This season, The Betsy is welcoming 11 new exhibits to its 20,000 square feet of gallery space, showcasing spectacular original work by award-winning photographers, designers, and other artists — all curated by co-owner Lesley Goldwasser.
On December 2nd, 2020, two weeks before The Betsy’s December 18th reopening, we’re hosting a reception celebrating our new exhibits. See below for details.
In the meantime, here’s a look at what’s coming to The Betsy this winter.
Ricardo Cavolo’s “101 Movies to Watch Before You Die”
B Bar Gallery
101 Movies to Watch Before You Die consists of 26 illustrations — done in Cavolo’s signature style, inspired by folk art, traditional and modern tattoo culture, European religious imagery, and tribal arts — from the eponymous book. An outpouring of Ricardo's cinematographic loves, he refers to these works as a "love story told in installments", starting with Méliès’s "Le Voyage Dans La Lune" and "Casablanca" to "Citizen Kane," "The Godfather," and "Star Wars."
Andy Sweet’s "The Miami Beach Project"
Lobby Bar Gallery
Born in Miami Beach in 1953, Sweet documented the people of Miami Beach and Ocean Drive in the 70's and 80's — a unique time when the city was populated by retired Jewish immigrants, many of them Holocaust survivors. An early adopter and pioneer of color photography, Sweet captured Miami Beach and its residents in all their glory — and this exhibit gives you an authentic sense of Miami Beach in one of its iconic heydays.
Sweet's work is now in the permanent collection of the National Gallery in Washington, The Bass Museum, and The Corcoran Gallery in Washington. The Betsy exhibits these works adjacent to a poem about Andy Sweet’s life and work, commissioned from Obama Inaugural Poet, Richard Blanco.
Hassan Hajjaj’s "My Rock Stars" and "Legs"
Lobby Gallery
Born in Larache, Morocco and immigrating to London at the age of 12, Hassan Hajjaj is a contemporary artist known as the "Andy Warhol of Marrakech". Influenced by London’s cosmopolitan culture, music scene, and fashion landscape, “My Rock Stars” is an eclectic collection featuring performers whom Hajjaj celebrates through staged portraits and sculptured frames with a Moroccan-infused multiculturalism.
Barbara Hulanicki "London 1986, Après BIBA"
Lobby Restaurant Gallery
“London 1986, Après BIBA” focuses on Barbara Hulanicki's photographic accomplishments, presenting never-before-published photographs of the ballet "A Different Set of Muscles", featuring Molly Parkin (fashion editor, painter, poet, hedonist), Twiggy (model, actress, and singer), and Anna Piaggi (editor of Vogue Italia).
An influential artist and fashion icon, Hulanicki’s Miami ties began in 1989 when she came to the city to design a nightclub for Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones and never left. Her career is a success story with rock and roll roots, having founded BIBA, one of the most influential fashion emporiums of the 20th century beloved by rock stars such as Mick Jagger and David Bowie.
Karl Stoecker’s "London 1973, The New Romantics"
Lobby Restaurant Annex Gallery
Inspired by the Glam Rock movement of the early 1970s, Karl Stoeker’s “London 1973, The New Romantics” features Pop Art photographs of icons like Anjelica Huston and Tina Chow.
Born in Brooklyn and based in Miami, Karl Stoecker worked in London from 1966 to 1975 where his photographs were published in Vogue, Nineteen, and Harper’s Bazaar. "The New Romantics" also features “Glam Pin-Ups”, a project Stoecker was shooting as a wink to 1940s Vargas pin-ups. In addition, the “Rock & Roll Album Cover Series” showcases Bryan Ferry, lead singer and songwriter of Roxy Music on the Roxy Music album cover, "For Your Pleasure", as well as Brian Eno, early Roxy Music band member and producer.
Robin Hill "The Art of the Orb"
The Orb Gallery (Inside)
Straddling the boundaries between architecture, design, and fine art through photography, Robin Hill’s ”The Art of the Orb” presents eight unique perspectives of The Betsy Orb, which has become a Miami Beach landmark and serves as a functional bridge connecting the two Betsy buildings over the alleyway between Collins Avenue and Ocean Drive.
Alessandro Sarno "The Spirit of a People: Portraits and Slices of Life in The Islands of The Bahamas"
The Board Room Gallery
Alessandro Sarno’s "The Spirit of a People: Portraits and Slices of Life in The Islands of The Bahamas" was commissioned by The Betsy following the devastating damage brought to this small group of islands by Hurricane Dorian in 2019, with a portion of the proceeds from this exhibit being donated to Lend a Hand Bahamas. Sarno’s journey in photography began at The Betsy hotel, on the front steps, where he spent time reflecting after living and working in London and before traveling to the Bahamas for the first time, seeking sunshine and a new, prosperous life. Capturing the uniquely warm and welcoming people of the islands, Sarno’s first trip to The Bahamas inspired him to delve into photography more seriously — and these photos are a glimpse into what inspired him to do so.
Carlos Betancourt “Intimate Spirit: Collages and Other Works”
The Gallery
Exploring issues of personal memories while also dwelling in matters of beauty, identity, and communication, Carlos Betancourt believes that art can be informed by one's own experiences, not necessarily the other way around. With his work exploring the multi-racial, multi-lingual, and trans-cultural kaleidoscope of Caribbean and American culture, “Let’s Portray” is a collection of Betancourt’s work, related to portraits and people.
Nuria Richards "Empathy Time"
The Orb Gallery (Outside)
Nuria Richards, founder of La Clandestina Gallery Miami, has created a group of conceptual art installations by multiple artists that use linear time as a premise to present the idea of a common place. The works vary in nature from collaborative to contemplative, always activated by the audience in some capacity. The purpose is to motivate visitors to place their life experience as the one of others in a process of dialogue. “Empathy Time” is an 8 minute and 43 second experience, projected onto The Betsy Orb, that allows the viewer to explore themes of healing and reflection.
Paul Saltzman "The Beatles in India"
The Carlton Room Gallery
In the late 1960s, looking to recover after a break up, Paul Saltzman ventured to the holy city of Rishikesh in hopes of studying meditation with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Coincidentally arriving at the same time as members of the iconic band, The Beatles, Saltzman befriended the group and spent time photographing them and their entourage. These photos have been judged "some of the best intimate shots" ever taken of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, with the feature film documentary Meeting The Beatles in India released on Gathr Films and reviewed by The Daily Beast, Variety, salon.com, The BBC, and more.
Saltzman’s photos will be on exhibit in The Carlton Room Gallery at The Betsy, and a screening of the documentary is planned while the exhibit is in place.
Carlos Andres Cruz "Introducing Rosa"
The Underground Gallery
Carlos Andres Cruz is a professional dog photographer based in Bogota, Colombia. While visiting family in Miami Beach, Cruz serendipitously came across Katie and Betsy, The Betsy’s CEOs (Canine Executive Officers), playing ball on the beach. Carlos was “captivated by Katie’s ability to surf and retrieve the tennis ball at the same time" and began shooting. This was the start of a wonderful friendship and partnership between Carlos and The Betsy.
His photos are now exhibited permanently in the Underground Gallery, easily accessible from the lobby. Katie (short for Katherine Hepburn) sadly passed away in 2019, and Rosa arrived on the scene shortly after, taking on her role as assistant CEO and chief cheerer-upper to Betsy, who still misses Katie deeply. Carlos thought it only fit to add pictures of Rosa to the Underground Gallery, and we are proud to announce four new additions of photos of Rosa to the collection.
Join Us On Opening Night
We’d love to welcome you to our reception (6 - 9 pm) on December 2nd. Please enter through The Alley, under the Betsy Orb. Masks are mandatory.
