Everyone arrived to highs of 75 degrees Fahrenheit and clear skies overhead. It was as if Miami was welcoming the entire world back to the Art Week circus, which has finally returned in full force. What could be a more appropriate way to kick things off than with a celebratory lunch in a chamber of its heart?
Yesterday, skincare entrepreneur Barbara Sturm and Cultured editor-in-chief Sarah Harrelson brought a diverse mix of artists, curators, influencers and collectors to the table for a joyful reunion in the airy confines of Jason and Michelle Rubell’s art-filled, waterfront compound in Miami Beach where new collection rotations unfolded in all their back-to-Art Basel glory. Notable attendees included art world movers and shakers like Creative Time’s Justine Ludwig, Art Production Fund’s Casey Freemont, gallerist Destinee Ross-Sutton and actor-cum-tea-entrepreneur Waris Ahluwalia as well as outspoken philanthropists and collectors such as Lilli Buffett, Tiffany Zabulowicz, YoungArts board chair Sarah Arison and Aureta Thomollari. Legendary dealer Jeanne Greenberg and artists Kennedy Yanko—one of the Rubell Museum's two artists-in-residence this year with Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe—Karon Davis and Rachel Korine also mingled between bites at the sunny affair, which saw new friendships created and old ones rekindled as many gathered for the first time since the pandemic began to fête this annual week of art and design activation in the city.
During the spirited lunch, guests sipped on sparkling drams of Hallstein Water and Whispering Angel Rosé, both of whom co-sponsored the event. The presence of beloved Young Artist List alumni like Diedrick Brackens (who also collaborated with artist Genevieve Gaignard our Taraji P. Henson cover last year) spiked the festivities with the energy of potential and reminded us why we treasure this time of year (buy our new Winter issue to read more about it in Harrelson’s editor’s letter).
