Ever since acquiring their first work in 1964, Don and Mera Rubell have made a name for themselves as some of the most respected contemporary art collectors in the U.S. He was 45. Young artists are eager for the Rubells imprimatur, which can put pressure on their gallerists to agree to the Rubells requests to buy in bulk or at steeply discounted rates. 2023 Art Media, LLC. Designed by Miami architect Alan Schulman, the fortress-style building was given a cool contemporary look with plenty of windows and a user-friendly interior layout. Since collecting is a family affair for the Rubells, their legacy will continue in the hands of their son, Jason. Michelle and Jason Rubell in the entry hall with an artwork by Lucy Dodd and a sculpture by Mark Handforth. The young couple married two years later and began collecting art on a monthly budget of $25, gleaned from the modest salary Mera earned teaching at New York's first Head Start program. [8], In 1985, Rubell, who was closeted for most of his life,[9] discovered he had contracted HIV, which later progressed to AIDS. [4], Writing in the Miami New Times in 2005 about the original museum, Alfredo Triff said "There are other world-class art collections in this city, but none is housed or displayed with such consistency, attention to detail, and outreach programming as the Rubell Family Collection. Still, given that women are so often underrepresented in Museum and gallery exhibitions, and given that the Rubells are the patrons to so many young artists and women artists, it is worth seeing the show. "We've been together for half a century, which is a miracle," collector Mera Rubell said this morning in So Paulo, sitting with her . Steve Rubell and Peter Gatien later opened the Palladium, a large dance club famous for displaying art by Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Andy Warhol, and considered central to the New York club scene in the 1980s. Born in 1943 in Tashkent, then part of the Soviet Union, to Polish Jews fleeing the Nazis, Mera lived in a refugee camp in Germany, and in Israel, before arriving in Brooklyn at age 12, speaking no English. Contemporary art is a glamorous commodity, the places to find it are proliferating around the globe, and the Rubells have become major players, with their own museum. [13] The second location, which is free to residents of Washington, opened in October 2022 and features 32,000 square feet of gallery space and a bookstore. You learn about your friends when you work with them, says the designer. On February 4, 1980, Rubell and Schrager went to prison and Studio 54 was sold in November of that year for $4.75 million. The clan at the Rubell Family Collection in Miami, on chairs by the Chinese artist He Xiangyu, from left: Michelle, Jason, Samuel, Ella, Jennifer, Max Wyss Rubell (on lap), Mera, Stevie Kim-Rubell, Don, and Olivia. The Miami artist Mark Handforth, the Rubell collections first director, recalls his astonishment at seeing trucks deliver provocative art to one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in town, and the impact of spending time with heavy hitters like Paul McCarthy and the reclusive Cady Noland, who came to install their works. VIP guests were invited to view the new exhibitions and toast the opening of Art Miami and Art Basel. We feel we have graduated to a museum, Mera Rubell told, . Two He Xiangyu chairs face each other across We were thought of as this crazy couple who bought this crazy art, Mera recalled. The Rubells are also known to not rely on art advisors for their acquisitions. Don and Mera Rubell have finally set an opening date for the second Rubell Museum, this one in Washington, D.C. On October 29, the institution will open its doors at 65 I Street, in the. You've got an aesthetic feeling to the space. The Rubell Family Collection (RFC) in Miami, housed in a former DEA warehouse, is remarkable in many respects. The idea for the solo shows was inspired by the Rubells experiment with Oscar Murillo, whose paintings they first encountered at the 2012 Independent Art Fair in New York, in the booth of the London gallerist Stuart Shave. Of course, it hasn't always been that way. A gold bracelet wouldnt do it, and going backward is not our thing. Looking to the future, they have commissioned six rising artists to create solo shows. Warhol sketched 13-year-old Jennifer on a napkin the night she accompanied her uncle to Halstons apartment. M: We can only show at one time two to five percent of our collection. Named after longtime art collectors Mera and Don Rubell, the museum on 65 I Street SW comes as the culmination of a $20 million effort to transform a former junior high school into a space for art. In those days, art didnt sell at the speed it does now, Jason noted wryly. Their only stipulation was that Johnson join them for breakfast. Uncategorized . [2] His father worked as a postal worker and later became a tennis pro. They have known one another for quite a while and have been together for more than 10 years. On April 17, 1981, Rubell and Schrager were released from prison after which they lived at a halfway house for two and a half months. The company develops and manages hotels and commercial. His dad was a postal worker. With them, you cant just say, I like this.You have to make clear why. The Rubells started collecting in 1964 on a budget of $25 a week, and their limited resources led them to focus on emerging artists who were at the time unknown. Donald was a Doctor whose brother Steve Rubell was the co-founder and co-owner of Studio 54. Your email address will not be published. Among the amenities in the works. [7] He died there on July 25, 1989. [1][9] The facility was originally purchased by the museum as a new storage location, but the size of the site inspired museum leadership to utilize it for a larger, more public-focused museum facility. Its not our mission to give works to museums, Mera replied when I asked why that is. Dons mother was a Latin teacher, and his father, a postal worker, taught tennis to his sons and to the neighborhood kids. More than three years in the making, the Rubell Museum opens on December 4 for Miami Art Week. Wood-grained concrete walls; Black Basalt tile flooring. And studio visits remain their priority. View this agent's total verified deal history. During Art Basel that December, they gave him his first U.S. solo exhibition, and, in due course, he was snapped up by the mega-gallerist David Zwirner. The 45,711-square-foot building is on 1.5 acres, property records show. Jason Rhoadess Untitled (Chandelier), 2004. This method allowed the Rubells to create relationships with famous artists before they made it big. Unlike museums, she said, they have the agility to respond and take risks in a fast-moving art world. That first year, Jeff Koons arrived a day late by mistake and was invited to join the family for dinner. RGT Wealth Advisors Location 5950 Sherry Ln Ste 600, Dallas, Texas, 75225, United States Description Industry Renting a vacant theater on west 54th Street in Manhattan, New York, they opened Studio 54 in April 1977. Courtesy of Sargents Daughters. In 1993, the collection was moved to Miami, where it resides within a 45,000-square-foot repurposed Drug Enforcement Agency warehouse. Rubell has also been the topic of an episode of Biography titled "Steve Rubell: Lord of the Disco". They wanted a humble, clean entrance and simple geometry. During the last few decades, the Rubells have set the pace for Miamis contemporary art scene where, in 1993, they opened one of the first private contemporary art museums in the US. Everything had to be user-friendly and easy to maintain, explains Harrelson. It was a superfast, amazing adventure in which we collaborated with a team of dear friends. Imagine an HBO comedy set in Lakeview, an upscale neighborhood of Miami Beach. Michelle refers to Kim as family and Todd as her rock-star builder. Their interior designer, Austin Harrelson, whose wife and three children hang out every day with the Rubells and their three kids, lives on the same street a few doors away. The Rubells led the wayin opening their private collection to the public back in 1994. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. In 1993 the Rubells relocated to Miami. For the Rubells, collecting art is a family affair and is embedded in their lifestyle. The Rubell net worth is undisclosed. Polaroid for portraits of Mera and Don Rubell by Thomas Ruff, 1988. In those early days, Don and Mera bought Picasso and van Gogh posters on visits to MoMA, as well as pieces they discovered in storefront artist studios. Dons brother Steve had cofounded Studio 54, the hottest disco on the planet, and artists would often refer to Don as Steve Rubells brother, a doctor who collects new art with his wife.. Ive never seen a house ridden so hard.. For our latest podcast, I sat down with collector Don Rubell to discuss his life of collecting and the lessons he has learned along the way.We also discuss the new, 100,000-square-foot complex in . Collector Peter Brant and Former Supermodel Stephanie Seymour List Florida Mansion for $28 M. A Woman Crashed Her Rolls-Royce into $3M. In 1985, he opened the club the Palladium, which displayed art by Haring, Kenny Scharf, and . Youd think he would call us up and say, Who is Oscar? We know him so well.. Joel Kattan and Anthony Peragine of SVN Commercial Realty brokered the deal. These features give the house, as Jason puts it, a nice sense of volume and allow for, among other things, a sculpture garden in the living room. The Rubells bought the Albion in 1996 and remodeled the South Beach building at a cost of $10 million to incorporate furnishings by architect Carlos Zapata. Understandably, the Rubells feel a familial attachment toward Murillo, whose rapid ascent has already spawned a backlash. After moving to Los Angeles, he wed Mimi in 1994 and partnered to open the hip-hop-centric Century Club in Los Angeles. Courtesy of the Rubell Family Collection. His approach worked and the club made $7 million during its first year. Don once said: There is no such thing as a great young artist There are only artists with potential.. [16][17], The Rubell has staged dozens of exhibitions, many of which have gone on to travel to venues across the country. During the last few decades, the Rubells have set the pace for Miami's contemporary art scene where, in 1993, they opened one of the first private contemporary art museums in the US. [4][12], The Rubell houses over 7,400 works by more than 1,000 artists. Dozens of waterfront homes and lots along North Bay Road have sold in recent months, leaving a limited inventory of properties. Architectural Digest recalled, Mera contributed to bringing Art Basel Miami Beach and Design Miami to South Florida. The Carrera family, who own and run Rex Discount, moved their warehouse to 3690 Northwest 62nd Street in Miami. Crumbs could very well represent the poverty and wealth situation of modern-day economies. After serving a prison sentence for tax evasion, Mr. Rubell switched to the hotel business in New York City with his former Studio 54 partner Ian Schrager and two associates. They bought the lot and invited Murillo to spend the summer in Miami, using the Rubell Collections largest gallery as a studio. In June 1979, Rubell and Schrager were charged with tax evasion, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy for reportedly skimming nearly $2.5 million in unreported income from the club's receipts, in a system Rubell called "cash-in, cash-out and skim." And Andy [Warhol] would defend us. In 1980, Steve and his business partner, Ian Schrager, went to prison for tax evasion; when they got out, they moved the scene into hotels and made Jennifer the concierge at the Royalton. The museum also houses a formidable 27,000-volume library of art books, which is available to artists, historians, and the public for research. It was constructed in 1946, according to real estate data aggregator PropertyShark. Their opening-night party for the Whitney Museums Biennial, which they began hosting in 1977, drew most of the artists and curators in town, in part, because there were no competing events. Their limited funds led them to focus on talent that hadnt yet been discovered, recalls George Condo, whose work they acquired early on. . [6][2] The collection has been noted for its strong holdings of art by African American, Latin American, and Asian artists, and the Rubells have been recognized for investing early in emerging artists, many of whom would go on to become widely known. Contact Agent. Don Rubell, Mira Rubell, Jason Rubell and Michelle Rubell attend The Viewing of "CHARLIEWOOD" at FAENA Miami Beach, Presented by Barrett Barrera. Amid the sobering politics are moments of radiance and poetry," and "Right from the start, the Rubell Museum DC has found its substantial niche in the capital areas museum ecosystem. We really are a repository of what we believe represents the most significant art of our time.. Paintings by Oscar Murillo (at left) and Secundino Hernndez (at right). New Times spoke with Don and Mera Rubell about their collection. Todd introduced the Rubells to Robert Moehring and Francisco Llado Neuffer, principals of Domo Architecture + Design. We actually had time to think about it.. Don and Mera Rubell have been collecting art for more than 50 years. [1] Don's brother Steve Rubell, a co-owner of the nightclub Studio 54, passed away in 1989 leaving the couple a significant inheritance that expanded their ability to purchase and showcase art. Young dealers are afraid to say no to them, a veteran said. They're ranked among the world's top 200 art collectors and are credited with having the "Midas touch." "CBS Saturday Morning" co-host Michelle Miller met up with the couple at the Rubell Museum where they've curated one of the largest contemporary art collections in the world. Your email address will not be published. In 1981, on theirregular rounds of New Yorks East Village galleries and alternative spaces, the collectors Mera and Don Rubell struck up a friendship with a curator theyd met at the Mudd Club, a nexus of downtown cool. Founded in 1964, the collection is still growing and is one of the world's largest and privately owned collections of contemporary art. A 2009 study found that active leisure pursuits and travel is beneficial for mental health and recovery from a stressful job. In New York City, Donald and his brother Steve experienced childhood in a Jewish family. If they are captured by the work, they tend to acquire more works as they follow the artist's career. They own works by Ai Weiwei, Zhang Huan, He Xiangyu--who paints with boiled-down Coca-Cola--and Chen Wei, who photographs surrealistic scenes in his studio. His rise to the status of one of the world's wealthiest people is a direct result of this success. "[6] Sara Liss of Cond Nast Traveler described the museum after its reopening in Allapattah as "intimate but ambitious, with daring works and an impressive caliber of artists on display. It. Wear Rubell is the brother of Studio 54 proprietor Steve Rubell. I will confess that I wish that what was on exhibit when I visited in late December was better curated and I found more of the work engaging but that may just be me or may speak to issue of women artists in a hierarchical male society and in the art-auction-museum-gallery complex. (Jasons gregarious wife, Michelle, 42, is also part of the team; her trial by fire came on her first trip to Art Basel in Switzerland when Mera quizzed her nightly on the artists shed seen that day.) Among the artists included are works by Jenny Holzer, Celia Paul, Katharina Fritsch, Sonia Gomes, Rosemarie Trockel, Katherine Bernhardt, and Laura Owens. a custom white-oak cocktail table. how many tornadoes in michigan per year. (Somewhat controversially, they dont buy to donate to museums either. Rubell's private funeral was attended by numerous Studio 54 regulars including Bianca Jagger and Calvin Klein on July 27 at the Riverside Chapel on Amsterdam Avenue and 76th Street in Manhattan. Moishe Mana has accumulated property there, including paying $5 million for the industrial buildings at 2300 to 2340 Northwest Seventh Avenue and 3100 Northwest Seventh Avenue in October 2021. What is the best environment for the art to reveal itself to the viewer? Ad Choices, At Jason and Michelle Rubells new, gallery-like house in Miami Beach, the familyand their forward-thinking collection of blue-chip He worked at a brokerage firm after his return. Early life [ edit] Rubell and his brother Donald grew up in a Jewish [1] family in New York City. About Past deals Active listings. Chosen Family and Spirituality Led Fantasia Royale Gaga to Pride Royalty, Eyes on Miami: Drake, Larsa Pippen, Esther Anaya, and Others, The Ten Kinkiest Things to Do at Exxxotica (NSFW), The 18 Best Things to Do in Miami This Week, Miami Sharks Unveiled as Newest Major League Rugby Team, Before You Go to the Miami Grand Prix, Here's a Beginner's Guide to Formula 1, Little Haiti Book Festival Returns in Full Swing. 46 past sales; 17 past rentals; NY License Number. Mera Rubell said the works they collect have stories to tell, and there's a voice behind the works, just like in the Marvin Gaye exhibit. Barbara Pollack from the New York Times reported that they first traveled to China in 2001 following the invitation of artist Zhang Huan, and then returned on many occasions. The couple supported Haring until his death from AIDS in 1990 and even hosted the artist and his parents for dinner one night. But the building needed to be upgraded. Davis studied at the renowned Cooper Union in New York before moving to Los Angeles. [2] Rubell and Schrager were both brothers of the university's chapter of the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity.[3]. In 2019, they moved their Rubell Museum from Wynwood to a 100,000-square-foot space at 1100 Northwest 23rd Street. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The Rubell Museum, formerly the Rubell Family Collection, is a private contemporary art museum with locations in the Allapattah neighborhood of Miami, Florida, and the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood of Washington, D.C. don rubell wealth. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. Allapattah is a redeveloping and quickly gentrifying neighborhood, with much of the redevelopment focused on adaptive reuse of warehouses. Mnage trois: Mera and Don, with Charles Rays Male Mannequin, 1990, photographed in the Rubell Family Collection on August 30, 2014, their 50th wedding anniversary. The reputation of the Rubells is so impressive that a residency or solo exhibition with the Rubells is similar to the exposure that one would get when exhibiting in any other important museum. The air . They expect to break ground in 2015. Selldorf is the architect of the Rubell Family Collections new 100,000-square-foot museum, which is due to open in December 2018 in the Allapattah neighborhood of Miami. Kaari Upsons Rubells, 2014. Don Lemon and Tucker Carlson are hiring the same powerhouse lawyer who's helped TV hosts secure multimillion-dollar payouts from their old networks. Photo: Nicole Franzen 63. [2] Their. Player Activity. But in the late 70s they started collecting with greater focus. Its liketheyre one organism speaking out of different mouths, says former Art Basel director Sam Keller. We owe it to these artists that the work looks its best. Rubell then decided to start his own business and opened two Steak Lofts restaurants,[4] one in New York City, and the other in Mystic, Connecticut. The fact of the matter is that it saved our marriage, it brought us together, it saved our family because its constantly teaching us about who we are and somehow giving hope that theres a future., In December 2019, the Rubells opened the newest incarnation of their collection space as the Rubell Museum at 1100 Northwest 23rd Street. [2] His father worked as a postal worker and later became a tennis pro. They now buy upward of several hundred works a year, and every Rubell knows the collection by heart. It wasnt our aesthetic, but we had 15 years of great memories there, says Michelle. The Rubell Family Collection is located in Miami's Wynwood neighborhood, inside a two-story, 40,000-square-foot warehouse that once served as a Drug Enforcement Administration storage facility for cocaine and cash seized from drug dealers. In spite of the renovations, the space can house barely five percent of their collection. At any given time, up to 200 works are on loan to museums around the world, and the rest are kept in storage. And in Washington, D.C., in 2010, they bought an abandoned historic school from the Corcoran Gallery of Art, across the street from the Capital Skyline Hotel, which they also own. Olivia lounges in a work by Aaron Curry in the Family room. Hed stayed up working 36 hours straight so he would have paintings to show us, Mera said. Saatchi is a 71-year-old millionaire and art dealer with an estimated wealth of $192 . For the blogger and public relations executive, see, "Steve Rubell, Studio 54's Creator And a'Pasha of Disco,' Dies at 45", "Studio 54 where the disco spins in a whirl of excess", "About New York; Nights of Glitz, A Velvet Rope And Memories", "Plans at Union Square to Enhance Its Place in History as a Gathering Place", "A History of Studio 54, This Time Told by the Quiet Partner", "Steve Rubell, 45, co-owner of Studio 54 who reigned over", "Rubell Created Homes Away From Home for the Trendsetters", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Steve_Rubell&oldid=1150378103, American businesspeople convicted of crimes, American entertainment industry businesspeople, People convicted of obstruction of justice, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 17 April 2023, at 20:53. They enjoy the standard institutional discount of 20 percent (or more) and, on occasion, they negotiate payment plans for their acquisitions. This is our museum. Mera proposed they take a vote, and it was unanimous. What began with acquisitions made on installment plans has grown to become one of the most. When we understood that and made it a celebration of the art and the family, things went smooth and easy. To make display adaptable, the house boasts high ceilings and expansive walls and has no columns or corridors. When Mera and Don Rubell began collecting in 1964, they diligently assigned a budget of $25 (a quarter of Mera's teaching salary) each week to art. Miami, FL - November 29, 2016 - U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management and Crystal and Company, hosted an exclusive preview of the Rubell Family Collection exhibitions: High Anxiety: New Acquisitions and New Shamans/Novos Xams: Brazilian Artists. The pair hired Roy Cohn to defend them,[6] but on January 18, 1980, they were sentenced to three and a half years in prison and a $20,000 fine each for the tax evasion charge. The exhibitions they organize are generally timed to coincide with the fairs opening week in December, and the Rubells usually organize a Basel breakfast -- a must among the VIP fairgoers. Since the Rubells rarely sell works, they are not the immediate beneficiaries of artists increasing values, but the family is sometimes criticized for the kind of bartering it does. When they asked Haring if they could visit his, he told them he had nothing ready for them to see. In Miami at that time, contemporary art was far from the center of the conversation. For instance, they are avid collectors of Chinese art. It feels compelling. Past artists-in-residence include Sterling Ruby, Amoako Boafo, and Lucy Dodd. The Rubells are tastemakers and their moves have repercussions within the art market. The Rubells, through a spokesperson, said they plan to use the new warehouse to expand cultural resources in the community.. They maintain unity between the two spaces and they refer to their home as their thinking space. However, the couple recently shared with Christies that they only have two artworks on display inside their home. Though they like to think of themselves as New Yorkers in exile, as Mera put it, they are keenly associated with Art Basel Miami Beach, which they helped initiate. Their new financial status didn't change their basic approach to collecting: discovering unknown talent. The Rubell Family Collection, along with its educational programs and library, is run by a not-for-profit foundation, though the majority of the artworks are owned by the Rubells. "[19], Writing for Artnet News about the museum's D.C. expansion, Kriston Capps said "the District hasnt had an institution like the Rubell Museum in years, one thats literally and figuratively oriented toward the city, not the National Mall," praising the museum's focus on art and artists tackling issues relevant to residents of Washington. The project was envisioned by architect Annabelle Selldorf. A conversation with the couple is never straightforward: Ask a question, and while one answers, the other provokes a debate that can go on for some time. The show includes paintings, sculptures and video installations filling the entire 45,000 square foot museum. Steinberg bought the townhouse in 2002 for $5.3 million from art collector Donald Rubell. They collect with the idea that the artists already in the collection are going to be affected by the artists they acquirethat its a shared home. In fact, in the lead-up to 30 Americans, their 2008 intergenerational survey of works by African-American artists, which looked at diverse perspectives on race, identity, and artistic legacy, the Rubells, Johnson recalls, engaged in soul-searching sessions with several artists to ensure they were behind the projects premise. It was a great experience, affirms Jason. They loved talking to artists, often spending hours in their studios. Miami's independent source of
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