Miami’s bid to become a leading art destination has been boosted with the appointment of the veteran local figure Dennis Scholl as the new chief executive and president at ArtCenter/South Florida in Miami Beach. Scholl, a high-profile collector and entrepreneur, takes the reins in September at the non-profit organisation known for its studio residency and outreach programmes.
ArtCenter/South Florida is based in Lincoln Road in Miami Beach. In the late 1980s, ArtCenter’s founder, Ellie Schneiderman, bought three properties on the thoroughfare, then a run-down area of the city. A studio residency and visiting artist programme was subsequently established at the site. The main Lincoln Road building currently houses 18 artists’ studios while a downtown Miami site encompasses six studios. ArtCenter officials recently sold one of the Lincoln Road venues, providing the organisation with an $88m endowment.
Since 2014, the studio residency programme has been “restructured with support from the Knight Foundation”, according to their website. From 2009 to 2015, Scholl was the vice president for arts at the Miami-based John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which invests in journalism and the arts. Scholl adds that funding local artists is a priority. According to a press statement, the ArtCenter will “extend much-needed direct support to resident artists for production, training and travel” under the new chief executive.
Miami’s status as an art centre is questionable, with most activity centred on Art Basel Miami Week in December. But Scholl tells The Art Newspaper: “The wealth of talented working artists in Miami strongly supports the idea of the city being a year-round arts hub. We have a strong dedicated group of collectors, a growing museum group and a community that now views itself as a cultural destination.”
Scholl says that he intends to stay on as a trustee at the Pérez Art Museum Miami (Pamm). “The Center collaborates with Pamm and we hope to do more with them,” he says. Maria del Valle, ArtCenter’s executive director, will remain in post through a transition period.
