Meet City of Miami Commission Chairwoman and District Five Commissioner Christine King
Born in Guyana, Christine King moved to Miami at the age 5. Prior to becoming an attorney, she worked for Miami-Dade County for fifteen years. She most recently served as President and CEO of the Martin Luther King Economic Development Corporation and worked as a practicing attorney. In her role as Chairwoman and District Commissioner, she sponsored legislation to provide a $2 million grant to our organization as part of her American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 allotment for essential renovations and repairs of our former industrial bakery building. We recently spoke with Chairwoman King about why she and the City Commission support the mission of Bakehouse Art Complex.
Artist Highlight: Gonzalo Hernandez
Born in Lima, Peru, Bakehouse artist Gonzalo Hernandez first became interested in art after a teacher introduced him to the artist Marcel Duchamp at the age of 15. Since then, he says he has not stopped thinking about modern and contemporary art. He first studied at the Escuela de Artes Visuales Corriente Alterna and recently graduated from the Savannah College of Arts and Design with an MFA and MA in Fibers and Painting. After moving to Miami in 2020, he joined the Bakehouse Art Complex community shortly thereafter.
Study Trip to New Haven and New York City
On May 1-3, 2022, our organization embarked on its first study trip of the year to New York City and New Haven. Generously sponsored by the Artha Foundation, the study trip allowed an intimate group of Bakehouse artists, staff members, and benefactors to learn from arts leaders and organizations in both cities while forging meaningful bonds with each other.
Artist Highlight: Jose J. Pita Vazquez
Jose Pita was born in a small town called La Palma, located between the mountains of Sierra de Los Organos, Cuba. Gifted with artistic talent at a young age, he came to prominence after several notable gallery shows in Cuba. He moved to the United States in 2006 to pursue the American Dream and to grow as a professional artist. He has been in residence at Bakehouse Art Complex since 2016.
In Memoriam: Joe Gedeon
We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Joseph “Joe” Gedeon, our former building mason and campus guardian. He died peacefully on Monday, May 2, 2022 at the age of 93 surrounded by his family.
Artist News: May 2022
Read notable artist news for May 2022 from Bakehouse artists Maritza Caneca, Luján Candria, Morel Doucet, Jenna Efrein, and Christina Pettersson.
Donor Highlight: LnS Gallery
Founded in 2017, LnS GALLERY is a progressive arts space committed to presenting and promoting the international reach and impact of contemporary art. The gallery seeks to create a platform that champions the multiculturalism and plurality of Miami-based artists As part of its commitment to local artistic production, it generously sponsors the studio space of Bakehouse artist William Osorio, who has been participating in the Studio Residency program since 2020.
Artist News: April 2022
Read notable artist news for April 2022 from Bakehouse artists Jason Aponte, Christina Pettersson, Joel Gaitan, Najja Moon, Sandra Ramos, and Nicole Salcedo.
Artist Highlight: Jason Aponte
As a child, Bakehouse artist Jason Aponte was raised in Homestead, Florida on an air force base. While he was raised in a family that served in the military for generations, he followed a different path and pursued his early interests in the visual arts. In 2002, he received a BFA in Illustration from Ringling School of Art and Design, graduating with high honors. He moved to Boston, where he was an artist-in-residence at The Vernon Street Studios. In 2009, he returned to Miami and has been in residence at Bakehouse Art Complex since 2012.
Donor Highlight: Elle Bourgeois
Elle Bourgeois is passionate about building community through the arts. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Elle trained as a classic ballet dancer and moved on to study Art History & Communications, which eventually led to her current position as VP of Marketing & Communications at Design Miami/, the global forum for collectible design. Elle looks forward to connecting with the Bakehouse community and supporting the organization's incredible mission as co-chair of the newly launched Bakers’ Dozen program.
Artist Highlight: Monique Lazard
Bakehouse artist Monique Lazard discovered her calling to be at the young age of ten, when she received a set of watercolors as a present from her uncle, Ray Bertrand, a Works Progress Administration (WPA) muralist and art teacher at the San Francisco Art Institute. After an illustrious career working first as a fashion illustrator and later as an art director, she has become a prolific painter who seeks to capture the true essence of her subjects and has been in residence at Bakehouse Art Complex since 2014.
Bakehouse Artist News: March 2022
Read notable artist news for March 2022 from Bakehouse artists Beatriz Chachamovits, Lujan Candria, Morel Doucet, Gonzalo Hernandez, Maria Lino, Ale Moros, and Lauren Shapiro.
Donor Highlight: Grant Gittlin and Sarah Piscitelli
When Grant Gittlin and Sarah Piscitelli moved to Miami from New York in 2020, they knew they wanted to continue to use their philanthropy to provide direct support to working artists. After learning about the Bakehouse Art Complex and meeting its leadership and artists, they realized the organization’s mission was aligned with their own. Through the Artha Foundation, they generously contributed to the Artist Studio Subsidy Fund, enabling Bakehouse to continue to provide workspace security to artists. Recently they agreed to sponsor five Bakehouse artists on a “friends" study trip to New York and New Haven. This trip is an opportunity for participants to meet and learn from other artists, artist-serving organizations, cultural professionals, and see art, architecture, and recently built or improved art-making spaces.