PAST PROJECT
BR1: Bridge Red 1 / Book + Web
Book: Francesco Casale, Kristen Thiele, & Robert Thiele
Web: Dean Roman aka blukid
WORK
ABOUT
Bridge Red by Anne Tschida
No one was quite sure what to expect this Sunday evening in 2011, when walking upstairs to see the inaugural show of Bridge Red Studios / Project Space. Most everyone knew it was a new alternative gallery in the studio complex owned by well-known sculptor Robert Thiele, who converted this second-floor former studio with his artist daughter Kristen Thiele and photographer son-in-law Francesco Casale.
But who opens up on Sunday night, on a lonely North Miami street behind the railroad tracks, with a solo show from a painter named Salvatore La Rosa? Some knew who he was and were familiar with his work, but others didn't. That was the point.
What was revealed up the freshly gray-and-red painted stairs was a career survey of almost half-a-century of work. There were huge abstract canvases, layered in oil paint, dense with color, swirling with movement in the main space. Smaller collage pieces in heavy wooden frames and expressionist portraits covered other walls, including the one facing the kitchen, where snacks and drinks were served. The visitors were diverse - a mixture of old friends, art lovers, students. And they all fell hard for the work.
Dating back to a time in South Florida just before Art Basel Miami Beach, Miami was steadily becoming more and more enamored with bright young things. But after Art Basel hit the shores in 2002, emerging art from emerging artists seemed to completely corner the market and exhibition spaces in town. Many artists, teachers, professors - people who worked diligently through the decades, building up solid bodies of work while mentoring others - had effectively been banished from the front benches, at least locally. Together with his daughter and son-in-law, Thiele set out to try and change that exposure dynamic From this followed the mission of Bridge Red; to exhibit long-standing artists from the South Florida community who haven't received the exposure their work merits, locally.
Francesco Casale
Francesco Casale is a photographer and designer born in Rantoul, Illinois. Casale earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of Miami. Photography & design featured in editorial and advertising in Art in America, ART PAPERS, b7 bazkulturmagazin (Basel, Switzerland), the Chicago Tribune, the Miami Herald/STREET, Ocean Drive, and Sculpture Magazine.
Kristen Thiele
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Kristen Thiele lives and works in Miami, FL. Thiele received her BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1995 and her MFA from Miami International University in 2012. Thiele's posters were published in the definitive rock poster book, "The Art of Modern Rock" and her paintings are featured in "Miami Contemporary Artists".
Robert Thiele
Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Robert Thiele is a sculptor who divides his time living and working between Brooklyn, New York and Miami, Florida. Thiele received both his BFA and MFA from Kent State University in 1964 and 1966. Thiele owns the artist studio warehouse Bridge Red Studios, and oversees Bridge Red Studios/Project Space.
Dean Roman
Based in Manhattan, Dean Roman has been designing and coding sites for over 20 years. His diverse background as a Fine Artist, Professor of Design, eLearning Course Developer, Gallery Director, and Pastry Chef allows him to identify with a diverse clientele and provide solutions which focus on the essential aspects of each business.