MIAMI, Fla.—Following a year that included the launch of the exhibit Persol Magnificent Obsessions and sponsorship of the TriBeCa Film Festival, Persol closed 2011 by supporting the 10th edition of Art Miami which concluded earlier this month here.

One of five art fairs, including Art Basel, taking place in December, Persol was “The Official Eyewear of Art Miami” and sponsored the Art Video New Media Lounge. Held in a state-of-the-art 125,000-square-foot pavilion in Midtown Miami’s burgeoning Wynwood Arts District, the fair includes modern and contemporary paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography and prints from Europe, Asia, Latin America, India, the Middle East and the U.S.

The company also showcased its celebrated documentary, A Work of Persol during an invite-only VIP event at the SoHo Beach House. The film follows 17 of the world’s brightest contemporary artists as they design their own creation with a unique process of hand craftsmanship. In 2009, Persol asked these up-and-coming international artists to find inspiration in a thorough, month-long process behind the making of a single pair of Persol glasses. The artists, working in mediums such as wire, glass, acetate and steel, were then each appointed to create a unique piece of art: A Work of Persol. Jennifer Golub and Joe Kayser captured the artists’ process on film, creating a 30-minute documentary that was released this year. Two of the prominently featured artists — Chiara Moreschi and Rodger Stevens — were at the Persol booth at Art Miami with their Persol-inspired artworks, titled "Beauty Is Never Useless" and "Interstellar Dust, Arranged to Please,” respectively.



Within the interactive Persol booth at the front of the Art Miami pavilion was a celebration of the brand’s culturally rich past, including Persol’s connections to art and cinema over the decades, from Fellini to James Bond. Additionally, a product wall will highlight the raw materials and patented technology that goes into crafting each pair of Persol glasses. The booth also will include the finished glasses featured in the “A Work of Persol” campaign for fair attendees to view first-hand.