LegalArt Relaunches as Cannonball, Celebrates Its Tenth Anniversary

Pioneer Winter's performance at the Cannonball relaunch party

In some ways, it ended up being a good thing that when we turned 10 years old, our mom didn't let us change our name to He Man. But when LegalArt held a party on Friday night to celebrate its name change to Cannonball in advance of its tenth anniversary, it was an auspicious renaissance that will likely spur few wedgies from the bigger arts organizations. (If only we'd been so lucky.)

As a mix of collectors and creatives mingled throughout four floors of cocktails and art installations, Cultist snuck off into a corner with executive director Chris Cook to find out what's next for Cannonball and to justify the four pounds of passed hors d'oeuvres that we ate.

Cannonball's executive director Chris Cook and program coordinator Dominique Breard

"Next year is our 10-year anniversary," Cook told us us. "Over the 10 years, the services LegalArt has developed for artists have expanded beyond pro bono legal services. We and the board decided that it was time we evolved a new identity to reflect that."

In addition to continuing to its public art programs and residencies for visiting and local artists, Cannonball will focus on other pressing issues: "education and our work to retain Miami artists so they don't feel the need to leave Miami."

And so, with the aid of Supermarket Creative's branding expertise, LegalArt became Cannonball.

"It's Cannonball as in the dive, not the weapon," Cook said. "When someone does a cannonball at a pool party, it's fun but it's also disruptive. Good contemporary art is disruptive ... That's our approach. Plus, it's a nod to Miami's poolside culture and the senses of nostalgia and humor that we have here."

And now: party photos!

One of Cannonball's new efforts is a rotating, annual installation in its storefront lobby space. Here, two Cannonballers enjoy Bhakti Baxter's installed living room that includes a part-time DJ. It will be up for the next ten months.

Baxter's installation also includes a wall entirely covered by LP album covers that gradually shift in color across the wall. Sadly, this Fine Young Cannonball is not part of the work.

Upstairs, works by Cannonball residents past and present were on display. Here, former resident Liz Ferrer of Southernmost Situations DJs in the middle of a plantscape of her own design. That other dude is named James.

And downstairs, current resident Pioneer Winter staged an out-of-water synchronized swim performance.