The Soul Of Miami

Toscana Divino’s General Manager Mauro Bortignon was honored Friday evening July 24, 2015 in Brickell.  Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado presented Bortignon with a “Key to the City” in a lively celebration attended by friends, patrons, and other distinguished members of the community. The Mayor thanked Mr. Bortignon for his contributions to the culinary ecosystem of the city and for being an important part of the renaissance of Brickell and Downtown.

“I am sincerely honored to receive a Key to the City on behalf of Toscana Divino and the Italian-American community here in Miami,” said Mr. Bortignon, “This is really a recognition to the rich culinary and viticultural contribution that Italian-Americans have made since the mid 1700’s when the first Italian vintners arrived in Florida. The opportunity to promote the unique culinary traditions of Italy in the midst of the spectacular transformation of Miami’s Brickell-Downtown area is both humbling and exciting for me, my partners Stefano and Tommaso, and the entire Toscana Divino team,” continued Mr. Bortignon.

Demonstratively touched, Mr. Bortignon highlighted that he was specially moved by the attendance to the event of our longtime patrons and friends Chelin and Alfredo Duran. “Their presence is not only a celebration of our friendship but it is also symbolic of the strong community bond Toscana Divino has forged since opening its doors in 2012,” he added.

Toscana Divino was built in partnership with the Consortium of Italian Business, Wine and Fashion in Florence, Italy, with the intention of promoting Tuscan cuisine and products in Miami. The restaurant is owned and managed by native Italians and restaurant industry veterans Stefano Cavinato, Tommaso Morelato, and Mr. Bortignon. When asked to comment on what it meant for a member of the Toscana Divino team to receive a Key to the City, Mr. Cavinato said: “Mauro really embodies the passion of Italian cuisine and culture and he brings it alive in the restaurant. The city’s acknowledgment is really an honor to all of us.”

In the same spirit, his partner, Mr. Morelato underscored that Mr. Bortignon was the perfect cultural ambassador for everything Italian. “Before joining our team,” he said, “Mauro spent several years in New York working for famous Italian chef Mario Batali. Here in Miami, he spent 6 years working for the iconic and world-renown Casa Tua. We are really proud to have him as part of our team.”

When describing the Toscana Divino experience, Mr. Bortignon states that: “We want our patrons to feel they are entering a world that is thoroughly Tuscan, but also thoroughly contemporary. We are creating a link between the Tuscan region and the Miami area, thereby building a bridge between our two cultures.”

About Toscana Divino

Since opening its doors in 2012, Toscana Divino, recently voted the best restaurant in Brickell by the Miami New Times, is known for presenting both the most contemporary and traditional Tuscan and Italian cuisine, including the world-famous Fiorentina steak. Toscana Divino’s menu, draws its inspiration from classic dishes found throughout Tuscany featuring pastas made fresh in house, fresh seasonal ingredients from local markets or directly imported from Italy.  Toscana Divino continues to inspire unprecedented praise and rave reviews from such publications as the Miami Herald, Thrillist, Zagat, Miami. Toscana Divino is located 900 S. Miami Ave, Miami, FL in Mary Brickell Village.   For additional information, visit www.toscanadivino.com.

Locust Projects selects twenty South Florida high school students to participate in the 2015 LAB (LOCUST ARTS BUILDERS) program:

Matthew Alvarez, TERRA Environmental Research Institute; Tony Bernardo, New World School of the Arts; Ezekiel Binns, Miami Edison Senior High; Isabella Bru, Miami Arts Charter School; Catherine Camargo, New World School of the Arts; Joseph Canizales, Design and Architecture Senior High; Juan Cardona, Design and Architecture Senior High; Andres Cazalis Hudec, New World School of the Arts; Jennifer Dupotey, New World School of the Arts; Kelly Eriksen, Palmer Trinity School; Glenn Espinosa, G. Holmes Braddock Senior High; Valeria Fernandez, Dr. Michael Krop Senior High; Nicole Giraldo, Design and Architecture Senior High; Anastasia Khlioustov, Dr. Michael Krop Senior High; Tommy Maharlika, North Miami Beach Senior High; Max Mayoral, Miami Beach Senior High; Theo Rodino, TERRA Environmental Research Institute; Nicolas Stapel, TERRA Environmental Research Institute; Niki Stebbins, Design and Architecture Senior High; Andrea Tabora, Ransom Everglades.

Locust Projects presents the 6th year of LAB (Locust Arts Builders). This year, 20 South Florida high school students were selected from an open call and had the opportunity to create a collaborative exhibition at Locust Projects in Miami’s Design District.

Under the direction of Miami-based contemporary visual artists Monica Lopez de Victoria (of the TM Sisters) and Clifton Childree, students were given the opportunity to create a collaborative exhibition at Locust Projects and manage all aspects of the show’s production during a three-week summer intensive. Students also visited art institutions on guided field trips and interacted with invited members of the local art community at Locust Projects. The LAB program extends Locust Projects’ longstanding commitment to experimentation and innovation in artistic practice to the next generation of South Florida artists. LAB promotes contemporary art and project-based learning as a means to encourage creativity, critical analysis, and problem solving, while also helping participants to develop their communication skills. This unique initiative allows young artists to learn the practical aspects and experience the excitement of creating a public exhibition in collaboration with their peers.

Locust Projects is excited to welcome California-based MFA student Christina Mesiti who has been selected to develop and produce her project Port for the LAB MFA exhibition in the Project Room. Mesiti is studying for her MFA at Claremont Graduate University in California, and received her BFA in Painting from Arizona State University. This is the first year that Locust Projects has held a national open call for the LAB MFA program, and we are thrilled to have received proposals from students attending a broad range of schools across the United States.

ABOUT LOCUST PROJECTS Locust Projects is a not for profit exhibition space dedicated to providing contemporary visual artists the freedom to experiment with new ideas without the pressures of gallery sales or limitations of conventional exhibition spaces. Local, national and international artists are encouraged to create site-specific installations as an extension of their representative work. Locust Projects supports the local community through educational initiatives and programming that are free to the public.

LAB is funded by the Alvah H. and Wyline P. Chapman Foundation, The Cowles Charitable Trust, and The Children’s Trust. The Children’s Trust is a dedicated source of revenue established by voter referendum to improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade County.

Locust Projects’ exhibitions and programming are made possible with the support from: The Alvah H. and Wyline P. Chapman Foundation, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts; Cowles Charitable Trust; FAENA, The State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture; The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation; the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; the National Endowment for the Arts Art Works Grant; Locust Projects Exhibitionist Members.