Bakehouse artist Chris Dougnac has been involved in the arts and culture since an early age. Dougnac was born to two Cuban immigrants, both architects, and into a family of creatives.

After graduating from Florida International University with a BFA in Art and a Minor in Art History, they worked as an archivist and graphic designer for the de la Cruz Collection. They work in installation, painting, performance, and sculpture and have been in residence at Bakehouse since 2019.

For the past four years, Wolfson, his wife Ellen, and their children have made significant contributions to the Artist Studio Subsidy Fund through the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation. Their donations allow us to provide long-term studio space and artmaking infrastructure to artists of exceptional talent with demonstrated financial need.

We are excited to announce the appointment of Maurice Habif to the Board of Directors. He currently works as a Managing Director in the Miami office of JLL Capital Markets, Americas. He joined JLL as part of the HFF acquisition and has more than 13 years of experience in real estate and finance.

See our roundup of notable artist news for July 2022 from Bakehouse artists Andrea Spiridonakos, Maria Theresa Barbist, Bookleggers Library, Jose Luis Garcia, Moira Holohan, and Zelmira Rizo-Patron.

Born in Palestine, Texas, Bakehouse artist Troy Simmons first became interested in art through his grandfather, who was a skilled craftsman that built his own home. Although he studied environmental science and architectural technology, he would later pursue his true passion by becoming a self-taught artist. He moved to Miami to fully immerse himself in the art world and has been in residence at Bakehouse Art Complex since 2011.

We would like to thank the Miami Foundation for awarding us $30,000 in Mission Building Support through the Community Grants program in the Inspiring Arts and Culture category!

Click here to read notable artist news for June 2022 from Bakehouse artists Maritza Caneca, Amalia Caputo, Beatriz Chachamovits, Gabriela Gamboa, Jose Luis Garcia, Geovanna Gonzalez, and Carmen Smith.

Born in Guyana, Christine King moved to Miami at the age 5. Prior to becoming an attorney, she worked for Miami-Dade County for fifteen years. She most recently served as President and CEO of the Martin Luther King Economic Development Corporation and worked as a practicing attorney. In her role as Chairwoman and District Commissioner, she sponsored legislation to provide a $2 million grant to our organization as part of her American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 allotment for essential renovations and repairs of our former industrial bakery building. We recently spoke with Chairwoman King about why she and the City Commission support the mission of Bakehouse Art Complex.

Born in Lima, Peru, Bakehouse artist Gonzalo Hernandez first became interested in art after a teacher introduced him to the artist Marcel Duchamp at the age of 15. Since then, he says he has not stopped thinking about modern and contemporary art. He first studied at the Escuela de Artes Visuales Corriente Alterna and recently graduated from the Savannah College of Arts and Design with an MFA and MA in Fibers and Painting. After moving to Miami in 2020, he joined the Bakehouse Art Complex community shortly thereafter.

On May 1-3, 2022, our organization embarked on its first study trip of the year to New York City and New Haven. Generously sponsored by the Artha Foundation, the study trip allowed an intimate group of Bakehouse artists, staff members, and benefactors to learn from arts leaders and organizations in both cities while forging meaningful bonds with each other.

Jose Pita was born in a small town called La Palma, located between the mountains of Sierra de Los Organos, Cuba. Gifted with artistic talent at a young age, he came to prominence after several notable gallery shows in Cuba. He moved to the United States in 2006 to pursue the American Dream and to grow as a professional artist. He has been in residence at Bakehouse Art Complex since 2016.

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Joseph “Joe” Gedeon, our former building mason and campus guardian. He died peacefully on Monday, May 2, 2022 at the age of 93 surrounded by his family.

Read notable artist news for May 2022 from Bakehouse artists Maritza Caneca, Luján Candria, Morel Doucet, Jenna Efrein, and Christina Pettersson.

Founded in 2017, LnS GALLERY is a progressive arts space committed to presenting and promoting the international reach and impact of contemporary art. The gallery seeks to create a platform that champions the multiculturalism and plurality of Miami-based artists As part of its commitment to local artistic production, it generously sponsors the studio space of Bakehouse artist William Osorio, who has been participating in the Studio Residency program since 2020.

Read notable artist news for April 2022 from Bakehouse artists Jason Aponte, Christina Pettersson, Joel Gaitan, Najja Moon, Sandra Ramos, and Nicole Salcedo.

As a child, Bakehouse artist Jason Aponte was raised in Homestead, Florida on an air force base. While he was raised in a family that served in the military for generations, he followed a different path and pursued his early interests in the visual arts. In 2002, he received a BFA in Illustration from Ringling School of Art and Design, graduating with high honors. He moved to Boston, where he was an artist-in-residence at The Vernon Street Studios. In 2009, he returned to Miami and has been in residence at Bakehouse Art Complex since 2012.

Elle Bourgeois is passionate about building community through the arts. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Elle trained as a classic ballet dancer and moved on to study Art History & Communications, which eventually led to her current position as VP of Marketing & Communications at Design Miami/, the global forum for collectible design. Elle looks forward to connecting with the Bakehouse community and supporting the organization's incredible mission as co-chair of the newly launched Bakers’ Dozen program.

Bakehouse artist Monique Lazard discovered her calling to be at the young age of ten, when she received a set of watercolors as a present from her uncle, Ray Bertrand, a Works Progress Administration (WPA) muralist and art teacher at the San Francisco Art Institute. After an illustrious career working first as a fashion illustrator and later as an art director, she has become a prolific painter who seeks to capture the true essence of her subjects and has been in residence at Bakehouse Art Complex since 2014.