Blue Strawberry by the Sea, and a Brief Talk about Old Florida

As a New York commercial and editorial photographer who also maintains a fine arts practice, I make a point to keep current on the art world. I am photographing an on-going portrait and documentary project with artists in their studio spaces. This project is entitled The Artists, and exists as a growing collection on this site. I also make a point to go to exhibitions, openings, and art fairs.

My girlfriend (Tracie Van Auken, another Philadelphia Photographer)’s family lives in South Florida. We typically join them at the various art fairs that transform Miami during the first week of December. This is Miami Art Week, and features fairs such as Art Basel Miami Beach and Art Miami.

This year we stayed in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, a seaside town north of Fort Lauderdale. The hotel we chose was Blue Strawberry by the Sea. The year before we had taken a drive down A1A, the coastal highway that begins in Jacksonville and ends in Miami Beach, and made note of all the old hotels that still line the road. They all harken back to an older Florida. This was Florida before development has made it the developed population center it is today. When we returned this year, we made a point to stay in one of these hotels.

-Matt

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