Today we’d like to introduce you to Milagros Bello.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Milagros. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am an American of Venezuelan origin. I obtained a doctorate in Sociology of Art and a Master of Social Sciences and a Master in History of Art at Sorbonne University in Paris, France. Previously I had a Bachelor in Clinical Psychology from the Central University of Venezuela. I have developed my professional career as a Clinical Psychologist, as an art critic, art writer and curator of art. Since 2000, I have taught at American Universities as an art professor. I am former professor of the Florida International University, Florida Atlantic University, the Miami International University of Art and Design and of the Istituto Marangoni Miami. I was the Senior Editor of Arte Al Dia international art magazine specialized in Latin American Art.
I have been an art writer for Art Al Dia, Art Districts, Arte Al Limite, Art Districts, among others. I have curated numerous solo and group shows Since 2010 to present, I am the director and chief curator of Curator’s Voice Art Projects whose mission is to foster the new voices and the contemporary art. I advise collectors and curate collections of art. As a passionate professional, I mentor artists and I do art coaching to young artists helping them to step furthermore in their careers. Curator’s Voice Art Projects as my art project is a curatorial space-gallery that functions as an epicenter for creativity and discovery not only for artists but also for art audiences, young collectors and for the Miami community.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As it is life, the road is always full of struggles, ups and downs, and steps forward and back. Life in Paris for six years was challenging. The Parisian daily life meant a deep adaptation to their particular values. Their rough and sometimes aggressiveness and their private oriented type of interaction collided with my open-to-all-dialogue attitude and my step forward personality which was part of my Latin American legacy and idiosyncrasy. It took me years to adapt to it. Even though, until today, I can say Paris, its history, its deep level of knowledge and philosophy, its vast cultural expressions created a deepest transformation in me. I could say I was born for a second time in Paris, this time not physically but intellectually. My passion for discovering and knowledge expanded. My return to Venezuela was enriching. I started to teach in the School of Art at the Central University of Venezuela and I began my art writing in major Venezuelan newspapers. I even maintained an art review column for more than a year; sometimes writing polemic articles that created opposition and debate. Visits to art studios and meeting artists became part of my daily activities.
My passion for art and artists developed profoundly in this period of my life. I was accepted in the International Art Critics Association (AICA) and I was for a year period its General Secretary for the AICA-Venezuelan Chapter. In this Venezuelan period, my spirit of always going forward in any circumstance developed even furthermore. In 2000 hired by the Florida International University, I radically jumped into another moment of great change. As a professor at a State university, my experiences was expansive and enriching but in a personal level the process of immigration took a toll. Leaving behind a life of identity and cultural stable values, the new environment required a high level of adjustment. Knowing it was a point of no return to a country with a developing a dictatorship, the future became defying and uncertain. I indeed went into the full immigrant syndrome, from sadness to melancholy and impotence. Through the passing of the years, I saw Venezuela fall apart to an unimaginable level. I understood I had no country to return no more. For my bliss, I got my American citizenship. The sense of belonging started to develop. My professional life rooted and United States felt as my home.
Please tell us about Curator’s Voice Art Projects Art Gallery.
As part of my realization of the lack of exposure and opportunities for artists in Miami, I founded the curatorial space Curator’s Voice Art Projects in 2010 in Wynwood district. The purpose was to open the doors for underestimated artists, new art and young generations. At that moment, I began curating cutting-edge exhibitions and mentoring artists in their developing creations. In 2013, I moved to a larger space in Wynwood that became an epicenter for art encounters and to buy best mid-career and young artists, Since then, Curator’s Voice Art Projects presents a vast array and diverse contemporary expressions, from painting, sculpture to installation, videos and performances. The gallery has also open calls for artists through contests and juried shows, such as the Wynwood Juried Show presented four times a year in each year season. There are also curatorial activities such as guided tours, lectures by curator, artists talks, even art films and literary presentations by authors that enrich opportunities for the Miami community to learn art and to meet the artists and share their passions. Working with European, American and Latin American artists the gallery offers art lovers and collectors all kinds of possible arrangement for buying or collecting.
We are also working with interior designers and architects to fulfill their need for high quality but at the same time affordable artworks. It is my professional education and years of research and experience that let me propose artworks that are an important investment in art and not only to enjoy as an aesthetic experience. On the other side, there is my passion to always foster and help the artists in their careers. I have a program of one-to-one art sessions for art coaching, mentoring and art assessment. It is done by virtual meetings or by physical contact. I believe that what sets me apart is the particular combination of art advising and mentoring, at the same time, and supporting all levels of needs, But also the possibility for artists beginners or not, to establish a rich dialogue with a curator and to eventually be able to expose and share their creations with the Florida audience. This is an inspiring experience. But also to present to any person the way to learn art through my lectures and guided tours.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My memories of nature and a simple life from my days in my father’s “finca” or farm. We lived in Caracas, the capital, but he had a piece of land in the Venezuelan plains where he had farm animals and cultivated watermelons. There I learned to ride horses, interact with all types of animals from rosters, hens and peacocks but also snakes and monkeys. All with a great enjoyment and sense of discovering. My contact with peasants and farm workers touched me deeply and showed me the highest human values and the core of a simple life.
Pricing:
- Gallery inventory has wide variety of artworks ranging from small format of $500 to larger works up to $20,000 request of inventory by call or email
- Artists and beginners in art can profit of mentoring and art coaching by zoom, Skype or facetime Cost of session rages from 30 minutes session $50 up to 2 hours session $200
- New buyers and young collectors receive high advice in their art needs Cost sessions starts $200 an hour that will be applied to any buying artwork price
- Art courses and guided tours to private groups by zoom or in person can be requested Cost is $15 dollars per person per session of 1.5 hours minimum participants is 8
Contact Info:
- Address: 350 NE 75 street Unit 105 Miami Fl 33138
- Website: www.curatorsvoice.com
- Phone: +17863570568
- Email: milabello@aol.com
- Instagram: @curatorsvoice
- Facebook: curatorsvoiceartprojects
- Twitter: CVAP1
Image Credit:
Photos courtesy of Curator’s Voice Art Projects and Erik Galindo
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