LVMH The Studio Celebrates Fifth Year of Supporting Artists in Miami

LVMH The Studio Miami returned bigger than ever for its fifth year this week during Art Basel Miami.

The program involves a five-day pop-up art gallery, open daily to the public, featuring the work of 12 emerging artists: Cruise Bogle, Glenneisha Darkins, Kieche Francis, Cem Hasimi, Canal Cheong Jagerroos, William Kennedy, Clarence Ruth, Dr. Mimi Adu-Serwaah, David Schwartz, Oscar Ukonu, Joey Vaiasuso and Tom Waugh. The artists participated in a panel discussion led by gallerist Hannah Traore on Thursday as part of the programming, which also included other panel discussions, a pro-bono legal clinic providing legal advice to artists from LVMH’s lawyers, and a closing reception. 

“Year one, we were in a little 1,000-square-foot space about a block away from here, but featuring just three artists,” said Corey Smith, vice president, diversity and inclusion of LVMH North America. “All three of those artists at the time all had disabilities, this was connected to International Day for people with disabilities, which for LVMH is a moment that we celebrate globally. And so we started there through this lens of let’s celebrate artists with disabilities. Let’s really show that they have talent just as much as anyone else does.”

The following year they broadened the scope and began featuring artists of color, women artists and LGBTQIA+ artists.

“Every year it’s grown and grown, and now, if I’m being really honest, I don’t even look at it as a diversity event any longer,” Smith said. “This is about the intersection of arts and luxury and culture and lifestyle, all of which LVMH leans into very well organically and authentically through our products, through our creative directors, through our boutique experience if anyone walks into one of our stores. There’s probably no store of any of LVMH’s brands that doesn’t have art on it. And so this is such an organic and natural extension of who we are that to curate a five-day art gallery during Art Basel seems so normal for us.”

New to The Studio this year is the pro-bono legal clinic, where LVMH will provide the artists with resources to protect their property. 

“It’s important to treat these artists as entrepreneurs. They have businesses to run, so we’re going to talk to them about intellectual propaganda, copywriting, trademarking things that they’re creating. They’re drawing, but I don’t know that they’re thinking about ‘how do I protect this asset once I created it?’” Smith said. “And so it was really important to make sure that we brought some of our lawyers, the best in the business, and we’re going to give away some free advice. You get to learn a little bit about how to protect your property, and we do it really well. And so it’s important for us to share that.”