Welcome to Art Lovers Forum. This episode of Art Lovers Forum is dedicated to the late Rosa de la Cruz who was one of the leading art collectors in the United States. I am talking to Ibett Yanez del Castillo, Director of the Emerson Dorsch Gallery in Miami, who worked side-by-side with Rosa and Carlos for 19 years. This is probably one of the most intimate and detailed interviews you will ever hear about Rosa. Ibett thinks about Rosa every day and credits her with the successful and f...
Welcome to Art Lovers Forum. This episode of Art Lovers Forum is dedicated to the late Rosa de la Cruz who was one of the leading art collectors in the United States. I am talking to Ibett Yanez del Castillo, Director of the Emerson Dorsch Gallery in Miami, who worked side-by-side with Rosa and Carlos for 19 years. This is probably one of the most intimate and detailed interviews you will ever hear about Rosa. Ibett thinks about Rosa every day and credits her with the successful and fulfilling life she has had in art.
Ibett tells us all about Rosa and how she and Carlos assembled one of the finest collections of contemporary art, particularly postwar German paintings. She will also give us the background on how and why Rosa and Carlos opened one of Miami’s first private art museums. She also reveals how Rosa selected the art in her collection, and she didn’t buy a piece just because she loved it.
Rosa and Carlos repeatedly earned a spot on the ARTnews Top 200 Collectors list. Rosa died at the age of 81 in her home on Key Biscayne, Florida on February 25, 2024, following a long battle with an undisclosed autoimmune disorder. Rosa had five children, 17 grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
Ibett has been with Emerson Dorsch Gallery since 2019 and is the Founder of Ground Control Miami, where she provides tailored collection management and art consultation services for institutions and collectors. With over 20 years of experience, she has worked with galleries, collectors, non-profits, and private and public educational institutions within the greater Miami community. She earned a BFA from the University of Florida (New World School of the Arts). She began her career at the Moore Space, serving as assistant director from 2004-2007. In 2008, she became the founding director of the de la Cruz Collection, where she oversaw the construction phase of the collectors' 30,000 square-foot museum in Miami's Design District. She established all aspects of the collection’s mission, from its educational programming to its annual exhibitions, achieving worldwide recognition.
In 2009, with the vision and philanthropic dedication of Rosa and Carlos de la Cruz, along with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and numerous educators and community members, Ibett, together with gallerist and NWSA faculty member Fredric Snitzer, initiated the New World School of the Arts Travel Abroad Program. Since its inception, this program has provided hundreds of students with unique artistic and cultural experiences, enhancing their understanding of world history and the arts through direct exposure. The program continues to benefit Miami artists today.
Ibett has cultivated extensive relationships within the contemporary art network, establishing multiple educational programs, visiting artist seminars, performances, and exhibitions. She has developed connections with the world's leading auction houses, galleries, foundations, and academic institutions, including The Fabric Workshop and Museum (Philadelphia), White Columns (New York), The Sculpture Center (New York), School of Visual Arts (New York), Parsons The New School (New York), The Pritzker Family Foundation, The Hyatt Foundation, The Key Biscayne Foundation, and The Miami Foundation. In 2014, she attended the Fabric Workshop and Museum in Philadelphia and the Acadia Summer Arts Program (ASAP) on Maine’s Mount Desert Island, founded by Marion ‘Kippy’ Boulton Stroud, also known as Kamp Kippy, which hosted hundreds of artists and their guests and families over its nearly three-decade run.
In 2017, Ibett was nominated and accepted into the International Association of Curators of Contemporary Art (IKT) and has been an active board member at the Fountainhead Residency since 2019.
As Director of Emerson Dorsch Gallery, Ibett has worked with gallery partners Brook Dorsch and Tyler Emerson-Dorsch to strengthen the gallery's presence in Miami and the global art scene. Founded by Brook Dorsch in 1991, Emerson Dorsch Gallery has shaped the trajectory of Miami’s contemporary art scene by championing artists at all stages of their careers, both local and international.
In 2022, gallery partners Brook Dorsch and Tyler Emerson-Dorsch, along with Ibett, expanded their vision to include an artist residency on a 68-acre property in rural western North Carolina. The Metcalf Creek Holler (MCH) serves as an artists' residency and retreat, offering artists the opportunity to immerse themselves in the natural beauty and culture of the Western North Carolina mountains. MCH also supports community programming that features resident artists and their work.
