Miami, FL – July 30, 2017 – Avant Gallery held its inaugural Midsummer Daydream vernissage and brunch at the newly integrated gallery and restaurant concept Avant Gallery and LaMuse Café – located inside the EPIC Hotel – accompanied by Miami’s elite, art collectors and admirers to toast the new Miami flagship and exhibit at the space. The private viewing was helmed by owner Dmitry Prut who was joined by three of the gallery’s top artists – Brooklyn-based street artist BNS, Miami-based photographer and graphic artist Santlov, and 17-year-old LA-based street artist Skyler Grey.

World Red Eye chatted with both Avant Gallery owner Dmitry Prut and street artist Skyler Grey, who each gave us a closer look into what was showcased at the at the Midsummer Daydream and what goes into creating and showcasing art.

WRE: Tell us about what led you to open Avant Gallery?

DP: My passion for art and an entrepreneurial spirit, combined with my stubbornness to do things a bit differently and have no regrets about it let me to open Avant Gallery.

WRE: Can you expand more on what The 2017 Midsummer Daydream art vernissage is?

DP: The 2017 Midsummer Daydream art vernissage is a sneak peek celebration of the new Miami gallery flagship at the EPIC hotel, which now has a restaurant component – LaMuse Café. Some of our top artists including Skyler Grey, BNS, and Santlov are in town helming the brunch tasting, and toasting the new works on exhibit at the co-located Avant.

WRE: What do you look for in artists when choosing what to display at Avant Gallery?

DP: For a group show typically it’s work fresh from the artist’s studio that allows for a cohesive composition. It all has to vibe together.

WRE: What makes Avant Gallery stand out from any other art gallery here in Miami?

DP: Avant is now entering its 10th year and I’m fortunate to say that we have become an internationally recognized art brand. This past June we were the sole gallery from Miami to show during Art Basel in Switzerland and one of only four American galleries to exhibit at SCOPE Basel. We’re committed as ever to being an exciting presence in the world of contemporary art, and the Miami community and our growing collector base has shown a lot of love that I’m very much thankful for.

We’re committed as ever to being an exciting presence in the world of contemporary art, and the Miami community and our growing collector base has shown a lot of love that I’m very much thankful for.

Dmitry Prut

WRE: Tell us about the works you are displaying at Avant Gallery’s 2017 Midsummer Daydream art vernissage?

SG: The works that are being displayed range from the smaller series of vibrant Chanel themed pieces to a larger canvases depicting Hermes that have never been shown before. It’s a great body of work that I’m proud of.

WRE: Was making art something you knew you wanted to do at an early age? Or did it just come naturally?

SG: I’ve always wanted to be an artist I just had no idea that you could make a great living at it. It has opened so many doors and my journey inspires others to be great. It’s something that was in me that I mastered by practice and dedication.

WRE: Where do you draw inspiration from when creating new work?

SG: When creating new work I draw inspiration between a fine line of what’s already created (cartoons, Brand logos etc) and what other artist have done with it. Between those two things there’s a fine line for a fresh approach and new visual execution.

WRE: What medium is your favorite to work with?

SG: I work with mixed media, spray paint, house paint and acrylic paint. Like to blend it all together and create some visual stimulation.

When creating new work I draw inspiration between a fine line of what’s already created (cartoons, Brand logos etc) and what other artist have done with it. Between those two things there’s a fine line for a fresh approach and new visual execution.

Skyler Grey

WRE: What message are you trying to communicate with your art?

SG: I leave it to the viewer to interpret my message in the art I create. Ultimately it’s their thoughts that subjectively form the message that’s real to them.

WRE: When are you at your most creative?

SG: I’m most creative late at night in my studio, with some old school 90’s music playing or some James Brown blasting out of my speakers. That’s the time most of my paintings are made.

WRE: What was the best piece of advice you ever received career wise?

SG: The best piece of advice I received was from fellow art Desire Obtain Cherish, he told me when I was 10 to not get attached to the art. As artists we make pieces for the world and when we create it, it’s time to release it.