Haute Event: James Cultural Collection Debut

The James Royal Palm celebrated the debut of Miami’s first-ever Cultural Collection, bringing together the best of South Florida’s creative talent and organizations: New World Symphony (NWS), Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) and Public School fashion house.  The evening began with a special VIP Preview reception hosted by Channing Norton and The Leadership Circle at MOCA Executive Committee. Afterwards, over 500 guests arrived to take in the vibrant party with multiple areas of the hotel buzzing at once.

New York City’s famed fashion house, Public School presented commissioned uniforms on live models in the breezeway, while YoungArts converted the Florida Cookery Patio into a lounge with pop-up hip-hop dance and singing performances. Chef Kris Wessel stood greeting guests near a tasting table filled with assorted bites of Florida Cookery’s cuisine.

MOCA transformed The James Royal Palm’s South Shore Bar into a screening room, showing works from the Optic Nerve series and an installation by the TM Sisters, which was projected on the ceiling of the lobby.  New World Symphony fellows played three separate pop-up performances that were a mix of classical and contemporary, interacting with DJs Mia Moretti and Caitlin Moe. Even the hotel’s spa, named Renew The Spa, was offering polish changes and champagne.

The James’ Cultural Collection debut was a unique event that felt like the place to be that night. All the cultural institutions representatives were there:  MOCA’s Bonnie Clearwater and Tracey Robertson Carter were in attendance as were Stacey Glassman-Mizener, Nathalie Cadet-James of the New World Symphony, Maxwell Osbourne of Public School and Lisa Leone of Young Arts.

Photos by World Red Eye