In light of Miami’s reputation as a burgeoning cultural hotbed, The James Royal Palm, opening in South Beach in October 2012, has brought together four marquee partners to create a first-ever, curated Cultural Collection. Each of these local partners – New World Symphony, YoungArts, Miami’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) and Public School – was hand-picked by The James Royal Palm because of their individual commitments to the local community and to promoting emerging art.
Drawing upon inspiration from the oceanfront beach retreat, guests and locals alike will have access to renowned institutions in fine arts, fashion, music, dance, and more, to create exclusive pieces, performances and experiences that will then be unveiled during the hotel’s opening period culminating in a community celebration in January 2013.

The James Royal Palm Cultural Collection partners:Art: Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)
As a leading museum in South Florida, Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) North Miami will join forces with The James Royal Palm for a unique, permanent installation by local artist Jorge Pantoja. His piece, set to be unveiled in the hotel’s West Tower Lobby in October, will be inspired by the hotel’s permanent art collection and the curatorial statement for the whole hotel by hotel art curator, Lauren Rottet, “An Ocean Apart.” Selected as “one of the most interesting artists in Miami and creating a unique perspective on life,” says Bonnie Clearwater, Pantoja will also present selections of his work at The James Royal Palm later this year.
The James Royal Palm’s collaboration with MOCA will also feature exclusive access to special events hosted by the MOCA Shakers, a dynamic network of young professionals who develop relationships with collectors and art enthusiasts from around the world.

This is the first time that MOCA has partnered with a hotel in Miami in this capacity and format. “We are delighted to work with The James Royal Palm and applaud their initiative to bring Miami’s thriving cultural community to their guests. It provides MOCA a unique opportunity to extend its contemporary art program to the beach,” says Bonnie Clearwater, Director and Chief Curator of Miami of Contemporary Arts in North Miami.

Performance: YoungArts
An artistic resource for creative talent, the National Young Arts Foundation was established in 1981 by Lin and Ted Arison and contributes to this country’s cultural vitality by investing in the artistic development of talented young artists. The James Royal Palm and YoungArts will collaborate on specialty projects and events throughout the year, beginning with an outdoor canvas installation titled “Untitled” in October 2012. Created by Lucia Sanchez and her father Oliver, the piece was installed in front of the hotel’s iconic fountain and driveway as a preview of the overall experience at The James Royal Palm. Lucia is among the YoungArts alumni who have gone on to become leading professionals alongside actresses Vanessa Williams, Viola Davis, and Kerry Washington; four-time Tony Award nominee Raúl Esparza, recording artists Nicki Minaj and Chris Young and many more.
“We are proud that YoungArts alumni are contributing to the artistic landscape of this historic Miami community, and look forward to our continued relationship with The James Royal Palm,” said Paul T. Lehr, Executive Director of the National YoungArts Foundation.

Fashion: Public School
Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne spent several years designing for Sean John and are now creating big waves on the international fashion scene with their own niche line, Public School. Having made their runway debut at 2012 New York Fashion Week, these graduates of the first ever Council of Fashion Designers of America Incubator Program (CFDA) are known for taking city-inspired fashion and incorporating edgy, yet refined sensibilities creating clothing that unites fashion with art and culture. The James Royal Palm tapped Public School along with their Miami-based collaborator Max Pierre to create all of the uniforms for the staff at the hotel, from front desk and concierge to the wait staff in Florida Cookery and The James Club. Combining elements of their signature style with the various facets of The James brand ethos, both Public School and Max Pierre will unveil their designs created for The James Royal Palm’s uniforms this fall and host a series of trunk shows throughout 2013.
“Our goal with this project was to ensure we kept the cultural references to the historic past of The James Royal Palm intact while injecting a slight modernity into the looks as a nod to the evolution and sophistication of Miami Beach,” said Chow. “Our choices for fabric, color and silhouette were all heavily influenced by the touch points of the experience of visiting Miami: bright, cool and fun.”
“We were influenced by Miami’s history but we wanted to twist things up a bit to reflect the kinetic energy
of Miami,” said Osborne. “We’ve spent a bit of time living there, and most New Yorkers already consider Miami their second home, so it was only fitting that we were able to mesh together influences from both big cities.”
Music: New World Symphony (NWS)
With a worldwide reputation for creating unparalleled classical music experiences as America’s only full-time orchestral academy, New World Symphony (NWS) will integrate its unique program elements into the guest experience at The James Royal Palm. For this partnership, NWS has carefully curated a selection of works ranging from classical to contemporary and, later this year, will stage specially composed performance at The James Royal Palm, as well as create original works and performances intended to appeal to both hotel guests and locals.
“The James understands the importance of arts and culture and we are so proud to be a cultural partner of theirs. We intend to present classical music with its rich and historic traditions, along with an innovative fresh approach to these sounds by fusing classical music with Latin, Funk and electronic beats,” says Stacey Glassman, Senior Director of Development of New World Symphony.

ABOUT THE JAMES ROYAL PALM
The James Royal Palm will debut in October 2012 on South Beach, serving as The James brand’s third location and first hotel in Florida. Joining sister properties in Chicago and New York City, The James Royal Palm is an ideally situated, oceanfront beach retreat with interiors designed by Lauren Rottet of Rottet Studio. The hotel will serve as a modern tribute to the Royal Palm Hotel’s rich history, keeping intact many signature elements of the original architect’s design. In continuation of the brand’s support for the arts, The James Royal Palm will feature a carefully curated art collection, “An Ocean Apart,” curated by Lauren Rottet, as well as a local, cultural collection of artistic partners. The hotel will feature a chef drive signature restaurant Florida Cookery and CATCH, a globally influenced seafood dining destination, in addition to two swimming pools, poolside bar, lobby lounge, coffee bar, full-service spa with salt-infused treatment, Lil’ James Offerings for children, and more than10,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting and event space. For more information, visit http://www.jameshotels.com/Miami.aspx.

ABOUT THE JAMES
In the realm of hospitality, The James hotels, with ideally situated locations in Chicago, New York and The James Royal Palm in Miami (opening late 2012), are authentic, warmly modern, residentially-styled luxury hotels that deliver an artistically inspired blend of exquisitely hand-crafted design surrounded by environmentally thoughtful details. The James defines luxury liberated from tradition; this core philosophy is evident in the properties’ residential yet social environment and personal, intuitive service. www.jameshotels.com.

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