fbpx

The 2016 resolution redux: Kathryn Mikesell saw lots of local support in Miami’s art scene last year

In our final series of look backs to 2016, we’re revisiting resolutions some of Miami’s leaders in the arts made last year and asking them to make a prediction for 2017.

Kathryn Mikesell founded Fountainhead Studios in Little River and the Fountainhead Residency program. As a Miami resident and art collector, Mikesell is working to cultivate, support, and grow Miami’s contemporary art community.

Last year:

“Miami’s art scene is growing and developing. …. The biggest challenge is that unfortunately that we don’t have a very philanthropic base. This year I want to see more people supporting the arts through patronage, donations, and corporate support, from larger institutions like museums, the opera, and the symphony, to the smaller organizations like The Locust Projects and Rhythm Foundation.”

Today:

I think we’re continuing to expand. There’s some interesting new initiatives with developers and with brands and corporations [supporting the arts] we haven’t seen. We’re moving forward in a positive way. For example we have seen the Design District doing partnerships with nonprofits.

The Pérez Art Museum has been very successful in establishing corporate sponsorships. YoungArts did a very successful program for Basel with Rolls Royce. We are seeing growth there which is important. It’s what we need. …

You are seeing that as well with Locust Projects, they did several alliances with brands and in the Design District and in Bal Harbor. You’re also seeing the numbers are growing and the patrons as well as museum attendance has increased this year…. This is also the first year that Fountainhead, my art program, has become a nonprofit and we had a successful fundraising during Give Miami Day by the Miami Foundation, and more than 600 individuals donated.

So I’m very happy to see that it’s changing.

Last year:

“We need more support for local.”

Today:

I think we are. There’s a ways to go. I can speak to my personal experience as far as my advising, a lot of my clients have bought local which I’ve been proud of, supporting local artists and local galleries. So I feel like I’m doing my part. And people are responding.

What’s one thing you can predict for 2017?

There’s a lot of uncertainty with our new president but what we’re going to see is people pull together and work together with lots of collaborations this year and hopefully some we wouldn’t have thought of in the past…. You’re going to see a lot more collaborations between varied art forms. For example, one thing I’m working on is having a collaboration between chefs and artists.

I’m tired of negativity, people want to get on with their lives and they want to do great things. At the end of the day it comes down to doing, not talking about it.

Read her 2016 resolution here.