Artopia at The Coral Gables Museum 2016

Once a year, the streets of Coral Gables are graced by the presence of live performers, art, fashion, film, food vendors, and The Miami New Times. The 8^th annual Artopia on Thursday, February 18^th, proved to be yet another amazing opportunity to bring together thousands of art-lovers for a night of eclectic culture. The night honored the MasterMind winners, encouraged us to indulge all their senses and preferences, and inspired attendees to be in touch with the creatives inside.

So, why will you want to mark your calendars to attend next year’s Artopia event? The following is my list of reasons why this is one annual Gables activity that cannot be missed:

1. Costumes: This year’s steampunk theme made for some outlandish Victorian inspired costumes, corsets, and photo-ops.
   
2. Science: Who says science can’t be art? Besides the chemistry of the mixed spirits at the bars, there were also light expositions to enjoy courtesy of the Frost Museum of Science and Zoo Miami brought a live owl to accompany all the night owls.
   
3. Food and Drink: There was plenty of food served by some of our favorite local Gables restaurants, proving that the bringing together of flavors and spices is its own art form. Dunkin Donuts was there to keep us all caffeinated enough to enjoy the night. And champagne was served from the dresses of angels.
   
   
4. Live Music: The Sunghosts, a grungy garage punk band rocked the stage. Being that this was a multi-sensory event, however, there was also a dose of classical and opera courtesy of Musimelange. Multi-sensory mini-concerts were designed to heighten the senses and enhance the culinary experience of the event.
   
5. Live Art: Working to their own tunes, several artists painted as passersby watched and cheered them on. Part of the purpose of Artopia is to celebrate the annual winners of the MasterMind awards. To this end, many showcased their art through live performances. A favorite from the neighboring Wynwood Art District, Magnus Sodamin, made an appearance. Attendees were also encouraged to create their own art to contribute to the event in several ways: You could opt to create digital graffiti to temporarily tag up the walls of the museum, or create nostalgic 90’s spin art on vinyl records. And MasterMind winners, Juana Meneses and Leila A. Leder Kremer, invited art-lovers to create a page for an issue of their zine Portable Editions using black water color.
   
   

As night fell over The Coral Gables Museum, the backdrop for this event, drinks continued to pour and things got more interesting by the hour. The streets of the Gables were transformed into a place where if you can imagine it, it exists. And it seems fitting to think of a place where everyone’s thirst for art, creativity, and food is quenched as sort of utopian. Through Artopia, The Miami New Times honored the MasterMind winners, encouraged us to indulge all our senses and preferences, and inspired attendees to be in touch with the creatives inside.