SMFA at Art Basel Miami Beach
[caption id="attachment_1258" align="alignleft" width="620" caption="Gallery Diet"][/caption] Last week was the 12th edition of Art Basel Miami Beach, the annual art fair that draws more than 2,000 contemporary artists to the city for a week of exhibitions, performances, shows and events. SMFA alums were represented throughout the city, and we held an alumni reception at Gallery Diet, which is owned by Nina Johnson (BFA '05). Her husband, Daniel Milewski (BFA '05), owns the nearby restaurant Lester's. We caught up with them both to ask a few questions: Tell us about your time at SMFA. Why did you attend? What was your focus? Has your work changed over the years? Daniel: My time at SMFA was great for me. I feel like it was a time when I really started to learn what kind of an artist and what kind of a person I wanted to be. The experience of being in an environment like that was a new thing for me and it really opened me up in different ways. Nina: When I attended SMFA I was in Gerry Bergstein's painting studio and I loved it! I always knew I wanted to be a gallery owner but I felt that working as an artist toward a BFA would give me a better understanding of how artists work. Were there were any faculty and/or fellow students who were particularly influential for you? Daniel: I took a few courses with Don Sibley and he was great. I always enjoyed the dialog with him and looking back I feel like he helped me immensely. At the beginning Bill Flynn's drawing classes were great and I really appreciated all his input. I also worked in Domingo Barreres's studio and that environment at the time was a wonderful work space with everyone in the studio working off of each other in some small way. There were some that I spent more time with than others but generally I found most of the faculty very helpful and encouraging. Nina: Ann Craven and Gerry... also, Daniel Milewski (now my husband). What about Miami drew you to live and work here? Daniel: My wife grew up in Miami and it was her suggestion to move here but what we found was a much more agreeable work environment than NYC or Boston. Space is cheap and large and the art scene is much easier to get involved in and make a difference in. Like any young city with a young art scene it has it pitfalls and faults but you can carve out some space for yourself here, it's very manageable and beaches aren't to bad either. Nina: I grew up here and felt as though Miami had a lot of room and a lot of need to grow, and that I could help that growth. Entrepreneurship is strong in your family! Tell us about starting your businesses. Where does that drive come from? Daniel: Originally I wanted a business that I could create a living from so I could afford to make art, buy materials, etc. But Lester's is I think more about what it gives and simultaneously gets from the art community. There's a real exchange of ideas and happenings that occur in the space and it's great to watch people project themselves onto something in that way. We sell beer, we sell coffee, we sell magazines but what's been really interesting is the dialog with the city and allowing the space be a permeable venue for interesting things to move in and out of. Nina: Both my parents are entrepreneurs, so is my maternal grandmother... it just makes sense, when you work hard it's best to work for yourself. Thanks, Nina and Dan--it was super to see you both in Miami. [caption id="attachment_1259" align="alignleft" width="620" caption="Nina Johnson (BFA ’05) and Daniel Milewski (BFA ’05)"][/caption] Stay tuned for more Q+As with participating artist alums!
