15 students from the Florida International University Italian Club will have an opportunity to preview the WinePhoto International Photography Exhibit before it opens to the general public at the Miami Downtown Development Authority’s inaugural DWNTWN ArtDays festival on September 7 and 8, 2012.
Seen for the first time in the United States, WinePhoto is an international photography contest sponsored by Balan, Italy – one of Italy’s leading wholesalers of European wine. Since its first edition in 2004, Balan’s WinePhoto has issued 43 awards and 11 special mentions to professional and non-professional photographers representing 65 countries. The WinePhoto 2011 edition will be presented at Wine by the Bay in Downtown Miami during DWNTWN Art Days on September 7th and 8th; and the 2012 edition at the Miami Design District’s 2nd Saturday, Art + Design Night on Saturday, September 8, 2012. Both exhibits are free.
“The FIU Italian Club’s participation in WinePhoto is an invaluable opportunity to members given the event’s origins in Italy, the appreciation for Italian wine and historical winemaking processes, and the incorporation of international photography,” comments Giovanni Bruna, FIU Italian Club’s Public Relations Coordinator. Bruna and club members come from a wide-range of academic backgrounds including: Politics and International Relations, Psychology, Business, Sociology, Architecture, Health Sciences, etc. (all are current FIU students.)
This private wine tasting and exhibit preview will also welcome sommeliers, wine/restaurant professionals, and photojournalists. Participants will meet Fabio Balan, co-owner of Balan Wines and Diego Orlando, WinePhoto Creative Director and learn about and taste Balan wine and Prosecco. Wine and photography professionals may still attend provided that an RSVP is sent prior to Wednesday, September 5, 2012 to info@winebtb.com or at http://www.localwineevents.
The Italian Club participates in various Italian cultural events throughout the year including Miami’s Italian and Sicilian Film Festivals; HITWEEK: Unexpected Sounds from Italy Concert Series; and Offering of the Angels “Uffizi Gallery” Exhibit at the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale.
“Wine by the Bay is an appropriate forum for this particular cultural event to take place in, and would provide the members of the FIU Italian Club with a stimulating and meaningful meet-and-greet interaction with Stefano Campanini [owner Wine by the Bay and Etra Fine Art], Diego Orlando, and Fabio Balan,” concludes Bruna. “As a student organization, we highly look forward to this collaboration and are pleased to continue increasing Miami’s exposure to Italy’s multifaceted cultural offerings.”