Sculpture Park Proposed to the City of Miami Beach, Florida

(PRWEB) May 3, 2008 -- The Board of Directors of Altos del Mar Sculpture Park, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) public charity, ("ADMSP") has filed a proposal in reply to a "Request for Proposals"" ("RFP") yesterday (April 30, 2008) with the City of Miami Beach, Florida regarding the future improvement of the Altos del Mar Park site. ADMSP plans to install a public sculpture park on approximately three acres of park land located East of Collins Avenue between 76th and 77th streets which will exhibit celebrated works of internationally renowned sculptors from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, as well as local sculptors.

The park will also host educational community programs such as art classes and workshops, chamber music events, book author readings, outdoor cinema, yoga, meditation and tai chi classes in a relaxing park atmosphere.

The filing of the proposal is a major milestone in the ADMSP project, which is more than six years in progress. In early 2002, the idea of developing a sculpture park in Miami-Dade was born by long-term friends and business partners, art collector Peter Saile of Miami Beach and art historian Gerrit Schulz-Bennewitz, Hamburg. Mr. Saile and Mr. Schulz-Bennewitz are Co-Chairmen of ADMSP.

In 2005, the initial presentations of the project at City Committees 'Art in Public Places' and 'Historic Preservation Board' received unanimous approvals to support the concept of "Altos del Mar Sculpture Park". Following this positive response, Schulz-Bennewitz, who has been involved in the development of sculpture parks in Hamburg, New York City and Rotterdam, created the basic design concept of ADMSP and drafted a plan for the future exhibition flow. This plan became the basis for today's design by the reknowned landscape architectural firm, ArquitectonicaGEO, in Miami. The site plan was presented in the proposal documentation.

ArquitectonicaGEO and ADMSP seek to create a unique park that meets the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future by utilizing subtle interventions and ecologically harmonious materials, trees and plants thereby conserving the land while using it as a park with sculptures.

The design naturally divides the park into three natural sculpture "rooms" with paths. Sculptures are exhibited in three distinct outdoor galleries in which the user can navigate through the exhibit along a path that will change as the sculptures change from contemporary to figurative to abstract.

The design also takes into account the neighborhood context.. The park will result in creating a pedestrian link, through the beach walkway to the public park spaces to the north and south along the oceanfront.

Dr. Jur. Marlene Saile, CEO of ADMSP, has worked tirelessly on the documentation and presentation of the proposal. "All of us at Altos del Mar are very happy to have reached this stage of development," said Dr. Jur. Saile. "With the Request for Proposal complete we are much closer to sharing this dream with the community. The expertise of our Board of Directors and staff will help to ensure that the park is opened according to schedule."

The project goal is to open the Altos del Mar Sculpture Park in December of 2010, under the conditions that ADMSP will win the proposal and sign an agreement with the City of Miami Beach on or before September 01, 2008. The experience of the two Co-Chairmen of ADMSP in funding of projects looks back at more than U.S. $750 million of equity capital successfully secured for various projects, including more than U.S. $300 million for art related investments. "We have decided to fund the entire development and operation of the park with private funds from donations and grants," said Mr. Saile.

About Altos del Mar Sculpture Park, Inc., a 501 c(3) Florida Public Charity

Altos del Mar Sculpture Park, Inc., a 501 c(3) Florida Public Charity, was founded in 2005 with the enthusiastic support of local residents of Miami Beach, Florida, and by one of the leading experts of sculpture parks, Gerrit Schultz-Bennewitz.

www.altosdelmarsculpturepark.com

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