Latest news with #ArtBaselMiamiBeach
New York Times
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
So You're an Artist? How Many Followers Do You Have?
IT WAS A slow Saturday on the second-to-last afternoon of this past December's Art Miami, one of the city's longest-running art fairs, now eclipsed by the much flashier Art Basel Miami Beach. Ethan Cohen, a dealer with a gallery on West 17th Street in Manhattan, was sitting in his booth showing a sculpture by the Rhode Island-based artist Thomas Deininger called 'Macawll of the Wild' (2024). From head-on, the work appears as a realistic depiction of a blue-and-yellow macaw perched on a branch. But the piece changes as the viewer moves around it, revealing itself to be a perspectival trick — from the side, it's not a sculpture of a macaw at all but a seemingly random cluster of cheap found objects: unclothed dolls, a plastic palm tree, an action figure of Sulley from 'Monsters, Inc.' On closer inspection, the bird's tail is made of an unpeeled plastic banana, an orange bottle cap, a No. 2 pencil and a tangled tape measure, among other things. It was priced at $60,000, but Cohen had yet to sell it when a woman came by and shot a video of the piece. By the next morning, Cohen had numerous messages from people he hadn't heard from in a long time — a former assistant, an intern who'd worked for him a decade ago, a collector in Indonesia. The woman had posted the video on her TikTok account, @gabrielleeeruth, and 'somehow,' he told me, it 'tripped the algorithm.' Not only did the work quickly find a buyer but there were now hundreds of spectators at the booth, leaning over one another to shoot their own videos, so many that Cohen had to find somebody to handle crowd control to protect the art. It wasn't until his son, who's in his early 30s, suggested that Cohen check TikTok himself that he truly understood the magnitude of what was going on: The original video already had 16 million views by around noon on Sunday. By 3:30 p.m. it was up to 50 million. At 6 p.m., the fair was over and the video had 90 million views. The tally, as of this writing, is 118 million and counting. The sculpture by Deininger is part of a small but growing canon of art that, though not necessarily made for social media, is best understood through its reception there. At a time when A.I., pseudoscience and political misinformation have made us suspicious about what's actually real online, social-media art offers a kind of pared-down comfort. It's often literal, with little room for disagreement regarding its intentions. Yet in its conceptual ambitions or technique, it can seem just clever enough to make viewers say, 'Aha!' (rather than, 'My kindergartner could've made that'). Other examples include 2018's 'Love Is in the Bin' by Banksy, a painting that was timed to partially self-destruct following its sale at Sotheby's in London; Marco Evaristti's 2025 exhibition in Copenhagen, 'And Now You Care?,' in which the artist placed three baby pigs in a cage and left them to starve to death (someone set them free); and Noah Verrier's completely sincere paintings of junk food like a Taco Bell Crunchwrap. Marina Abramović's 'The Artist Is Present' is arguably the original viral moment for contemporary art, a 2010 performance in which Abramović sat in a chair at the Museum of Modern Art in New York for seven or eight hours a day and invited people to take a seat across from her for as long as they could manage. There was no Instagram or TikTok at that time, but it did inspire a Tumblr called Marina Abramović Made Me Cry — a collection of dozens of images of people doing just that as they stared into her face. On the surface, these works don't have much in common other than capturing the attention of the public. This is a genre of art that's often only as interesting as the response to it, which makes it especially interesting to the people doing the responding. In an interview, Deininger, 55, discussed how wild macaws are frequently poached in Miami, where they aren't protected. These deeper concerns were largely lost on the work's audience, many of whom, at least according to the thousands of comments on TikTok, came to the same confident conclusion: 'Now that's art.' A PIVOTAL MOMENT in the history of social-media art was the first show by Yayoi Kusama at David Zwirner gallery in 2013. Visitors waited for hours to see one of the Japanese artist's 'Infinity Mirror Rooms,' which Kusama, now 96, fills with mirrors and lights to give the illusion of boundless space. Instagram was still novel, with a just-introduced video function, and hordes of people lined up to claim some time in this seemingly optimal environment for selfies. 'The first time I ever posted on my social media was a Kusama show,' Hanna Schouwink, a senior partner at Zwirner, told me. By 2017, there were Kusama 'Infinity Rooms' at institutions around the world, with timed entries to accommodate the crowds. Kusama inaugurated a new era of art specifically catering to smartphone engagement. The conceptual artist James Turrell soon had a brief crossover moment on Instagram thanks to his 2013-14 retrospective at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, when Drake (before his beef with Kendrick Lamar blew up) visited the exhibition and later used it as the inspiration for a music video. In 2019, when the Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan duct-taped a banana to a wall at Art Basel Miami Beach, the work's sale for $120,000 made it onto CNN, an outlet generally uninterested in art fairs; when the piece was resold, with a different banana, at a Sotheby's auction last year for $6.24 million, it was international news. If there's an explanation for viral art, it's a tautological one, reminiscent of Don DeLillo's riff on 'the most photographed barn in America' from his 1985 novel, 'White Noise.' Why is it the most photographed barn in America? Because people keep taking pictures of it. Why do people keep taking pictures of it? Because it's the most photographed barn in America. 'They are taking pictures of taking pictures,' DeLillo writes. This poses a unique dilemma for artists in an industry that courts a mass audience while remaining generally suspicious of populism. The former New York Times art critic Roberta Smith believed that Kusama 'might be the greatest artist to come out of the 1960s' but was dismissive of the 'Infinity Rooms,' favoring her abstract paintings, which are virtually invisible on Instagram. There's always been a palpable disconnect between the high art celebrated by critics and the art to which the public pays attention. Consider Thomas Kinkade, the painter of twee cottages and gardens, who died in 2012, the same year Facebook purchased Instagram: He was, commercially, anyway, one of the most successful artists of the 20th century. In 1999, Robert Rosenblum, then a curator at the Guggenheim, said of Kinkade, 'He doesn't look like an artist who's worth considering, except in terms of supply and demand.' Social media has further corroded the boundary between popular and praised but, beyond that, it's also helped extend art world snobbery to the masses. Love is one way to go viral, as was the case with 'Macawll of the Wild,' but hatred is just as powerful. To quote one of the less unhinged replies to Cattelan's banana, 'This planet needs to get hit with a meteor and start over.' Social media may have given artists a direct outlet to speak to an audience without the backing of an institution, but it's telling how few artists have made work explicitly about it. (One exception is Amalia Ulman, whose 2014 series of Instagram selfies features a fictional character she created to critique the manners of the terminally online.) While Deininger said his prices have gone up since the fair in Miami, no serious artist wants to be pigeonholed as 'that person you saw on Instagram.' As Schouwink told me, 'I know a certain younger generation is very well versed in the medium of Instagram and happy to exist in that space. But I don't think that's a very long view. I wonder what will happen to all these brains that have this constant stimulus that doesn't lead anywhere.'
Miami Herald
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Find fun in Miami Beach on and off the sand
Beyond spending the day on the sands of Miami Beach, there's no better place to immerse yourself in renowned art events, experience world-class cuisine, relax at a spa or enjoy a family day at one of the city's parks. There's so much more to this subtropical paradise than the beach alone that makes for a one-of-a-kind staycation, day trip or weekend escape. You can start with the largest concentration of art deco buildings in the United States — and one of the largest anywhere in the world. Experience the colorful pastel hotels and shops along Ocean Drive as you and your family are transported back to the 1930s and '40s. It's truly the perfect setting for a stroll or an Instagram-worthy photo. It's also a great place for people-watching at one of the many outdoor cafes. The Art Deco Museum and Welcome Center can give you a crash course in the Art Deco District's architectural significance, where you can participate in guided tours and exhibitions that celebrate the city's cultural heritage. Miami Beach is also a thriving mecca of the arts thanks in part to a 2022 $159 million voter-approved General Obligation Bond Program for Arts and Culture as well as the city's more than 20-year partnership with Art Basel Miami Beach. Each December, the prestigious contemporary art fair transforms the island into the epicenter of the global art world. You'll find artists, collectors and enthusiasts from around the world at the weeklong event, part of Art Week Miami Beach, which showcases a mix of visual arts, performance art and cultural happenings. The Miami Beach Bandshell, New World Symphony, Miami City Ballet and Miami New Drama at The Colony Theater host a wide range of live performances ranging from dance and theater to classical music, Latin rhythms and salsa, contemporary dance and ballet. The Bass Museum of Art and the Wolfsonian–FIU offer diverse collections of artwork and other artifacts that make them must-see stops while visiting in the city. The Miami Beach Botanical Garden located across the street from the Miami Beach Convention Center, offers an intimate 3-acre tropical oasis in the heart of the city to reconnect with nature. You'll find flowering trees, orchids, philodendrons and more than 100 palm species. Special features include a koi pond, fountains, Japanese garden, native garden, edible garden and Collins Canal promenade. The central great lawn provides plenty of open space to relax and play. There is something for everyone in Miami Beach, including more than 40 parks and open spaces. For the athletes in your group, Miami Beach has two golf courses, two tennis centers, volleyball courts and multiple public swimming pools in addition to the pool day passes available at many of the larger hotels. In addition to being a coastal paradise with breathtaking views of the Atlantic and Biscayne Bay, Miami Beach is also a shopper's paradise — from the boutiques lining Collins Avenue to the eclectic shops and restaurants along Lincoln Road and nearby. The open-air shopping area also represents a cultural landmark, with an impressive variety of galleries, theaters and restaurants serving up a taste of the city's diverse flavors. Washington Avenue is another hub for unique shopping experiences while 41 Street in Mid Beach provides a mix of local shops and international brands, perfect for a leisurely day out on the town. When it comes to dining, Miami Beach always delivers. Boasting casual beachside eateries along with many fine dining options, Miami Beach is home to a variety of culinary experiences. Choose from sushi, Italian, Greek, French, Lebanese, Mexican as well as several Michelin-starred restaurants. No matter if you're craving stone crab claws at the iconic Joe's Stone Crab, waterfront dining or gourmet dishes at one of the many fine dining options, you'll have plenty of choices to satisfy every palate. Eight new restaurants have opened or are in the process of opening on pedestrian-friendly Lincoln Road ahead of the planned Grand Hyatt Miami Beach, an 800-room, 17-story property adjacent to the Miami Beach Convention Center. The culinary offerings on Lincoln Road include rooftop dining at Mila, which reported $52 million in revenue last year and Colombia's Andrés Carne de Res. New York's famed Prince Street Pizza will soon open its first Florida location while celebrity chef José Andrés brings a touch of Mediterranean magic to Zaytinya at The Ritz-Carlton, both located on Lincoln. Stay tuned for West Coast favorites Negroni Caffe & Sushi Bar and The Nice Guy opening soon. Miami Beach is more than just a destination for adults — it's an ideal spot to bring your children. Start your family adventure with a trip to one of the city's parks and open spaces, where kids can play on the beach, ride bikes or take part in fun outdoor activities like the pirate ship-themed playground at Altos del Mar Park in North Beach or the recently expanded Maurice Gibb Memorial Park in Sunset Harbour that features a music-themed playground, dog park and breathtaking views of Biscayne Bay. Lummus Park also provides convenient access to the Beachwalk, the city's more than 8-mile oceanfront promenade that begins in South Pointe Park and winds its way up to the northern boundary of the city. It's a great way to experience all three of the city's neighborhoods — South Beach, Mid Beach and North Beach — on foot or by bicycle. Didn't bring your own bike? No problem. Citi Bike rental kiosks are located throughout Miami Beach. Miami Beach has some of the most exciting cultural events in the country, making it a world-class destination for art lovers, creatives and families. Memorial Day Weekend: Miami Beach hosts the Hyundai Air & Sea Show every year over Memorial Day weekend. The free, one-of-a-kind event features a patriotic display of U.S. military power, bravery, technology and precision. In addition, the event highlights the contribution of first (American Black Film Festival): This celebrated event brings together filmmakers, actors and enthusiasts to celebrate the best in Black cinema. With screenings, panels and networking events, ABFF is a key cultural event in Miami Beach, promoting diverse voices in Week Miami Beach: Held annually in December, this weeklong celebration of contemporary art is one of the most anticipated cultural events of the year. It includes Art Basel and a host of satellite events showcasing the latest in visual arts, performances and Beach Pride: One of the largest LGBTQIA+ pride celebrations in the country, Miami Beach Pride is a colorful and joyous event celebrating inclusivity, love and diversity. The festivities feature a grand parade, live performances, art exhibitions and more, all set against the backdrop of Miami Beach's beautiful coastline. Miami Beach is committed to making sure everyone can enjoy its beautiful beaches and amazing activities. The city has wheelchair-accessible beach access at several locations, making it easier for those with mobility challenges to experience the sand and sea. Additionally, Miami Beach's attractions and public spaces are designed to accommodate all visitors, ensuring a welcoming experience for everyone. Miami Beach is known for its wide range of top-notch hotels. Beachfront resorts and boutique hotels are abundant and visitors can choose from a selection of top-tier accommodations that promise comfort and style simultaneously. Miami Beach also offers LGBTQIA+ friendly hotels, creating an inclusive environment for all guests to feel at home. Miami Beach isn't just a destination; it's an open invitation to express yourself, explore freely and soak in every moment. Whether you're drawn to world-class art, five-star dining or adventures in the sun, this city offers endless ways to be your most vibrant self. In a world where many places ask you to blend in, Miami Beach dares you to stand out — and welcomes you with open arms. Your perfect wave is waiting. Discover events, shopping, dining, accommodations, and more at MBFindYourWave.
Forbes
03-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
NordicTrack Rolls 50 Years Of Exercise Technology Into An Ultra-Luxury Fitness Product Line
Nordictrack Ultra 1 treadmill Courtesy of iFit NordicTrack is raising the bar in the home fitness equipment market. It is introducing the NordicTrack Ultra 1 treadmill, the first in a planned line of fitness gear that blends the performance expected from high-end exercise equipment with a design inspired by luxury furniture, making it fit for the most elegantly furnished home and office. It'll set you back $15,000, but then, it's the Ferrari or Lamborghini-class treadmill in an industry dominated by virtual $2,000 Chevy or Ford models everyone else is running on. After pioneering in the home fitness industry 50 years ago and outlasting every other brand in the business, NordicTrack continues its category-defining mission. The Ultra 1 is so revolutionary that it was launched at the Art Basel Miami Beach show in December, followed by its European introduction at the Paris Maison&Objet home decor and interiors fair. 'NordicTrack created Ultra 1 to celebrate its 50th anniversary and to fill a void in the high-end market. It's the perfect combination of form and function,' shared Kevin Duffy, CEO of iFIT, NordicTrack's parent company, along with the popularly priced Pro-Form product line and Freemotion serving the commercial market. Unlike other NordicTrack and other iFIT products that are widely distributed internationally and domestically through Dicks Sporting Goods, Best Buy, Amazon, Costco, Fitshop and others, the Ultra 1 will only be available directly from iFit. It is taking pre-orders now in advance of shipment starting in May. There is something to be said for a brand that has outlasted the competition in a home fitness market that has had its share of ups and downs over the years, most recently downs. In the early days of the home fitness industry, it was all about the hardware with NordicTrack's skier machine one of the first that was followed by treadmills and cross trainers. Then the industry was bolstered by the digital revolution combining the equipment hardware with digital content and virtual interactive training software. It came just in time for the pandemic lockdowns that kept people out of the gym. The Sports and Fitness Industry Association reports that in 2021 the home fitness industry posted a remarkable 16% growth rate that year as the rate of at-home workouts rose from 24% in 2019 to 36% in 2021. The trend has continued to increase as at-home convenience won out, and digital engagement substituted for personal training. However, after people equipped their home gyms, the industry quickly settled back to its more or less usual 4% growth rate, going from $11.2 billion in 2022 to $11.6 billion in 2023, while the players geared up for continued heady growth. BowFlex, formerly known as Nautilus and also owner of Schwinn, filed for bankruptcy in early 2024 and was acquired by Johnson Health Tech for $37.5 million in April last year. In 2020, Lululemon made a major $500 million investment in Mirror fitness device and digital app but couldn't make it work. Lululemon shut if down in 2023 and went with Peloton as its interactive fitness partner. And Peloton has had a rough ride too, dropping nearly 4% to $2.7 billion in revenues in 2024 and down 6% through the first six months of fiscal year 2025. While iFIT is private and doesn't reveal financial results, it is backed by L Catterton, which invested $355 million in 2022. At the time of the investment, managing partner Marc Magliacano said the company's brands and iFIT integrated content platform transcends 'venues, channels, product categories and geographies,' making it positioned 'to win on a global scale.' Magliacano is now a member of the iFIT board. Kevin Duffy joined iFIT shortly thereafter, taking over from long-time CEO Sam Waterson who remains on the board. Duffy previously was CEO of Sound United, a consumer technology company offering premium audio and home entertainment brands. His team includes chief operating officer Matt Bush, who previously was with the Samsung Harman brand, chief product officer Keith Hartsfield, formerly with iRobot, and chief subscription officer Jeremy McCarty tasked with growing the iFIT subscriber base. He honed his subscription bona fides in the wireless, telecom, and smart home industries. Besides having a content library of over 10k fitness and wellness courses, iFIT has also introduced an AI Coach to provide more personalized workouts suited to an individual's fitness level and goals. Plus the iFIT app supports users without the company's hardware. And through AI, it's translated its full content library into ten different languages. The new NordicTrack Ultra 1 fills a void in the home fitness market that iFIT aims to dominate. 'The fitness industry is filled with a lot of functional products,' Duffy explained. 'But there aren't any products that you want to take out out of the third bedroom or garage. That was the inspiration for the Ultra 1: to be both aesthetically beautiful and super functional.' It's crafted in wood and comes equipped with speakers and full body fans to keep users comfortable while navigating the virtual terrain during workouts. For example, you can virtually experience a Mt. Everest base camp run that automatically adjusts to the inclines and declines on the trail while enjoying the scenery. 'The controllers have been completely redesigned,' he continued. 'They look like the throttle on a F15 airplane.' And it comes with a commercial-quality gym deck that provides significantly less impact on the knees. It even invites you to workout with a sensor that slowly begins to glow as you approach the machine. I asked if an Ultra 1 customer could trade in their old equipment to knock a bit off the $15,000 price tag, but if it catches the right buyer's eye, they probably don't need it. However, they will get full white glove delivery service and their old treadmill can be taken away for recycling if desired. 'Our rebuying rate is relatively high,' Duffy explained, saying that about 15% of new purchases come from its existing client base, who want an upgrade to new equipment, 'much like when Apple comes out with a new iPhone.' Or the customer purchases a 'complimentary modality,' like the new Tour de France indoor bike, the first and only officially licensed stationery bike that allows users to virtually ride alongside some of the world's leading cyclists while enjoying the tour's French country landscapes. After NordicTrack's 50 years as an industry leader and with iFIT behind it, the company keeps earning kudos. It was just named as one of the most innovative fitness and wellness companies of 2025 by Athletech News. And it continues to innovate by crossing over into the gaming industry in partnership with Ergatta to make cardio workouts on rowers, treadmills and bikes 'feel more like playing than exercising.' Looking to the future, Duffy sees AI as being the ultimate game changer as people take control of their health and wellness journey. 'The connected fitness, health and wellness industry is probably the best market to be in over the next ten years. Just look at the Consumer Electronics Show where so many self-monitoring health devices were featured. That gives people the information needed to be proactive about health rather than reactive as in the past. 'And within the health and wellness ecosystem with a lot of verticals, such as nutrition and sleep, fitness is the most crucial. Being ahead in AI for fitness is one of our unique advantages,' he concluded. See Also:
Globe and Mail
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Globe and Mail
Les Roberts Featured in Exclusive Interview on the Evolution of Art and Collecting
Miami Fine Art Gallery Director Shares Insights on Bridging Classical and Contemporary Art Les Roberts, Director of Miami Fine Art Gallery, has been featured in an exclusive online interview titled 'Les Roberts: The Art of Connecting the Past and Present.' In this deep dive into his life and work, Roberts discusses his passion for curation, the psychology of collecting, and how classical techniques continue to influence today's artists. Since taking over Miami Fine Art Gallery in 2008, Roberts has curated collections that merge historical masterpieces with modern, boundary-pushing works. His expertise, shaped by an Art History and Business degree from New York University and an internship at Sotheby's, allows him to seamlessly blend past and present, introducing audiences to the dynamic evolution of artistic expression. 'Art isn't just about aesthetics,' Roberts shares in the interview. 'It's a language that speaks across generations. What Rembrandt did with light and shadow, contemporary artists are doing with digital tools today.' In the interview, Roberts traces his journey from New York City, where he first developed his love for fine art, to Miami, Florida, where he saw an opportunity to create a gallery space that honored both classical and contemporary traditions. He explains how Miami's diverse culture and events like Art Basel Miami Beach have positioned the city as a global hub for collectors, artists, and enthusiasts alike. The discussion also touches on the psychology of art collecting, highlighting the emotional connections people form with artwork. Roberts notes that for many collectors, it's not just about investment—it's about identity, memory, and meaning. 'Some people collect because a piece reminds them of a specific moment in their life,' Roberts explains. 'Others are drawn to works that challenge them or reflect their personality. Either way, it's about making a connection.' Another key topic in the interview is the role of technology in the art world. Roberts shares how virtual exhibitions, digital collections, and AI-generated art are changing the way people experience and interact with fine art. 'Technology isn't here to replace traditional art,' Roberts says. 'It's enhancing it. It's making art more immersive, more accessible, and helping collectors visualize pieces in ways they never could before.' Looking ahead, Roberts sees a shift in the future of collecting. He predicts more artists will experiment with digital mediums, while collectors will seek deeper, more interactive experiences with the pieces they acquire. 'Art is timeless,' Roberts reflects. 'Whether it's a 300-year-old painting or a brand-new digital creation, its ability to make us feel, think, and connect with the world remains unchanged.' As he continues his work at Miami Fine Art Gallery, Roberts remains committed to honoring the legacy of classical artists while embracing the future of contemporary creativity. About Les Roberts Les Roberts is the Director of Miami Fine Art Gallery, where he curates collections that bridge the worlds of classical and contemporary art. With a background in Art History and Business from New York University and training at Sotheby's, he is dedicated to making fine art accessible and meaningful for collectors worldwide. To read the full interview, click here. Media Contact Company Name: Les Roberts of Miami Fine Art Gallery Email: Send Email City: Miami State: Florida Country: United States Website:
New York Times
08-02-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Amy Lau, Interior Designer and a Founder of Design Miami, Dies at 56
Amy Lau, a New York interior designer and a founder of the annual Design Miami fair, whose vernacular was the saturated colors of the American Southwest and whose deep knowledge of modernist objects was the foundation of her work, died on Jan. 17 in Scottsdale, Ariz. She was 56. The cause was cancer, her family said. Ms. Lau's success did not rest on an ability to parse paint colors and match furniture and rugs (although of course she could do both things). Rather, it was her consummate talent for choosing important pieces — for example, a sofa designed by Vladimir Kagan, a sculpture by Anish Kapoor, a bronze work by the furniture sculptor Silas Seandel — and crafting warm, striking interiors around them. Those selections were the raison d'être, not the afterthought. 'Designers all begin from some vantage point, and Amy's was her knowledge of midcentury modern,' Amanda Nisbet, an interior designer in New York and Palm Beach, said in an interview. 'But she was also a real supporter of current artists and artisans, and sought out the work of the ones she thought were worthy of her clients' money.' Those clients included the media executive and Seagram heir Edgar Bronfman Jr. and his wife, Clarissa; the fashion designer Elie Tahari (Ms. Lau designed his East Hampton boutique); and the real estate developer Craig Robins. It was Mr. Robins with whom Ms. Lau teamed up in 2005, along with the designer Ambra Medda, to start Design Miami, a collectible-design fair conceived to run in tandem with the annual art fair Art Basel Miami Beach. It has become an important showcase and destination for designers and their clients. 'Amy was the first of a new generation of designers entering the industry at the end of the 20th century,' the New York interior designer Vicente Wolf said in an interview. 'She was unrestrained in the sense that she wasn't going to do things the way everyone else was doing things — in her mixture of furniture and her use of color.' He added, 'She was a firecracker, with the hair color to go with it.' Mr. Wolf wasn't the only colleague to mention Ms. Lau's striking red hair — a shade that, coincidentally, often turned up in her interiors. As Ms. Nisbet put it, 'Amy embodied her design aesthetic.' Amy Marie Lau was born on Dec. 12, 1968, in Scottsdale, Ariz., the eldest of four children, and was raised in nearby Paradise Valley. Her father, Frederick Lau, a dentist, and her mother, Patti (Cochran) Lau, who managed the household, were avid collectors of Southwestern art and artifacts; her paternal grandmother, Ruth Lau, was a painter of Arizona desert scenes. Another relative was a founder of the Taos School, an early-20th-century art movement whose palette — the blues of skies; the yellows, corals, apricots, tans and, yes, reds of the Southwestern landscape — would inform Ms. Lau's interiors. 'I still think of its dusty olives, siennas and rusty brown as 'my colors,'' she wrote in her first monograph, 'Expressive Modern' (2011). After receiving a bachelor's degree in art history from the University of Arizona in 1992 and a master's in fine and decorative arts from the Sotheby's Institute of Art in Manhattan in 1995, Ms. Lau became the manager of Aero, the New York design gallery and boutique. She later became the design director of the Lin-Weinberg Gallery in SoHo, now Weinberg Modern, which specialized in international midcentury-modern design. 'Amy's aesthetic vision took shape at our gallery,' said Larry Weinberg, one of its owners. 'The roomlike vignettes, window displays, the selection of fabrics for upholstered pieces — these were all core skills for an interior designer, and all things Amy excelled at.' In 2001, Ms. Lau founded Amy Lau Design, where she made it her brief to create residential and commercial spaces that filtered various styles, objects and client preferences through the lens of modernism. In the years that followed, she began designing products for Heath Ceramics; Kohler; S. Harris, a supplier of high-end fabrics; and Maya Romanoff, a manufacturer of handmade wall coverings. This past fall, Ms. Lau opened a gallery in the New York Design Center — 'a longtime dream,' said Sharon Bray, the business manager of Amy Lau Design. Contemporary and vintage glass, ceramics and metalwork share space there with textiles and furniture. Ms. Lau is survived by her parents and her siblings, Megan Hackbarth, Kati Travelle and Matthew Lau. Ms. Lau, a perennial renter, bought a one-bedroom apartment in Alwyn Court, a prewar building in Midtown West, in 2018 and spent the next six years renovating — a daunting project, as the home hadn't been updated since the 1980s. She moved in once the major construction was completed, while the rest of the work continued around her. Ms. Lau, who called the apartment her sanctuary, 'put together a lot of contemporary and vintage pieces that she loved from artists and artisans that she loved,' Ms. Bray said of a group that included Mr. Kagan; Michael Coffey, a woodworker; and Erik Bruce, a designer and manufacturer of window treatments. Ms. Lau herself designed the wallpaper for the bedroom and the foyer. An Art Nouveau Jugendstil chandelier that she found in Europe was the focal point of the home. (On Saturday, Architectural Digest posted a feature about the apartment.) 'When the window treatments were finally installed this past September — which meant that all the work was done — Amy was overjoyed,' Ms. Bray said. As a client, her boss 'was detail-oriented and exacting,' she added. 'She knew what she wanted.'
