Arts

Locust closes out unique summer programming

The surprising results at the Locust LAB.

There’s one more week to catch the results of Locust Projects’ unique summer programming, culminating with a closing reception and exhibit on Saturday. For the fifth year in a row, Locust invited a group of high school students, chosen after an open call, to come and make art. After starting out fairly small, this year 25 students participated in the three-week program.

Under the guidance of artists Loriel Beltran and Monica Lopez de Victoria (of the TM Sisters), the teenagers set out to make a collaborative exhibition, for the project called LAB (Locust Art Builders). From initial concept to installation, they were to come up with artworks to form an exhibit that, in theory, should follow a cohesive theme, and hopefully look pretty good too. Frankly, the results may surprise you.

Based on visuals developed in a digital age – the only age all these high-schoolers know – there are great choices in materials and color schemes, and the whole thing feels fresher and more exciting than many of the other art offerings out there. In purples, greens, pinks and blues, the students created translucent coverings for the windows, standalone and hanging sculpture, and video.

LAB is turning into one of those essential incubator projects that Miami needs to keep developing its art community, giving young people a chance to interact with working artists and curators, while growing a more knowledgeable and informed base of talent.

In the Project Room, the last in the series titled “Meta-Gallery” will take place, in a so-called micro-gallery developed by local artist Andrew Horton, which also has roots in digital and virtual reality. Physically, it is a set made to resemble a mini gallery, and over its run it hosted numerous fast-paced openings and happenings during the summer – 14 in all, with two “residencies.” Invited artists included Kevin Arrow, Rob Goyanes, Domingo Castillo and Felice Grodin, and will end this Saturday with Nick Klein, who will produce “Primitive Languages.” Don’t know what this will turn out to be – you’ll just have to show up and find out! Meta-Gallery has its own side entrance, on the side of the Design District building.

The closings of LAB and “Meta-Gallery” include a talk with artist Andrew Horton and curator Amanda Sanfilippo at 7 p.m., and exhibit of Nick Klein’s “Primitive Languages” at 8 p.m. at Locust Projects, 3852 N. Miami Ave., Miami; www.locustprojects.org.