Bloomfield gallery punches ticket for Miami Beach art fair

Bloomfield – Art gallery owners Nicole Capozzi and Joshua Hogan could not be happier with the local art scene, but they are still leaving for Miami Beach at the end of the month. Their gallery, “BoxHeart” (4523 Liberty Ave.), has been invited to participate in a five-day, international art fair known as “Aqua Art Miami,” so they are still flying round-trip. Held in conjunction with the prestigious “Art Basel Miami,” the event draws from a global marketplace of art collectors to showcase emerging artists in a new environment.

"We've accomplished what we have by choosing to work with the most creative and imaginative artists, encouraging them to be the best they can, and tapping their true talents,” Capozzi told the Bulletin. “We  just  ask  that they do their thing. Then, what we do is: we promote them.”

This year, Aqua Art Miami has partnered with the Association of Women  Art Dealers (AWAD) - a non-profit trade network on a mission to facilitate business between, and for, female art dealers – to highlight the plight of women in the art world.

Capozzi and Hogan, her husband, have been  navigating  the  local  art  scene together  ever  since  they  founded BoxHeart in 2001. Once they bought the building  and  cleared  out  generations’ worth of the previous occupants’ detritus, their gallery began to really evolve.

BoxHeart’s  interior  epitomizes  an economy of space that should govern every small gallery. No major structural elements, like columns or bearing walls, obstruct a visitor’s sightlines, while the gallery’s windows continuously infuse the space with natural light. As the space has grown into a hub for out-of-the-box artists from all over the world, it comes as no surprise that BoxHeart was invited to exhibit local artists on a prestigious, international stage.

"We mostly exhibit the work of emerging and mid-career artists,” Capozzi noted. “We're distinguished by our many invaluable artists, the mystery of their creative processes, and their many artistic achievements.” Alongside  forty-six other exhibitors, the BoxHeart owners can introduce many of their Pittsburgh-based artists to a much larger, more international art market.

"Personally, I like artists who look at the world through a different pair of lenses. What's really great is when people get used to an artist and start seeing the individual nuances in their work,” Capozzi said. “I am especially attracted to artwork when I can feel the artist's heart and soul are shining through."

Aqua Art Miami will kick off with a preview event on November 30; the art fair will open to the public on December 1. Each artist will present their display in a classic “Southern Basic” boutique. As of press time, Capozzi had already begun working with BoxHeart’s artists to select artwork that is consistent with the process, media, and style for exhibition on Miami Beach.

Some of the locally prominent artists who are scheduled to participate in the Aqua Art Miami festivities include: Seth Clark; Kyle Ethan Fischer; Joshua Hogan; and Daria Sandburg. International heavy-weights like  Irina Koukhanova, Kal Mansur, and Kuzana Ogg will also exhibit their work through BoxHeart.

For more information about the Bloomfield gallery and its upcoming exhibition, visit http://boxheartgallery.com.