Celebrity Photog Robert Zuckerman's "Portraits" Opens at Betsy Hotel

Robert Zuckerman does Leonard Cohen.

​Miami might be suffering through  summer doldrums when it comes to its cultural offerings, but somebody forgot to tell that to a pair of photographers opening heavyweight exhibits in the next week. Joel Meyerowitz, the only photographer allowed to document the devastation of 9/11 immediately after the attacks, will display much of that work in "Focus Gallery: Joel Meyerowitz- Aftermath" at the Miami Art Museum a little less than a month ahead of the Ten Year Anniversary of 9/11.

And if you're in the mood for more uplifting fare, you probably want to check out Robert Zuckerman's "Portraits" exhibit at The Betsy Hotel opening this Sunday. There are plenty of photographers who work in the movie biz, and Zuckerman surely qualifies as one of the top celebrity photogs, but his work combines emotional depth and commercial appeal.

And because this is Miami, the opening reception for Zuckerman's exhibit will be hosted by Rachael Taylor and Ramon Rodriguez, stars of Charlie's Angels television show now being shot in our city. Read on for more details.

It seems fitting that Zuckerman would exhibit on South Beach as the city is likely to remind him of the niche he found for his considerable talents. The photographer seems at ease in the glitz and glam of Hollywood but is still able to recognize true emotional depth in his subjects even amidst the superficiality. His "Portrait" exhibit features a slew of famous faces on and off the set, including Will Smith, Javier Bardem, Morgan Freeman, Al Pacino, Alan Ginsberg, David Bowie, and Maya Angelou.

Robert Zuckerman does David Bowie or is that Ziggy Stardust.

​Work from two other Zuckerman collections will also be on display at the Betsy. "Kindsight (which is also the title of  book he published) shies away from celebrity to focus on everyday faces, while "Time Machine" is a sampling of Zuckerman's earlier work which has been vaulted away for as much as decades in some cases.

But just because he's worked with the biggest stars in the world it doesn't mean that Zuckerman won't put his talents to good use for commercial endeavors as he is often used to shoot advertising and publicity campaigns for the movies those celebrities are starring in. Among the movie sets he's been on to shoot are Terminator 3, Training Day, Transformers, and several Miami films including Bad Boys 2 and Any Given Sunday.

Robert Zuckerman's "Portraits," and parts of his "Time Machine" and "Kindsight" exhibits will be at the Betsy Hotel-South Beach (1440 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach). Admission is free. The opening reception is on Sunday from 7 to 10 p.m. The exhibit will be up through the end of the year. Call : 305-531-6100 or visit www.thebetsyhotel.com.

An opening reception for "Focus Gallery: Joel Meyerowitz- Aftermath" exhibit will be held August 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Miami Art Museum. Police, firefighters, and MAM members get in free. Regular admission to MAM costs $8 for adults, $4 for seniors, and is free for children under 12. The exhibit officially opens August 19 and runs through November 4. Call 305-375-3000 or visit miamiartmuseum.org.

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