Art at The Eight
In 2015 when Matthew “Formatt” DeFreitas purchased Bay Eight, (formerly known as Midnight Blue Studios) he decided to recondition and feature many specialized custom construction techniques that now make us one of the most unique studios in Miami. With South Beach and the Wynwood Art District just a short ride away, it’s no question why we had to pay tribute to the many eccentric local artists Miami has to offer, and not just musically. With a variety of hand painted murals placed throughout our studio for your viewing pleasure, here’s a little bit about the artists behind them.
Lola Blu – Local Miami Artist & Drummer
You may recognize Lola Blu as the artist who hand painted 150 limited production beer bottles for Wynwood Brewing. She has gained fame from hand painting Questlove’s drum kit featured on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and has also decorated drum sets for Usher’s URX tour and Bruno Mars’ 24K tour as well as Anderson Paak’s drum kit for the Grammys. Her designs are often black-and-white geometric and organic shapes, that she encourages others to fill in with colors. Lola Blu has single handedly painted multiple custom accent walls all throughout Bay 8 which give a distinctive pop to our design and aesthetic.
XIAOFANX – Chinese born, Miami Based Contemporary Artist
Born Weiyi Fan but better known as XIAOFANX, is the founder of the art based fashion brand dedicated to customized & limited edition clothing named Anitya Fantome which translates to ‘Impermanence” and “Fan to Me”. You may recognize his signature drawing of a skeleton which we have displayed in a couple of custom murals around our studio. While people tend to look outside of themselves, he views the skeleton, which is an internal component, as a representation of the impermanence of living beings.
As you walk through our front door, Ariel Cruz has painted a pop art style illustration of a woman stating “You Are Still In The F#!@ Studio!” that most certainly turns heads and has instantly become a picture worthy, Instagrammable hit. Born in Rhode Island and of Puerto Rican/Dominican descendance, Ariel Cruz’s art is heavily influenced by graffiti art. It’s no wonder we had to get some of his distinctive art in our workspace.
Here at Bay Eight, we hold a major commitment to your experience. To us this means that as soon as you step into our facility, we are touching your senses from smell, to sight and most importantly, sound. We believe the atmosphere you create in has a direct correlation and impact to your mood and the creativity that comes with it. Come and see all the amenities we have to offer and inspire your creative mind today.
By Kayla Solano
