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The SunPost 2008 Best Of South Florida
Best of our Advertisers / EDITORS' CHOICE
ADVERTORIAL
Best Cool Ticket in Town Culture Shock Miami 305-375-1949 www.cultureshockmiami.com Are you between the ages of 13 and 22 and attending junior high, senior high or college? Then you can capitalize on a Miami-Dade County program known as Culture Shock Miami. These young residents can watch theater, dance, music and art shows and festivals for just a nominal admission all year long. Either buy the tickets online or go to the nearest Ticketmaster outlet with proof of age. A little older or younger? Hey, don’t feel left out; visit the Web site to find out how to get cheap, and even free, tickets.
Best Film FestivalMiami Underground Film Festival 1825 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables 305-283-4920 www.miamiundergroundff.com The Miami Underground Film Festival screens films no one else shows. No other film festival promotes local filmmakers as this clever fest. It even presents separate awards to Florida filmmakers, called Home Cooking. The Miami Underground Film Festival is a star in the night tapestry of arts in Miami.
BEST CONCERT PROMOTERS The Rhythm Foundation P.O. Box 398567, Miami Beach 305-672-5202 www.rhythmfoundation.com Rhythm Foundation is the biggest and best promoter of world music in South Florida. Now in its 20th season of presenting the very best international artists, the foundation has promoted more than 250 concerts, festivals and special events. It works with some of the most established artists from Latin America, Asia, Europe, Africa and elsewhere, and presents some of the most cutting-edge sounds in world music. With an average of 15 shows each year, even those with the most vanilla of musical tastes can find something new and exciting to satisfy their musical appetites. Previous performers include Youssou N’Dour, Anoushka Shankar and the Pinker Tones.
BEST LIVE
PERFORMANCES
www.livenation.com
BEST ARTS UPGRADEMiami Beach Cinematheque 512 Española Way, Miami Beach 305-673-4567 www.mbcinema.com The Miami Beach Cinematheque is a truly unique arts venue with smart programming, and an absolute playground for the true film aficionado. Now, it has taken a great step forward. The Cinematheque has gone HD, so now all of its great programming can be seen in high definition. It’s been done in collaboration with Emerging Cinemas, the world’s leading digital distributor, and is sure to make one cool destination even better.
BEST MUSEUM, MIAMI BEACHBass Museum of Art 2121 Park Ave., Miami Beach 305-673-7530 www.bassmuseum.org The Bass Museum showcases blockbuster exhibitions and a unique permanent collection that includes works by Renaissance and Baroque masters. The recent Bass-created exhibition Promises of Paradise made a significant contribution by showcasing the history of architecture and design in Miami and Miami Beach. Robert Wilson’s VOOM PORTRAITS (on view through Aug. 3) are extraordinary, cutting-edge video portraits of celebrities juxtaposed with old master portraits that summarize the history of portraiture over the centuries. This summer, the Bass will showcase works by Picasso, Dalí, Miró, Gris and other Spanish masters. Its always forward-thinking and cutting-edge.
BEST EROTIC ART COLLECTION World Erotic Art Museum (WEAM) 1205 Washington Ave., Miami Beach 305-532-9336 First-time visitors will be amazed at the collection of works at WEAM. It’s a huge art museum, stylish and absolutely fascinating, featuring one of the largest private collections of erotic art in the world, with more than 4,000 objects, some of which date back thousands of years. Man has always been fascinated with the mystic and aesthetic nature of the erotic, and this utterly unique museum showcases items from many eras and epochs, cultures and countries. WEAM is a must-see museum and an experience sure to offer all who enter a one-of-a-kind adventure through erotic art history.
BEST CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERYMiami Art Group Gallery 126 N.E. 40th St., Miami 305-576-2633 www.miamiartgroup.com This gallery represents and exhibits more than 20 of the most popular emerging and established artists. If you want a terrific glimpse into what’s hot in the art world, go to Miami Art Group Gallery.
BEST DIVERSITY IN AN ART GALLERYGallery Art 20633 Biscayne Blvd., Aventura 305-932-6166 www.gallart.com Gallery Art buys and sells fine art and entire collections, and features incredible diversity in artworks. Think Warhol, Haring, Dalí, Longo and a huge variety of others. Spectacular works adorn the gallery, which is clearly a leader on the local visual arts scene. It also offers a lifetime guarantee exchange program, custom framing and will gladly help seek out works for clients. The variety is so rich and varied, you’ll no doubt find whatever your heart desires.
BEST ART SHOWSArtFusion Galleries 1 N.E. 40th St., Suites 3, 6 and 7, Miami 305-573-5730 www.artfusiongallery.com Located in the heart of Miami’s Design District, Art Fusion Galleries hosts four annual art shows showcasing 32 international artists each show. All artists present their best works. Currently Art Fusion Galleries represents more than 400 international artists in the largest gallery in the Design District. Art Fusion Galleries is well known for its diversity, culture and explosions of colors.
BEST VISUAL ARTS RESIDENCY PROGRAMArtCenter/South Florida 800/810/924 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach 305-674-8278 www.artcentersf.org ArtCenter/South Florida has served the community for 23 years, hosted more than 330 professional artists in its residency program and more than 300 exhibitions, employed more than 200 professional artists and provided thousands of public school students with artist mentoring programs. Additionally, this cornerstone of the Miami Beach arts community features numerous exhibits, classes and activities that place it in the forefront of creative life in the city.
BEST ARTS GROUP, MIAMI BEACHArts at St. John’s 4760 Pine Tree Drive, Miami Beach 305-613-2325 www.artsatstjohns.com Arts have long been considered an integral thread in the fabric of communities. With that in mind, the nonprofit organization Arts at St. John’s, which delivers year-around culture and arts programming in the mid-Miami Beach area, has taken art directly to the community. Supported by the city of Miami Beach, the Florida Humanities Council, Dade Community Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, this group focuses on nurturing young local artists and blending the region’s diverse populations of race, culture and beliefs. With Executive Director Carol Hoffman-Guzman at the helm, programming includes performances, sing-alongs, music lessons, lectures, exhibitions and much more.
BEST GROWN-UP PRODUCTIONS FOR CHILDRENThe PlayGround Theatre 9806 Second Ave., Miami Shores 305-751-9550 www.theplaygroundtheatre.com It's never too early to introduce young minds to the wonders of theater. Early exposure helps children develop an appreciation for the performing arts. Plus, who knows, you might spawn the next Broadway wonder. Since 2005, The PlayGround Theatre has been producing top-quality plays for children from such greats as Hans Christian Andersen and Gabriel García Márquez (A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings). It offers summer theater camps and, last year, introduced an InSchool Series that brings PlayGround acting workshops into schools, and launched Behind the Curtain Workshops that invite children to participate on the set of each production.
BEST THEME PARTY BOATTikki Beach Charter Boat 841 W. 40th St., No. 6, Miami Beach 305-538-4040 C’mon, admit it: You’ve always wanted to party it up on a Disney attraction. Well, this is the next best thing. The Tikki Beach Charter Boat is basically a floating Polynesian beach, complete with sand-covered decks, thatched umbrellas, palm trees and cabana beds, all amid bamboo décor. You’ll swear you’re at a Hawaiian luau. Although there’s no buried pig to eat on Tikki Beach, there are three buffet stations, a full galley and bar stations serving a wider array of spirits than most charter boats. Tikki Beach is great for corporate events, weddings, birthdays, Bar Mitzvahs or any kind of party.
BEST GREEK FESTIVALSt. Sophia’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral 2401 S.W. Third Ave., Miami 305-854-2922 There is no question that Greeks know how to have a good time. After all, what other culture is known for smashing plates on the floor during an after-dinner dance? Held the last weekend in February, the festival at St. Sophia’s Orthodox Cathedral is the best place to go Greek, even if you’re not. Everyone is welcome at the festival, where traditional delicacies are cooked up right before your eyes and ancient dances, passed down through the generations, are performed. The best part about the festival — and no, it’s not plate smashing — is that everyone is encouraged to join in. There are dance classes and cooking demos included in the entrance fee, which will only set you back a few bucks (kids 12 and younger get in free). Take a chance and check it out. Who knows? You may learn to cook like a Greek grandma and dance like Zorba.
BEST JULY 4TH FIREWORKS Bayfront Park 301 N. Biscayne Blvd., Miami 305-358-7550 Besides being one of this year’s largest July 4th fireworks displays in South Florida, you can’t beat the view. Shot from a barge in Biscayne Bay, this grand display can be enjoyed from anywhere in the 32-acre downtown Miami park.
BEST PLACE TO RUB ELBOWS WITH YOUR FAVORITE CHEFSFood Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival www.sobewineandfoodfest.com
This national,
star-studded, four-day event showcases the talents of the world’s most
renowned wine and spirits producers, chefs and culinary personalities.
Featuring celebrity chefs such as Rachael Ray, Emeril Lagasse,
Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis, the 2009 festival will run from Feb.
19 to 22. Hosted by Southern Wine & Spirits of Florida and Florida
International University, the festival benefits FIU’s School of
Hospitality and Tourism Management teaching restaurant and the Southern
Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center.
BEST MOBILE MURDER MYSTERYSeminole Gulf’s Murder Mystery Show 4110 Centerpointe Drive, Suite 207, Fort Myers 239-275-8487 www.semgulf.com Along with wine and a five-course meal, patrons of the Murder Mystery Show are treated to a theatrical homicide during the 3.5-hour trip, and the dining detectives are given clue sheets so they can work out the mystery. |
