Sara Maria Salamone

​The centerpiece of Sam Trioli's outdoor pop-up art exhibit in Wynwood might look like a wood pile, but in reality it is... well, a wood pile.

"When you see a wood pile you see pure function," Trioli explained. "It is also a very temporary structure. You build a wood pile and it disappears the next year."

But this sculpture of 250 freshly cut logs is a special kind of wood pile. "It is not just wood dumped out in a lot," Trioli explained. "It stacks perfectly, and in a v-shape."

The display, which includes a minimalist mural painted on a wall adjacent to the wood pile and a trailer displaying Trioli's abstract work on paper, as well as an abbreviated diary of the artist's daily routine for the last two years, is titled "Sagebrush Gulch." It represents the first outdoor exhibit displayed by site95, a recently formed non-profit based in Brooklyn. Meaghan Kent, site95's director and chief curator, said David Lombardi, a Wynwood developer and land owner, donated the lot and a trailer for the organization's use during the month of February. Kent figured that Trioli's work would be a perfect fit for the lot. "I was aware that he was working on a version of the log sculpture and was making these incredible works on paper," she wrote in an e-mail to New Times.
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Miami New Times' Mastermind Awards honors the city's most inspiring creatives. This year, we received more than 150 submissions, which our staff narrowed to an elite group of 30. We'll be profiling our honorable mentions, and eventually the finalists, in the weeks to come. This year's three Mastermind Award winners will be announced March 8 at Artopia, our annual soiree celebrating Miami culture. For tickets and more information, visit the website.

A still from Kane's At the Edge of the World

​Jonathan David Kane

Jonathan David Kane's medium of choice? Film. And with over 10 years in the filmmaking industry, the man has a huge leg up on the rest of us. Animal Planet created the show Whale Wars after being inspired by Kane's film. What have you done lately?
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Will Divine ever find true love?

​Often, a movie's title tells us everything we need to know. Four Weddings and a Funeral, Hoover, and Edward Scissorhands are all aptly titled flicks that deliver what their monikers promise. But for every Psycho or Outbreak, there's a film that hides its true subject matter behind a clever, ironic title.

That's all well and good, except on Valentine's Day, when you're hoping for a film about lakeside picnics and endless devotion, but instead you get one about incest, mental illness, infectious disease, having sex with dead people, eating dog shit, and/or debilitating poverty.

To avoid that fate, check out our list of disturbing movies with misleadingly romantic titles so you know what not to watch this Valentine's Day -- unless your goal is making your sweetheart puke up those hand-dipped chocolate covered strawberries you whipped up.
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With or without a date, enjoy the holiday by scarfing down way too many delicious candy hearts

​If you're anything like us, you 're preparing to confront Feb. 14 with indignation and marking it "Anna Howard Shaw Day" on your calendar. Maybe you lack any significant romantic relationship in your life, in which case you don't need a national holiday to remind you that you'll probably die alone (except for your cats, of course). Or maybe you're in a wonderful romantic relationship with someone who, disastrously, will be away on the 14th, leaving you to wonder what the point of this stupid holiday is when on the one year you're actually happy with someone, he or she is too far away to spoil you with flowers and chocolates. (If you're in the latter camp, do not click here.)

We V-day scrooges can at least take comfort in the knowledge that we won't have to spend stupid amounts of money just to express our love this year. Or we did, anyway, until we noticed all the cheap-yet-cute ways to celebrate happy relationships in this town. Foiled again by the sexy, sexy tropics.

Anyway, for you lucky few with caring partners out there, here are a few ways to have a happy Valentine's Day without breaking the bank. But don't tell us about it, because remember, the rest of us are sad and alone and no we are not crying just go away.
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​I used to think living in Miami was hard. It's pretty tough dealing with the traffic, the heat, and the chulos psst-psst-ing at you when you're just trying to walking down the street in peace. But I was wrong. Living in the 305 is easy in comparison to the Big Apple. New York is a bitch. And like many bitches in my life, though our relationship is going to be tough, I like her.

I also like the happenings in her life -- especially New York Fashion Week. But there are people who don't enjoy the next seven days of style. There's even a name for them: models. Here's why the girls on the runway are feeling the bitch's burn this week:
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Please, think of the cheetahs.

​Goddamn the early 20th century and its irresponsible demand for luxurious fur. Thanks to the old-timey 1%, the cheetah population across Asia and Africa has dwindled down to remarkably low levels.

Among those working to restore those numbers is the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre in South Africa, a leading research and breeding organization. And working to shine a light on Hoedspruit's efforts is Miami filmmaker Marilu O'lyaryz and her husband, award-winning videographer Brian O'lyaryz.

Together, the cinematic team is hoping to raise $8,000 via a Kickstarter campaign to help fund a cheetah conservation documentary, a film they'll release at no cost to zoos, educators, and conservation groups.
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Jessy Nite gets naughty at Primary Projects

​There's no arguing that our robust art scene is growing to year-round proportions. Consider the new Art Wynwood, opening President's Day weekend (Feb. 16 through 20) and boasting more than 50 galleries representing 13 countries from around the globe. Its organizers have packed the fair's roster with a dozen Miami galleries to showcase our evolution. Fingers crossed that sales materialize to convince skeptics that South Florida has the muscle to sustain a viable market year-round as well.

Until then, there's plenty of eye candy to take in during February's edition of Wynwood's wildly popular art walk. Beginning at 6 p.m. this Saturday, expect to be rocked by a combination of new shows that take on subjects ranging from the naked truth about erotica in art to the spirit of rebellion and a girl gone bad.

Here are our best bets for this month's Second Saturday dance card, which promises plenty of action and an occasional sucker punch.
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​Hallmark's biggest scam holiday is next week. Because Valentine's Day falls on a Tuesday this year, some couples will celebrate Día de los Enamorados over the weekend by dinning at fancy restaurants, having sex in public, and pouring thousands of dollars into the private helicopter charter industry.

But what about the "average Joe" couple, the cute pair that doesn't buy into hyper-consumerism and corporate-made holidays? We've compiled a weekend guide to help you avoid those obnoxious PDA-friendly lovers, an anti-Valentine's Day weekend guide of sorts.
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Wikipedia

​We don't mean "prince," as in "heir to the throne." (Though that would be awesome -- imagine how the game would be played under NFL Commissioner Ochocinco.) We mean Prince, as in "Party Like It's 1999," Purple Rain, and that un-pronounceable symbol that earned him so much ridicule back in the day.

New England Patriots wide receiver and Miami Beach Senior High School football alum Chad Ochocinco also pissed off plenty of people when he changed his last name from Johnson to Ochocinco in 2008. But now that he's getting married, TMZ reported yesterday, The Athlete Formerly Known As Johnson plans to revert back to the name his mama gave him. Apparently, he doesn't want his wife to have a "made-up name."

We salute your name-changing ways, Chad, because it only confirms what we already knew: You and Prince are soulmates, or possibly separated at birth.
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​When I first moved to Miami, I wanted to meet and greet everything that Miami had to offer: the clubs, the beaches, the hot Latin men needing green cards. So on my first night out, with my Massachusetts fake ID in hand, I went to a drag show.

What I found there was a fellow Indiana native, dressed head-to-tow in pink and feathers, who told me, "You need money in this town. You're in college, so you wont have it for a while. Until that happens, fake it till you make it."

Today, many years after I left college, I feel like I am doing just that. I am at New York Fashion Week, and the feeling is surreal. So as of today, in the words of my female impersonator friend, I plan to fake it till I damn well make it.
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