National YoungArts Foundation to Create Headquarters
Landmark Bacardi Complex for Expanded Programs
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ICONIC BACARDI COMPLEX IN MIAMI TO BECOME HEADQUARTERS FOR NATIONAL YOUNGARTS FOUNDATION
Bacardi Entrusts Landmark Buildings to National Organization Dedicated to Nurturing Emerging Artistic Talent
Frank Gehry Commissioned to Design Master Plan to Preserve Historic Property While Adapting Campus to New Use, as YoungArts Expands Its Programs in Miami and Around the Nation
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NATIONAL YOUNGARTS FOUNDATION TO CREATE NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS FOR EXPANDED PROGRAMS IN NEWLY PURCHASED LANDMARK BACARDI BUILDINGS
FRANK GEHRY, PLÁCIDO DOMINGO AND BILL T. JONES ARE NAMED AS NEW ARTISTIC ADVISORS
For more detailed information on the expanded programs, please select this linkhttp://dl.polskinarts.com/
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ICONIC BACARDI COMPLEX IN MIAMI TO BECOME HEADQUARTERS FOR
NATIONAL YOUNGARTS FOUNDATION
Bacardi Entrusts Landmark Buildings to National Organization Dedicated to
Nurturing Emerging Artistic Talent
Frank Gehry Commissioned to Design Master Plan to Preserve Historic Property While Adapting Campus to New Use, as YoungArts Expands Its Programs
in Miami and Around the Nation
Coral Gables, Fla. and MIAMI, October 3, 2012—Bacardi U.S.A., Inc. (Bacardi USA) announced today that National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) , a non-profit organization, has acquired the iconic landmark Bacardi Tower and Museum building complex in Miami, Florida. In an act of civic and cultural philanthropy, Bacardi has conveyed the property to YoungArts at a significant reduction of its market value, ensuring that an important part of Miami’s architecture, social and cultural fabric will be preserved and honored. Bacardi has always maintained a core philosophy that design, art and architecture reflect a quality of life and the quality of the superior spirits brands produced and marketed by the company.
YoungArts, founded by Lin and Ted Arison in 1981 to identify and assist outstanding emerging young artists ages 15 and up, will convert the buildings into the organization’s first national headquarters; creating a permanent home that will allow YoungArts to carry forward an expansion of activities unprecedented in its history. In order to help with its expansion, YoungArts has named Frank Gehry, Plácido Domingo and Bill T. Jones as Artistic Advisors. As part of this initiative, the organization will produce events year-round in New York City, including performances programmed by Mikhail Baryshnikov, master classes and screenings at The Museum of Modern Art, and performances at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The purchase of the Bacardi campus will allow the organization to begin year-round activities in Miami.
“For nearly 50 years, these buildings have symbolized the pride of both the Bacardi family and company, reflective of their passion for producing fine premium spirits while being engaged with the very best of art and life in Miami and in helping that culture to flourish,” stated Facundo L. Bacardi, a fifth generation family member and Chairman of the Board of Bacardi Limited, as Bacardi USA is part of the group of Bacardi companies. “I have seen the tremendous benefit in promoting the arts and Miami as a cultural hub and couldn’t be more proud to have this organization continue the legacy of community dedication that started inside these buildings in 1963.”
The Biscayne Boulevard complex, including the iconic blue-and-white-tiled and stained-glass buildings, was granted an historic designation by the City of Miami Preservation Board in October 2009.
“The development of this headquarters will benefit young artists across the country and is driven by the dramatic expansion of our programs,” stated Paul T. Lehr, Executive Director of YoungArts. “Moreover, by acquiring the Bacardi campus, we are able to honor and preserve an important part of Miami’s cultural history and plan to make it a thriving arts and cultural center for our community. We thank the Bacardi organization for its extraordinary act of civic-minded generosity.”
Lin Arison added, “As much as our remarkable young artists need space to work, to learn and to present their achievements, they also need surroundings that inspire them. This campus is a place that can make their spirits soar and their ambitions a reality.”
World-renowned architect and YoungArts Artistic Advisor Frank Gehry has been commissioned to design the master plan for the historic Bacardi campus, preserving the iconic features of the blue-and-white-tiled Tower and stained-glass “Jewel Box” buildings, while creating a multi-disciplinary arts complex that will include a park with state-of-the-art video projection capabilities and arts programming for the benefit of the community. This adaptive reuse will support YoungArts’ ongoing programmatic expansion and will help the organization increase its service to emerging artists, reaching a greater number of young artists throughout the country, making deeper connections in key regions and working in a broader range of disciplines.
“I have been a mentor to some of the YoungArts students and know what a tremendous impact this organization has on them,” said Frank Gehry. “It’s a privilege to help make a new home for YoungArts, so it can do even more for these wonderful young people.”
In recognition of the significance of the role the campus will play in its expanded activities, YoungArts will add a new discipline—architecture and design—to its existing nine disciplines of cinematic arts, dance, jazz, music, photography, theater, visual arts, voice and writing. The inaugural program in architecture and design will be initiated with a mentorship opportunity with Gehry for a select group of gifted and aspiring designers centered on the preservation and transformation of the Bacardi complex.
The new YoungArts campus will support existing YoungArts activities such as master classes and forums with renowned arts leaders; multi-disciplinary performances and exhibitions with emerging and established artists associated with YoungArts; and screenings of the Emmy-nominated HBO program YoungArts MasterClass, featuring YoungArts mentors Edward Albee, Plácido Domingo, Jacques d’Amboise, Olafur Eliasson, Renée Fleming, Frank Gehry, John Guare, Bill T. Jones, Patti LuPone, Wynton Marsalis, Bobby McFerrin, Robert Redford, James Rosenquist, Julian Schnabel, Michael Tilson Thomas, Kathleen Turner and Liv Ullmann. YoungArts will maintain an entry-level art gallery in the Tower, offering exhibitions with free admission, and will provide space for year-round public programs, strengthening the organization’s ties to its home community in Miami.
“These buildings served Bacardi well for more than 40 years and we’re extremely pleased to have found a committed, locally-based steward who loves these iconic buildings, understands their importance, and will continue to share them with the community,” added Mr. Bacardi. “If we ever had to let go of these buildings, all of us at Bacardi knew we wanted to ensure they would continue to be shared with the South Florida community. The heritage and significance of these buildings will be with Bacardi forever.”
About the Bacardi Tower and Museum Buildings
The colorful Bacardi buildings—a main tower completed in 1963 and an annex completed in 1975, standing on a plaza on Biscayne Boulevard—are widely admired as outstanding examples of a tropical approach to modernity with a Latin influence. They have become familiar far beyond Miami through their frequent use as a location for films and television programs. These buildings served as the Bacardi USA headquarters until 2009. The current Americas headquarters of Bacardi is in Coral Gables, Florida.
The eight-story main tower was designed by Enrique Gutierrez, a collaborator of Mies van der Rohe, and features vibrant exterior walls tiled in 28,000 blue-and-white tiles by the Brazilian artist Francisco Brennand. The smaller annex building, known as the Jewel Box, was designed by Igancio Carrera-Justiz, with colorful glass mosaic walls based on designs by German artist Johannes Dietz to illustrate his inspiration of steps in the rum-making process.
About Bacardi U.S.A., Inc.
Bacardi U.S.A., Inc., is the United States import and distribution arm of one of the world’s leading spirits and wine producers. The company boasts a portfolio of some of the most recognized and top-selling spirits brands in the United States including BACARDI® rum, the world’s favorite and best-selling premium rum, as well as the world’s most awarded rum; GREY GOOSE® vodka, the world leader in super-premium vodka; DEWAR’S® Blended Scotch whisky, the number-one selling blended Scotch whisky in the United States; BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin, the top-valued and fastest-growing premium gin in the world; CAZADORES® 100% blue agave tequila, the number-one premium tequila in Mexico and a top-selling premium tequila in the United States; MARTINI® vermouth and sparkling wines, the world’s leading vermouth and the world’s favorite Italian sparkling wines; and other leading and emerging brands. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi USA. www.BacardiUSA.com
About the National YoungArts Foundation
The National YoungArts Foundation (formerly known as the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts) was established in 1981 by Lin and Ted Arison to identify and support the next generation of artists, and to contribute to the cultural vitality of the nation by investing in the artistic development of talented young artists in the visual, literary, and performing arts. YoungArts provides emerging artists with life-changing experiences with renowned mentors, access to significant scholarships, national recognition, and other opportunities throughout their careers to help ensure that the nation’s most outstanding emerging artists are encouraged to pursue careers in the arts.
To date, YoungArts has honored more than 16,000 young artists with over million in monetary awards; facilitated in excess of 00 million in college scholarship opportunities; and enabled its participants to work with master teachers who are among the most distinguished artists in the world, such as Mikhail Baryshnikov, Jacques d'Amboise, Plácido Domingo, Bill T. Jones, Quincy Jones and Martin Scorsese. In addition, at the request of the Commission on Presidential Scholars, which is appointed by the President of the United States, YoungArts serves as the exclusive nominating agency for the U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts, the country's highest honor for artistically talented high school seniors.
YoungArts alumni who have gone on to become leading professionals in their fields include actresses Vanessa Williams, Viola Davis, and Kerry Washington; four-time Tony Award nominee Raúl Esparza; Executive Director of American Ballet Theatre Rachel Moore; recording artists Nicki Minaj and Chris Young; musicians Terence Blanchard, Eric Owens, and Jennifer Koh; choreographer Desmond Richardson; and internationally acclaimed multimedia artist Doug Aitken.
Some of YoungArts work is featured in its Emmy nominated HBO series YoungArts MasterClass, in which masters teach and mentor young artists. Season 1 featured Edward Albee, Jacques d’Amboise, Plácido Domingo, Olafur Eliasson, Frank Gehry, Bill T. Jones, Julian Schnabel, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Liv Ullmann. Season 2 will feature, among others, Renée Fleming, Robert Redford, John Guare, Bobby McFerrin, Patti LuPone, Bruce Weber, Joshua Bell, Wynton Marsalis, and Billy Joel. In conjunction with Columbia University’s Teachers College, YoungArts also has developed a Study Guide based on its YoungArts MasterClass series which is distributed free to schools nationwide to help increase arts education and awareness.
www.youngarts.org
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NATIONAL YOUNGARTS FOUNDATION TO CREATE
NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS FOR EXPANDED PROGRAMS IN
NEWLY PURCHASED LANDMARK BACARDI BUILDINGS
FRANK GEHRY, PLÁCIDO DOMINGO AND BILL T. JONES ARE
NAMED AS NEW ARTISTIC ADVISORS
MIAMI, October 3, 2012—National YoungArts Foundation, the non-profit organization founded by Lin and Ted Arison in 1981 to identify and support the next generation of artists, today announced a wide-ranging expansion of its programs, intended to increase the organization’s service to emerging artists and deepen its ties to Miami, New York and Los Angeles. To assist with the growth and development of its new initiatives, YoungArts has appointed Frank Gehry, Plácido Domingo, and Bill T. Jones as Artistic Advisors. They join a stellar network of YoungArts Master Teachers and mentors, including Michael Tilson Thomas, Edward Albee, John Guare, Robert Redford, Julian Schnabel, Liv Ullmann and Bruce Weber.
The program announcement comes on the occasion of YoungArts’ acquisition of the iconic Bacardi Tower and Museum building complex in Miami. YoungArts will convert the buildings into the organization’s first national headquarters and has commissioned world-renowned architect Frank Gehry to design the master plan. Gehry will preserve the beloved features of the blue-and-white-tiled Tower and stained glass “Jewel Box” buildings, while creating a multi-disciplinary arts complex and outdoor park with state-of-the-art video projection capabilities and arts programming for the benefit of the community. This adaptive reuse will support YoungArts’ program expansion, helping the organization reach a greater number of young artists throughout the country, make deeper connections in key regions and work in a broader range of disciplines.
Regional and National Expansion
Having given recognition and support to more than 16,000 young artists in its 31-year history, YoungArts will now be able through its new headquarters to present year-round programming in its home city of Miami. Programs will include master classes and forums with renowned arts leaders, such as long-time YoungArts partner Michael Tilson Thomas; multi-disciplinary performances and exhibitions with emerging and established artists associated with YoungArts; screenings of its Emmy-nominated HBO program YoungArts MasterClass; and a free exhibition and gallery space at its new headquarters, curated in partnership with the Miami Art Museum.
YoungArts will also expand its programs across the nation. In New York City, it will launch year-round events including master classes, screenings and performances beginning in spring 2013. YoungArts will partner in New York with The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art, Hunter College, National Dance Institute and Baryshnikov Art Center.
In Los Angeles, YoungArts will inaugurate a new program in February 2013 modeled after YoungArts Week in Miami, providing talented young artists with life-changing experiences, master classes with internationally renowned artists, workshops, performances and exhibitions.
In Washington, DC, YoungArts will continue to build upon its signature annual events as the sole nominating agency for the Presidential Scholars in the Arts, with its performances at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and its exhibitions at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
YoungArts MasterClass
Some of YoungArts work is featured in its Emmy nominated HBO seriesYoungArts MasterClass, in which masters teach and mentor young artists. Season 2 premiered with Grammy® winning soprano Renée Fleming, and continues beginning in February 2013 with, Robert Redford, John Guare, Bobby McFerrin, Patti LuPone, Bruce Weber, Joshua Bell, Wynton Marsalis, and Billy Joel, among others. Season 1 featured Edward Albee, Jacques d’Amboise, Plácido Domingo, Olafur Eliasson, Frank Gehry, Bill T. Jones, Julian Schnabel, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Liv Ullmann.
Education
Renowned for its role as the exclusive nominating organization for the U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts, YoungArts is also expanding its education initiatives. These include partnerships with Columbia University’s Teachers College and PBS Learning Media. In autumn 2012 YoungArts publishedPursuing Your Passion, a study guide developed in conjunction with Columbia University’s Teachers College to complement the YoungArts MasterClass series on HBO. The guide is being distributed free to schools nationwide to help increase arts education and awareness. PBS Learning Media will distribute the study guide through its online and broadcast channels.
