Rosemary Square, developed by Related Companies, announces a partnership with New Wave Art Wknd (NWAW), founded by Sarah Gavlak, to host its inaugural artist-in-residence program. The residency is led by NWAW, whose mission is to address vital issues of our time and foster a dialogue in the burgeoning contemporary art community in Palm Beach. Emerging Peruvian artist Renzo Ortega (born in 1974, Peru) will be the first featured artist. Ortega’s practice explores social, political and cultural implications of immigration and his status as a naturalized American citizen who has made the transition from undocumented to documented.
The residency is organized in collaboration with NWAW’s nonprofit partner, City of Asylum, a Pittsburgh-based residency program that provides sanctuary to endangered literary writers around the world, enabling them to continue to write and share their voices. Now, the highly anticipated program is emerging at Rosemary Square, the 72-acre neighborhood in downtown West Palm Beach that continues to transform into a thriving arts and culture destination. Taking effect from June 15th through July 31st, the debut commences with Ortega, whose artwork has been exhibited in solo and group shows in galleries and museums across the United States and internationally. The inaugural residence is supported by proceeds from ticket sales and donations from New Wave Art Wknd’s 2019 events.
Rosemary Square, home to the largest concentration of public art installed by a private company in Palm Beach County, is providing a storefront studio space and logistical support to set up artists who contribute to the public discourse. Ortega will also reside in housing at The Flats at Rosemary Square.
“When we set out to imagine Rosemary Square, we felt strongly that free, inclusive public art experiences have the power to transform cities. Now, more than ever, we have a huge opportunity for arts experiences to bring our community together,” says Gopal Rajegowda, senior vice president, Related Companies. “Our partnership with NWAW has allowed us to bring more immersive, contemplative works and activations, such as this residency program, to the neighborhood that encourages dialogue and fosters change.”
Continuing the legacy of art patronage by supporting artists who work in a variety of disciplines, NWAW’s resident artists are supported and encouraged to focus on making work and pursuing personal projects without the constraints of an exhibition. Artists are also invited to conceptualize and realize projects that engage the public, and a series of virtual public programs will take place throughout the residency. Local Florida residents and visitors are encouraged to visit the artist’s storefront studio and view Ortega's works in progress.
“With our new artist-in-residence program in collaboration with Rosemary Square, we are continuing to shed light on diverse and underrepresented communities. The theme of the residency will change annually based on current events and the greatest need for support,” says Sarah Gavlak, founder of New Wave Art Wknd. “The 2020 residency program focuses on immigration, and the next program will focus on racial justice. This initiative is transformative for this region as we continue to advance our cultural conversations with collectors who have the financial ability to create real change in this discourse.”
During the residency, Ortega will be immersed in a painting practice inspired by the architecture, sound and colors of South Florida. This program welcomes him with the opportunity to live and work outside of his usual environments and provides time to reflect, research and produce work surrounded by the neighborhood’s different cultures. Artwork created at the residency will be for sale through Gavlak Gallery, with sales benefiting the artist as well as a small percentage going towards New Wave’s residency program. Oretga will also create a work for Rosemary Square, adding to the highly curated selection of public art. Simultaneously, a virtual journal by the artist will be created to document his process and he will livestream on Instagram every Friday at 3pm via @rosemarysquarewpb. The artist will also livestream on @newwaveartwknd throughout his residency with live painting, conversations and interviews with other artists and art world players.
“Painting is my life’s mission and has always been the medium that I best communicate ideas and experiences,” says Renzo Ortega. "Architectural space is crucial in my art practice given that I integrate my natural environment and its culture into my work. Being immersed in Rosemary Square’s diversity, lush greenery and artistic charisma is bound to bring the best out of me."
West Palm Beach has become a cultural corridor of South Florida with an explosion of thought-provoking public art, and this new initiative amplifies the integration of world-class art into the community. With last year’s new additions of The Wishing Tree by Symmetry Labs, Water Pavilion West Palm by Jeppe Hein and My East Is Your West by Shilpa Gupta, Rosemary Square continues its trajectory to becoming an unparalleled urban oasis destination for public art. To date, Related has collaborated with a vast amount of highly respected cultural institutions including the Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Kravis Center for Performing Arts, Norton Museum of Art, Ballet Florida, Cultural Council of Palm Beach County and Armory Art Center. Additions at Rosemary Square enrich the community along with existing collections at Hilton West Palm Beach, RH West Palm and 2,000+ feet of large-scale murals created by world-renowned and local artists including RETNA, Chalk & Brush, Frankie Cihi, Rico Gatson, Michael Craig-Martin and Greg Astro.
Related Companies’ plan for the future of Rosemary Square complements nearby cultural institutions including the re-envisioned Norton Museum of Art designed by world-renowned architect Lord Norman Foster. Foster’s redesign of the museum is part of the first phase of a 20-year plan to redevelop the Norton’s 6.3-acre campus. Also underway in the neighborhood is the Kravis Center for Performing Arts’ 6,000-square-foot expansion of its performance halls and a reimagined facade that will make the connection to Rosemary Square and the Convention Center more pedestrian-friendly.
Rosemary Square continues on Related Companies’ storied history of infusing art and culture into its developments. In New York, Related developed Vessel, the interactive centerpiece of Hudson Yards imagined by Thomas Heatherwick and Heatherwick Studio, and High Line Nine, a gallery and exhibition space located beneath the High Line. Commissioned works by renowned artists Jaume Plensa, Frank Stella and Joel Shapiro are a part of a growing collection of dozens of art and design works on permanent view in the Hudson Yards neighborhood, and Fernando Botero’s Adam and Eve—two twelve-foot-tall bronze sculptures—greet shoppers and guests at The Shops at Columbus Circle.
For more information, visit rosemarysquarewpb.com.
*Images of Renzo Ortega are available at https://related.box.com/s/b34o4yy101662lxa1g06biusqjhkf265. For images of Rosemary Square, please visit https://related.box.com/s/lydk5p03i32dd5olbx0gelgf2x8ewgdq.
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About Related Companies: Related Companies is a global real estate and lifestyle company defined by innovation and the most prominent privately-owned real estate firm in the United States. Formed over 45 years ago, Related is the largest private owner of affordable housing and a fully-integrated, highly diversified industry leader with experience in virtually every aspect of development, acquisitions, management, finance, marketing and sales. Headquartered in New York City, Related has offices and major developments in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, South Florida, Washington, D.C., Abu Dhabi and London, and boasts a team of approximately 4,000 professionals. With over $60 billion in assets owned or under development including the 28-acre Hudson Yards neighborhood on Manhattan’s West Side, The Grand and Related Santa Clara in California and The 78 in Chicago. Related was recently named to Fast Company Magazine’s list of the 50 Most Innovative Companies in the World. For more information about Related, please visit www.related.com.
About NWAW: New Wave Art Wknd is a non-commercial art weekend featuring extraordinary private collection visits, curated meals, lectures, and robust public programming. NWAW is designed to showcase the flourishing contemporary art scene in South Florida and follows the Vernissage of Art Basel Miami Beach. Founded by gallerist Sarah Gavlak with an advisory board that includes Ann G. Tenenbaum, Amy Phelan, Beth Rudin De Woody, Burt Minkoff, Franklin Sirmans, Gopal Rajegowda, Jane Holzer, Joanne Casullo, Keith Bloomfield, Lindsay Taylor, Lisa & Richard Perry, Mike De Paola, Sanford Biggers and other prominent leaders in the field, New Wave Art Wknd’s mission is to foster a vital dialogue around contemporary art in the often sequestered community of Palm Beach and host an annual artist-in-residence program for emerging artists from often marginalized communities.
DT Creative: Daniella Turchin daniella@dtcreative.co
