Day 1 of Art Basel Week Celebrates with 'Miami Says Art-2' Opening Reception

On day one of Art Basel week, Miami's arts leaders gathered at the Mayfair Hotel for the opening reception of "Miami Says Art-2" to celebrate the cultural trailblazers who helped transform this city into a global art destination.

The exhibition reprises visionary artist Martin Kreloff's groundbreaking 1976 show, where champions of the arts looked into his camera and proclaimed "ART!"

Kreloff brought together a stellar group of more than 100 of Miami's museum and gallery directors, performing arts and cultural leaders (alongside many from his original 1976 "Miami Says Art" cast) to once again exclaim "ART!" into his camera during Art Basel last year, so that he could prepare a time capsule exhibition.

The photos were kept under lock-and-key all year long until this year's opening. The art was transformed into a wall of new portraits by Kreloff alongside his new collaboration with Miami artist Gustavo Oviedo, a black box installation of video and sound art that blended together to create a cultural time capsule showcasing Miami's rise to fame as one of the world's leading art destinations.

The Mayfair Hotel Miami's General Manager Axel Gasser (center) with artists Martin Kreloff and Gustavo Oviedo "Miami Says Art-2 has been an amazing homecoming for me," said Martin Kreloff.

"I am thrilled to pay tribute to the arts leaders that make Miami such a cultural paradise." The exhibition was selected by national and international media as one of the highlights of this year's Art Basel week in Miami, and drew Miami's top cultural and arts leaders.

Photos from "Miami Says Art-2" at The Mayfair Hotel Miami:

"I've collaborated with Miami artist Gustavo Oviedo on a new black box multimedia installation," said Martin Kreloff. "Miami: you really know how to say ART!"

"We're proud to kick off Art Basel week as it always should, by honoring the cultural champions so pivotal to Miami's arts evolution," said Axel Gasser, General Manager of The Mayfair Hotel and Spa Miami.

"The Mayfair Hotel experience is like staying within a living, breathing work of art - a true art hotel featuring unparalleled design, architecture, handcrafted details and artistic elements. Miami Says Art-2 also launches the Mayfair's 30th anniversary yearlong celebrations, which will be called "Miami Vices" to showcase the hotel's rich history of elegance, style and lots of Miami-style fun."

About the Artist Martin Kreloff: Martin Kreloff's work is held by the New York Museum of Modern Art and dozens of other prestigious galleries, museums and corporate collections across America. His art sparkles with contemporary themes, often built around classic art references, bits of whimsy, and stars of yesteryear. Born in Brooklyn, Kreloff started painting when he was only 12 and began studying formally at the Brooklyn Museum, continuing on at the famed Parsons School of Design. He garnered a BFA and an MFA at the University of Miami. Many of his paintings found their way into the personal collections of some of the nation's most accomplished celebrities including Cary Grant, Joan Crawford, Ann Miller, Esther Williams and Gloria Vanderbilt. With more than 25 solo shows to his credit, Kreloff has been commissioned to create artwork for Warner Brothers; Universal Pictures; Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines; Nielsen/National Research Group; Harley Davidson; Bloomingdale's; The American Civil Liberties Union; The Miami Herald; and The San Francisco Chronicle. www.martinkreloff.com

About the Artist Gustavo Oviedo: Gustavo Oviedo is an artist based in Miami. He was born in Paris, and raised between Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico and finally Miami. He has a Master's Degree in Motion Graphics and Visual Effects. He works in various mediums including video, photography, silkscreen, collage, sculpture and mural. Oviedo's work has been exhibited at ArtCenter/South Florida, the Art & Culture Center of Hollywood, Bakehouse Arts Complex, Locust Projects, and Primary Projects, among others. Two of Oviedo's short films have been part of the MOCA's Optic Nerve Short Film Festival. 131projects.com

About The Mayfair Hotel & Spa: Heralding its 30th anniversary with the completion of more than $10 million in extensive renovations, The Mayfair Hotel & Spa is located in the heart of Miami's historic "first neighborhood," The Village of Coconut Grove. The boutique architectural gem is the only Gaudi-inspired hotel in the United States, an artistic masterpiece that blends Art Nouveau, Asian and Old World European inspirations. The dramatic interior atriums teem with elaborate Asian gardens and fountains. Subtropical fantasias cocoon guests inside a private Zen oasis - overflowing with palm trees, orchids, tropical ferns and bamboo, birds and butterflies, monolithic columns and Tiffany stained glass ceilings. Hand-carved by local artists, the Mahogany woodwork and doorways, copper and stone sculptural creations are all one-of-a-kind (the molds were broken after the unveilings). The Mayfair features 179 luxury suites, most with private terraces and Japanese Soaking Tubs (built for two), imported Brazilian doors, marble bathrooms with Roman Spa Baths, stone floors, sea-grass furnishings, hand-carved Mahogany headboards, and opulent details.

The indulgent culinary experiences at The Mayfair are helmed by Executive Chef Dario Correa. The Italian Trattoria Spartico showcases a stone-faced wood-burning Ambrogi oven imported directly from Milan. Above the Mayfair surrounds the decadent rooftop pool and cabanas. The hotel boasts one of a handful of Jurlique Australian Spas in America, a 4,500 square-foot holistic day-spa with sunlit treatment suites, a Couples' Suite for dual treatments, and certified-organic products that are biodegradable and exclusively grown on Jurlique's private farms in South Australia's pristine Adelaide Hills. The property is pet-friendly, has a 24-hour Fitness Center, 15,000 square-feet of events and meetings space, and offers a complete Business Center with complimentary WiFi in all rooms and common areas.

The Mayfair Hotel & Spa is part of the Schlesinger family's legendary portfolio of hospitality excellence, including the Brazilian Court Hotel in Palm Beach. For reservations and more information, please visit mayfairhotelandspa.com or call 305 441 0000.