Since opening the doors of its flagship store in 1996, luxury shoe brand Stuart Weitzman has showcased sculptural footwear commissioned by artists, designers and craftsmen from around the world. The most inventive of these shoes will be featured in Art & Sole, on view in the Bass Museum of Art’s bassX gallery from March 8 through April 10, 2016, located in the Miami Beach Regional Library (227 22nd Street, Miami Beach).
These fantasy shoes are remarkable for their imaginative construction and elaborate adornment. Each delicate shoes is constructed from unexpected materials such as bronze, ceramic, wire, Plexiglas, or cardboard, as in the case of Robert Steele’s Corrugated Curves, VI. Other shoes are noteworthy for their surfaces, embellished with feathers, gems, fresh flowers and cake frosting. Joan Klimo, who worked in fabric and mixed media, transformed shoes into whimsical soft sculptures. No pair is alike and each one sparks the imagination.
Jane Gershon Weitzman, who was executive Vice President of Stuart Weitzman and First Vice President of Stuart Weitzman Retail, invited hundreds of artists to make these shoes for their window displays, which later inspired her book Art & Sole. Weitzman said “I looked at the [store’s] windows as variations on a theme. I tried to find artists who worked in as many different materials and styles as possible.”
Jane Weitzman spearheaded philanthropy for the company by generating funds to support breast and ovarian cancer research and awareness. Her efforts were brought to life through innovative charity events on the brand’s website, such as the Stuart Weitzman Celebrity Breast Cancer Shoe Auction and its retail stores. She serves on the Trust Board of the Boston Children’s Hospital.
Art & Sole is part of the museum’s bassX series of artist projects based in the Miami Beach Library during the museum’s yearlong renovation. bassX is organized by José Carlos Diaz, Bass Museum Curator of Exhibitions and Leilani Lynch, Curatorial Assistant, and is generously funded by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
About The Bass Museum of Art
Now in its 52nd year, the Bass Museum of Art is currently undergoing an interior expansion that will increase programmable space by almost 50%. The expansion will
enable the Bass to present more exhibitions and education programs, improve the visitor experience and foster a new generation of patrons. The renovation is expected to be complete in December 2016.
During the construction, the museum continues to bring world-class art and art education to the community through vital partnerships with other cultural organizations. bassX is a series of artist projects held in the museum’s satellite gallery at the Miami Beach
Regional Library, located at 227 22nd Street, across the street from the museum. Education programs are also based in the Miami Beach Library.
Sylvie Fleury: Eternity Now
On view through May 31, 2016
Jérémy Gobé: Freedom Leading Wool
January 24 – February 28, 2016
Art & Sole: Fantasy Shoes from the Jane Gershon Weitzman Collection
Miami Bass Museum Exhibit on Art & Sole shoes by author Jane Weitzman Opening March 8-April 10 Since opening the doors of its flagship store in 1996, luxury shoe brand Stuart Weitzman has showcased sculptural footwear commissioned by artists, designers and craftsmen from around the world.
