considered this option at one point,” said Argudin. “When we asked the contractors to break it down to see what we do now and later, it costs more. In order for us not to have a deficit, we want to do all of the projects together.”

After reassuring the advisory board that Miami Parking Authority has no need to request additional funding for the project, Argudin concurred with the board’s proposal to give the Capital Improvement Program a monthly update of spending.

The board also suggested the same check and balance recommendation for the parking improvement plans for Virginia Key Beach Park Trust projects, which will cost the city approximately $856,000 by their completion. However, the board recommended that the city approve $191,000 to make the necessary renovations for the park’s reopening in February 2008.

“We’re going to have to put off the construction of the park’s 2,700-foot mini-train until after the reopening,” said Guy Forchion, director of operations for Virginia Key Beach Park. “But the $191,000 that the board approves to repair the basic amenities is sufficient to reopen the park by our deadline.”

Those amenities include new barbecue grills, a pavilion for the north end of the park, shower installations, water fountains and a 30-foot-tall museum structure.

Among the other items the committee reviewed for approval were the Armbrister Park projects, which entail putting a new concrete terrace in the park and building an awning for its recreation area. These parking projects and several others will be paid from Commissioner Marc Sarnoff’s Quality of Life Fund.

The fate of the Orange Bowl stadium was also discussed. The committee recommended that no additional money be spent out of the $16 million improvement fund previously set for renovation of the stadium because of speculation about its potential demolition.

Funding approval for these items and many others will be discussed during the full board meeting of the Homeland Defense/Neighborhood Improvement Bond Oversight Board on Tuesday, Aug. 28, at Miami City Hall Commission Chambers, 3500 Pan American Drive, at 6 p.m.

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Northeast Miami-Dade

Engaged

Two Organizations Near County Line Will Merge to Form Larger Community Association

 By Evan Berkowitz

David Sheinheit, Aventura/Sunny Isles Chamber of Commerce’s president, predicts that the South Florida Community Associations Coalition will be “well rounded.”

This coming fall the Northeast Dade Coalition will merge with the Aventura/Sunny Isles Chamber of Commerce to form a new organization called the South Florida Community Associations Coalition.

The Northeast Dade Coalition is a not-for-profit organization that was formed in 1986. Its primary purpose is to educate and advocate for members of condominium associations and homeowners associations in the Northeast Dade and South Broward area.

Patricia Rogers was president of the organization from 1990-1996. Her husband, Paul Libert, took over that position when she began serving as an Aventura city commissioner (1996-2003). Libert was president until last year, when the job passed to former Aventura Commissioner Jay Beskin, who unsuccessfully challenged Miami-Dade Commissioner Sally Heyman for her seat in the last countywide election.

The 100-150 community associations and approximately 50 businesses currently in the Northeast Dade Coalition will receive automatic membership in the South Florida Community Associations coalition. “Most of the people I talked to are excited about it,” Rogers told the SunPost.

Rogers, Beskin and another NEDC board member, Dr. Robert Wolf, will serve on the new organization’s 12-person board. “This is better for the future,” Rogers said, noting that the new organization will have more business backing. “Chambers are a very important part of the American scenescape,” she said.

The two groups are still working on their letter of agreement and the exact details of the merger.

According to David Sheinheit, Aventura/Sunny Isles Chamber of Commerce’s president, his organization has had “tremendous” growth in the past year and a half, doubling in size. “We’re the fastest-growing chamber in the South Florida area,” he said. Sheinheit, a Smith Barney financial consultant, attributes the 10-year-old organization’s recent expansion to more residents moving into the area and many small businesses following suit.

Sheinheit hopes the merger will make the chamber a more “well-rounded organization” that serves the area’s residents better and builds contacts, or a “bridge,” from the condo community to the local small-business community. The chamber currently has about 220 member organizations, businesses and some not-for-profits, which, all told, represent about 1,000 people.

[Editor’s Note: Owing to a printer error, the following news story was cut off in last week's print editions. It is reposted here in full with minor alterations.]

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Surfside

Sticking Around

Town Manager Has No Plans to Leave Job

By Joshua Malina and Evan Berkowitz

Residents of Surfside expressed support for their town manager during an August 14 Town Commission meeting.

Their support came after Surfside Town Manager W.D. Higginbotham Jr. complained to the mayor and commission of having to deal with constant information requests and attacks on his ability as manager by Commissioner Mark Blumstein.

During the “Good and Welfare” segment of the commission meeting, residents Barbara Cohen, Bob Fisher and Richard Iacobacci, among others, offered glowing support for Higginbotham, calling him “the best city manager we’ve had” and “the most professional man we’ve seen in a really long time.”

Their remarks followed the poorest evaluation of Higginbotham in his 30 years of public service, he said, by Blumstein. In his evaluation, which occurred last month, Blumstein accused the manager of “acting as a political figure in the management of the town, of reducing his management responsibilities of Town employees through the elimination of staff necessary to implement town business, and not [keeping] pace with Commission action,” among other complaints.

Higginbotham denied Blumstein’s charges, writing in a letter to the commissioner that because of the vague evidence Blumstein offered in his evaluation, his “ratings are clearly without merit and appear to be a personal attack on me rather than an objective evaluation of my performance.” In the letter, Higginbotham suggested Blumstein may have ulterior motives for presenting such low rankings, including the commissioner’s previous opposition to his pay raise, which the commission approved 4-1 last July, according to the manager.

Dissatisfied with last month’s evaluation session, Blumstein sought a public review of Higginbotham to take place during that commission meeting. But because the meeting ran long (it adjourned at 1:30 the next morning), Blumstein agreed to reschedule the discussion to the commission’s next meeting on Sept. 11.

In a July 12 e-mail from the town manager to the rest of the Surfside Town Commission, Higginbotham complained of being “micromanaged,” referring to an onslaught of unnecessary communication from Blumstein in the form of daily, after-hours telephone calls.

Shortly afterward, Higginbotham announced his intention to the commission to leave the town when a new opportunity became available. Yet overwhelming support from past and current commissioners, as well as favorable public opinion, left him determined to stay with Surfside.

“There’s probably no job that you could have, that you can have such an impact in the community in which you live,” Higginbotham said.

Commissioner Blumstein could not be reached for further comment.

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Bay Harbor Islands

Getting Artsy on a Lawn

Group to Hold Story and Movie Nights Near Town Hall

By Evan Berkowitz

The Bay Harbor Islands Town Council unanimously approved $17,000 to fund two cultural programs that will be held on a grass lawn near Town Hall, during an August 13 meeting.

Created by the Bay Harbor Islands Art and Culture Foundation, the two programs will be called Movies on the Green and Story Telling at the Park. The events will be held on the south lawn of Town Hall, located at 8665 Bay Harbor Terrace.

Movies on the Green will take place every third Saturday of the month from October to May. Eight films, mostly foreign, will be shown outdoors on a screen placed on a nearby building wall.

Story Telling at the Park, consisting of story readings for children, will be held on Friday afternoons. This year there will be 10 readings, held twice a month, from October to February.

Councilman Alberto Ruder said the town’s Parks and Recreation Committee recently went through the program’s budget and agreed to funding, which breaks down to $15,000 for the movies and $2,000 for the storytelling. He pointed out that last year the town paid money directly to the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival for film rights, insurance, the projector, screen, etc., but this year, because BHIACF has 501c3 nonprofit corporation status and will be seeking grant money, the town agreed to pay the foundation directly. “They’re going out in a very aggressive campaign to try to attract grants from other agencies,” he said, adding that the organization now has a grant consultant aiding in this effort. “They need to show that the money that Bay Harbor is contributing is coming to them,” he said.

But the town will not turn over the funds all at once; instead it will disperse them in small amounts. Ruder said this is a more appropriate way for a government entity to hand over money. If done in a lump sum and “if there is anything wrong we have to chase after them,” he explained. One condition put on the BHIACF organization is that it will have to provide evidence it applied for at least five grants before next year.

The BHIACF started in 2005 and was incorporated in 2006. According to the organization’s funding request form, the total cost for the two projects will be $47,400. The foundation also claims to have 12 corporate sponsors and numerous additional private sponsors.

BHIACF literature also lists Publix Charities, the Shepard Broad Foundation, Florida Power and Light and the Kennedy Family Foundation as possible grant sources. The grant consultant will be paid a fee of $4,500. Last season, BHIACF received its largest business/private donation, $6,000, from developer Millennium LLC, which has several building projects going up in Bay Harbor. “In kind” donations were also received from the Carnival Center, Books and Books and several other merchants.

Movies on the Green received promotional assistance from the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Florida Israeli Cultural Institute, the Argentinean Consulate and the Miami International Film Festival, which advertised to its members.

“The goal of the BHIACF is to provide quality programming utilizing a variety of cultural outlets. This includes, but is not limited to, visual arts, film, music, storytelling and other art-forms from countries around the world,” the organization’s literature states.

BHIACF literature also quotes a study by the Urban Institute released in 2003 that said three of the top four places where people attended art and cultural events were located in their community. It also said 69 percent of these events were located outside in a park or a street, which people found more appealing than traditional art venues. “These events increase awareness of the town and help to attract new businesses while offering an added value to existing businesses,” states the literature.

Violeta Horne, the organization’s director, is a four-and-a-half-year Bay Harbor resident who is originally from Argentina. According to Horne, BHIACF presented six films from places like Israel, France, Argentina and Iran. They averaged more than 180 persons per screening, with the largest event being their last in April, which was attended by more than 300 people.

Horne said people from all over South Florida come to the screenings. She hopes they will sample these movies and discover that foreign films are not overly “arty” or “difficult” to understand. She and other board members, who include her husband Rolando Epstien, make the film selections. Because children attend, “R”-rated films are unacceptable.

“BHIACF believes that our success is multi-faceted, most importantly because it appeals to a wide target audience. This is evident based on the increase in popularity and attendance throughout the season,” their literature says.

Tickets for the films are valued at $10 each, but will be discounted to $5 for Bay Harbor residents and $8 for nonresidents. Movie nights will include, at no extra cost, raffles for gift certificates from restaurants or goods from more than 15 different local shops. This year a photography/art contest will be introduced at the first October movie event; later in the season, winners will be announced and works exhibited. There will also be a season-opening fundraising event.

Admission for Story Telling at the Park is free.

Comments? E-mail letters@miamisunpost.com.