ARLO’s LIVING ROOM GALLERY IN WYNWOOD HOSTS PANEL DISCUSSION WITH ARIANNA CASTRO

To celebrate Women’s History Month, Arlo’s Living Room Gallery recently hosted an opening reception for Lisa Ashinoff’s A Place to Call Home exhibition, with a lively panel discussion of fine art, architecture, and design. The conversation was moderated by Beth Dunlop, featuring Lisa Ashinoff, Arianna Castro & Mariella Tzakis. Catch Ashinoff’s paintings on view through May 30th in Arlo's Gallery.

ABOUT ARLO’s LIVING ROOM GALLERY RECEPTION

The Arlo’s Living Room Gallery series was created and curated by Jasmine Arakel with the mission to bring contemporary art into publicly accessible spaces at Arlo Hotels.

Located at the ARLO Hotel in Wynwood, Ashinoff’s “A Place to Call Home” was the centerpiece of the reception.

WHAT ARIANNA LOVED

“I was honored to be a panelist for Arlo's Women’s History month event; it was a wonderful celebration of Lisa Ashinoff’s work and an acknowledgement of the important contributions of women artists, architects, and designers. Lisa Ashinoff, the featured artist, is a contemporary artist who is known for very vibrant paintings that blend elements of abstraction and realism. I love that her art is bold and richly colored,” said Arianna Castro.

“It was a pleasure to meet Jasmine Arakel, the Arlo Hotel gallery curator. She was absolutely lovely and I admire her keen eye for art and her design expertise. I also enjoyed my conversation with Mari Tzakis, principal and interior designer of Tropica, and her knowledgeable point of view.

Many thanks to renowned critic and author Beth Dunlop for moderating our panel. She provided us with thoughtful questions and commentary and leaned on her own expertise to enhance the conversation.”

THE LINK BETWEEN ART, ARCHITECTURE, and INTERIOR DESIGN

“Art and architecture have been fused since the beginning of time,” Arianna said. “Architects leave a blank canvas for artists to tell a story. Growing up in Caracas, Venezuela exposed me to beautiful architecture that was entwined with art. My favorite example is the Teatro Teresa Carreno. It’s an incredible example of brutalist architecture featuring one of the most renowned artists specializing in kinetic art, Jesus Sotos.”

Meet the Artist:

Lisa Ashinoff

Lisa Ashinoff is a contemporary American artist whose iconic paintings have been featured in galleries and major exhibits throughout the U.S. and Europe.  Environment in her formative years impacted her view of the interrelationship of architecture, art, and the human condition.  She was especially struck by the minimalist aesthetic and mid-century modern design and cityscapes.  

Ashinoff continues to find the relationships between shape, color, line, and perspective fascinating, inspiring her to produce paintings that are almost meditative, with a sense of nostalgia and optimism. Her art will be on display in Arlo’s Living Room Gallery through May 30, 2025.

Meet the Moderator:

Beth Dunlop

Beth Dunlop is an Alicia Patterson Fellow who pioneered architectural criticism in South Florida. She held a post as The Miami Herald's Architecture critic for almost 3 decades, during which time she won more than 30 awards for her writing and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. She is the author of numerous books, including Building a Dream: The Art of Disney Architecture, Miami Trends and Traditions, A House for My Mother, and Florida’s Vanishing Architecture, which was made into an Emmy award-winning documentary for public television. Beth has contributed to newspapers and magazines around the globe; and edited the architecture design magazines HOME Miami and HOME Fort Lauderdale. She has lectured at museums and universities and curated several museum exhibitions, most recently one devoted to Miami architecture since the Millennium. She holds a B.A. from Vassar College.

Meet the Panelists:

Arianna Castro 

Interior designer Arianna Castro was born in Venezuela and earned her BFA in Interior Design from Miami International University of Art & Design. She currently leads BC2 Interiors as principal and lead interior designer. With extensive experience as both a designer and project manager, Arianna specializes in modern aesthetics, transforming her clients' homes into sophisticated, restful spaces. Arianna lives in Miami with her husband and daughter and is currently expecting her second child.

Mariella Tzakis

Mariella Tzakis is an architect and interior designer based in Miami, FL. After graduating from Columbia University with a master’s in architecture, she co-founded TROPICA with her partner, Josh Ehrlich. TROPICA designs all elements of the site, taking a holistic approach that integrates architecture, interiors, and landscapes.

Arianna would like to thank everyone at ARLO Wynwood for inviting her. Special thanks to Yoyo Simon for her help and hospitality.