The gallery is pleased to announce that Antonia Wright will be one in seven artists to have artwork aquired as part of Oolite Art's renewed acquistions program. These pieces will be on display at the Oolite Arts' new campus in the City of Miami opening in 2023. The program was launced last year by Oolite's Board of Directors in an effort to ensure that more Miami artists are represented in major collections. A jury comprised of Miami and nationally-based curators, Tami Katz-Freiman, Omar Lopez-Chahoud and Larry Ossei-Mensah, helped select the diverse group of both established and emerging artists from a pool of more than 500 artists who are current residents or alumni of Oolite’s programs.
"Our Acquisitions program comes at a pivotal turning point for Miami, which in recent years has experienced a dramatic cultural arts shift," said Dennis Scholl, president and CEO of Oolite Arts. "To be able to see more works by Miami-based artists in museums around the globe will be an incredible achievement for our city and art community. We're excited to amplify these local artists' work on a national and international level, while also helping sustain them during these unprecedented times."
The collection features diversity across a number of art mediums including sculpture, painting, video and installation, and is one of several ways Oolite Arts has further invested in Miami-based artists. Other initiatives include The Ellies, Miami’s visual arts awards, which will have invested a share of $2 million to over 150 individual artists and art teachers in Miami-Dade County by the end of this year. During the pandemic, Oolite Arts set up a $225,000 artist relief fund and the Close Quarters film festival, which commissioned filmmakers to make new works in quarantine. Additionally, Oolite Arts supports Miami artists through its various residencies including Home + Away and partnerships with cultural organizations across South Florida to exhibit artists’ work.