Talks at Vizcaya: Lauren Shapiro & Amanda Sanfilippo Long

Join us for an artist conversation with Vizcaya’s 2024 CAP Artist, Lauren Shapiro and Curator & Artist Manager for the Art in Public Places, Amanda Sanfilippo Long, moderated by Vizcaya Curator, Helena Gomez.

Vizcaya’s 2024 Contemporary Arts Program presents Pastiche, an exhibition featuring site-specific work by Miami-based artist Lauren Shapiro. The exhibition explores the enduring legacy of Vizcaya’s artistic advisor, Paul Chalfin (1874 – 1959). This artist conversation will explore Shapiro’s artistic practice, the inspiration and creative process behind Pastiche, as well as her broader interests in nature, public art and community engagement. The discussion will also cover topics such as the significance of site-specific installations and the role of art commissioning in Miami.

TICKETS | $5; FREE for students and Vizcaya Members

Vizcaya Members reserve tickets here.

Doors open at 6:00 p.m. with complimentary wine | Talk starts promptly at 6:30 p.m.

ENGAGE WITH THE EXPERTS

• Lauren Shapiro (b.1984) is an artist and explorer who lives and works in Miami, Florida. She integrates ceramics and technology to uncover and communicate insights from the natural world, often collaborating with scientists to influence projects that highlight the diverse ecosystems of South Florida and beyond. Shapiro earned an MFA from the University of Miami in 2016 and is the recipient of awards and commissions from the New York Foundation for the Arts (2023), Knight Foundation (2021), Andy Warhol Foundation (2019), Miami Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs (2020–2023), and Art in Public Places (2021–2022). Her artwork is part of the Soho House Art Collection and Jorge M. Perez Collection in Miami, and has been part of group exhibitions in South Carolina, Brazil and Switzerland. Recent projects include solo exhibitions “Garden Portals” at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in 2021 and “Future Pacific” at Bakehouse Art Complex in 2020.

• Amanda Sanfilippo Long (b. 1984 Minneola, NY) holds an MA in Contemporary Art History from Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London UK (2012), and a BA Art History from the University of Vermont, Burlington, VT (2007). Her professional background encompasses curating, commissioning, and acquisitions, effective fundraising and strategic planning for public art and contemporary art not-for-profit and independent organizations. Amanda's experience includes being currently serves as the Curator & Artist Manager for the Art in Public Places Program of Miami-Dade County, Department of Cultural Affairs, the Director of South Florida Cultural Consortium, and the Senior Advisor of Fringe Projects, Miami, FL. Additionally, she has also held positions at Locust Projects, Miami, FL; Creative Time, New York, NY; The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY; and the Burlington City Arts (BCA) Center, Burlington, VT.

• Helena Gomez is Curator at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, overseeing research on its art collections and leading the Contemporary Arts Program, a commission-based exhibition series, including its latest project Pastiche with Miami artist Lauren Shapiro. She is an object-lead art historian with degrees from The Courtauld Institute of Art (London) and Providence College (Rhode Island). Prior to joining Vizcaya in 2022, she spent over eight years at the Museo de Arte de Ponce in Puerto Rico, where she curated exhibitions such as "Victorian Art from the Museo de Arte de Ponce" (2022), "Provenance: The Lost History"(2019) and "Small Treasures from the Frick Collection" (2018).

Host or Publisher Vizcaya Museum and Gardens