Haute Event: Masters’ Mystery Art Show at Ritz-Carlton, South Beach

Last night, art enthusiasts, designers and some of Miami’s elite arrived at the Ritz-Carlton, South Beach for the annual Art Basel Masters’ Mystery Art Show.

The main lobby of the Ritz-Carlton offered a perfect setting for the event with two bars, complimentary Absolut cocktails and passed appetizers. Guests mingled while admiring the more than 500 canvases, each a mere 8 by 10 inches that were displayed along the wall of a long hallway. Each piece was unique — all different colors from paintings, collages, photographs; some abstract, others life-like and everything in between. Guests were able to purchase the mini masterpieces for a mere $50. The catch? The artists’ names were left a mystery until after the purchase.

This year with the help of Haute Living, the event included a new component: a silent auction featuring 25 uniquely designed handbags by various fashion, jewelry and accessory designers. Again, the mystery was upheld — the names of the works were not revealed until after the sale.

The handbags were the highlight of the evening with guests eager to see how each designer chose to make the bag their own. Designers included Katherine Fleming, Kaufmanfranco, Pineda Covalin, Adriana Castro, Pachi Lake, Richie Rich, Laura Buccellati, Julie Brown, Alejandro Ingelmo, Lisa Pliner, Julian Chang, Gustavo Cadile, Eduardo de las Casas, Amrita Singh and Carlos Falchi, Gisela Lowenstein and many more.

In all, the event was a huge success. Proceeds will go toward the Masters of Fine Arts program at Florida International University.

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