By Locust Projects

In 2013 Locust Projects will celebrate its 15th anniversary as an experimental exhibition space with a mission to serve artists and the community. To mark this milestone, Locust Projects is starting Locust Talks, a series of free public lectures by visiting art professionals. The series will begin in January and be complemented by an opportunity for South Florida-based artists to share their work and vision with the visiting arts professional.

Curators and directors from diverse institutions across the country have been invited to meet with South Florida’s artists and discuss topics impacting artists and their communities.  “As a result of the studio visits, we hope to broaden Miami artists’ sphere of influence, giving our artists the opportunity to build new relationships—and ultimately exhibition opportunities—with dynamic curatorial voices from across the country and internationally,” said Chana Sheldon, executive director of Locust Projects.

The series will kick off with Anne Pasternak, president of Creative Time, on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 6:30pm. The event is free & open to the public. Please mark your calendar for talks by Lauri Firstenberg, director and chief curator, LAX ART (LA) on Thursday, April 18 and Fairfax Dorn, executive director of Ballroom Marfa (date & time TBD).

Creative Time has been commissioning innovative public art in NYC since 1974. Since Pasternak assumed leadership in 1994, Creative Time has transformed the Battery Maritime Building into an interactive musical instrument; created the twin beacons of light that illuminated the former World Trade Center site six months after 9/11; and performed Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” in the post-Katrina streets of New Orleans. Pasternak has worked closely with such artists as  Marina Abramovic, Doug Aiken, Laurie Anderson, David Byrne, and Jenny Holzer.

Locust Projects, founded by artists in 1998, “continues to be driven by and responsive to artists’ needs,” explains Ms. Sheldon. “Our mission is to enable artists to experiment with new ideas and methods without the limitations or sales pressure of conventional exhibition spaces. We also want to offer public exposure of their work and furnish professional support for contemporary artists. And very important to our mission is to provide an approachable venue for the public to interact with art and artists.”

In addition to its public exhibitions, Locust Projects mentors teens and exposes the public to art by positioning art in surprising and accessible public locations throughout the county.

Locust Art Builders (LAB) has been designed to bring together 15 teenage artists from across South Florida for three weeks, under the mentorship of a practicing contemporary artist and with the support of Locust Projects’ staff, to create a large-scale collaborative exhibition of new work in Locust Projects’ main gallery on view to the public through the summer.

Tribute in Light – Julian Laverdier and Paul Myoda, photo by Creative Time