HONORED THAT MY AWARD WINNING STREET PHOTOGRAPHY WILL HELP ILLUSTRATE

URBANIST AUTHOR THOMAS WILSON’S UPCOMING BOOK: EXCEPTIONAL PLACES

Thomas Wilson is a planner, author and scholar who is completing "Exceptional Places" about iconic historic districts.

My photo above illustrates this excerpt:

Ocean Drive art deco hotels in Miami Beach.

The city’s preservation movement of the 1970s and 1980s succeeded in saving its historic resources and creating one of the nation’s most iconic historic districts.

Following its heyday in the 1940s and 1950s, South Beach went into decline as newer, larger hotels were built elsewhere on the island.

In the mid-1980s new investment on Ocean Drive led to a resurgence of interest in South Beach (and Miami Beach in general), eventually positioning it as an international destination.

The historic core is the Miami Beach Architectural District, which includes much of the southern third of the city and encompasses the Art Deco District of mostly smaller hotels, commercial strips, and residential areas.

The latter elements are progressively more prevalent towards the Biscayne Bay side of the island.

According to the nomination form the district “contains the largest concentration of 1920s and 1930s era resort architecture in the United States.” 

Visit Thomas Wilson’s Substack at:

https://thomasdwilson.substack.com/p/exceptional-places

 

SAUDADES FEATURED ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: STEVE WRIGHT

PROUD TO HAVE BEEN PART OF THE BOOK LAUNCH 

AT BOOKS AND BOOKS THIS MONTH

Steve Wright is a visual and verbal storyteller.

His street photography is inspired by Ara Güler, the Eye of Istanbul. He learned from and edited a book about the great Turkish photographer.

Wright is a Pulitzer-nominated, award-winning writer and has published more than 5,000 professional articles.

His Save My Little Havana, a one-man show photo exhibit opened in August 2023 at the Art Deco Welcome Center in Miami Beach and ran through Thanksgiving.

Several photos by Steve are published in the book, and will exhibited at the Books & Books Gallery Space.

Steve and other artists were present at the Book Launch on October 4, when they signed books.

JUST IN TIME FOR ART BASEL MIAMI

 A POP UP ART SHOW IN THE HEART OF LITTLE HAVANA

--WHEN THE ART WORLD IS FOCUSED ON THE MAGIC CITY

I’m honored to be one of the featured artists at Art & Design Gallery’s event during Art Basel Miami.

It takes place 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday December 8 and Saturday December 9 at 2380 SW 9 Street Miami – footsteps from my historic Little Havana home and just a block south of wonderful Calle Ocho.

The free event will feature art displays and sales, live music, food and more at Art by Hurley.

RSVP at:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/miami-art-exhibit-tickets-764844840507

SAUDADES: EDITED AND CONCEPTUALIZED BY AMY SERRANO

Proud to be a part of this artistic endeavor

Here is the book cover and the artists whose gorgeous and haunting works will be featured in the upcoming book.

THE SIMIT

So Much More than a “Turkish Bagel”

While working on an English version of a book originally written in Turkish, I came across the clause that explained a simit is a “Turkish bagel”

And yes, if forced to, I would translate “simit” as “Turkish bagel.” 

But it is so much more.

I love my New York style bagels, with a schmear, thank you.

But nothing compares to the texture, the vaguely sweet exterior of a simit.

Plus, simits are so sociable.

In Istanbul, you walk into any square, off a ferry, down a road – and there’s a simit cart.

You can smell them.

You hear people talking.

Even if you don’t understand what they are saying, you are part of the dialogue on politics, the weather, the Besiktas match, etc.

As tourists, we all have stopped at the carts in Manhattan, set up on a busy corner to sell bagels, hard rolls, donuts and breakfast sandwiches to rushed New Yorkers on their way to work. 

It is not the same.

You can get a simit all day.

I have stayed at hotels in Turkey with endless, fresh simits – and some wonderful homemade jams – at the free breakfast buffet set up on a beautiful terrace overlooking the Sea of Marmara. 

By the third day, I found myself walking the streets to buy a simit.

The air from the nearby Golden Horn and Bosphorus, the gulls diving in hope you have a crumb of dough to toss them, the sounds of Istanbul traffic – cars, people, trams – it all makes the simit taste like the most wonderful food from heaven.

ARA GÜLER -- 3

PHOTOJOURNALIST

Though I have seen him quoted as saying he's not a photojournalist or artist -- he's an historian with a camera -- Ara Guler is arguably the greatest photojournalist of the 20th century.

And he continue to document his beloved Istanbul, well into the 21st century, well into his 80s.

When I found out there's a book on him, I couldn't want to order it.

Amazon screwed up the first delivery. Hoping the second order arrives before the weekend.

Here's a mini blurb on the book:

Photojournalist, a book by Nezih Tavlas, provides a compelling and in-depth look into the life of Ara Guler who is regarded as one of the most accomplished documentary photographers of the 20th century and the pioneer of photojournalism in Turkey.

http://photojournalistaraguler.com/