Miami Beach Business Spotlight Bibi Art Media Inc

Name: Brigitte Andrade

Birthplace: Orange, New Jersey

What City Do You Live in Now?   I have lived in Miami Beach for 30 years!

Tell us about yourself

I am a multi-talented professional with a background in publishing, art, writing, and fashion. I graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and started my career as the Managing Director of Beauty Bookings in 1981. I was responsible for managing artists and staff at the first and largest makeup, hair and photography agency in New York City. In the late 80’s, I founded Brigitte Inc., a production company providing services such as print advertising, catalog production, and TV commercials for ad agencies and cable TV, budgeting, scheduling, and film editing.

I moved to Miami Beach in the early 90s and decided to pursue my passion for art. This is where my career as an artist thrived, and I was able to tap into my personal creativity. I created the hit comic book series, “The Adventures of Bibi & Friends” in 1999. In 2002, when Art Basel Miami Beach launched in Miami Beach, I had three (3) years of comic books in my portfolio, and my artwork had been featured in the Greater Miami and Miami Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) booth for two (2) years. The eclectic nature of the art exhibited during Art Basel inspired me to pursue art sales, and led me to start a new company, Bibi Art Media Inc., which combines publishing, art, and artistic private chef events.

I am looking forward to some exciting new projects and have decided, after seeing weird art selling for millions, “I could do this too....I can sell art too!” I am sure many artists have the same thought.

Tell us about an important recognition you received from The City of Miami Beach?

I received the 1st Black History Month Community Member Award from the City of Miami Beach and the Black Affairs Advisory Committee on February 18, 2022, in recognition of “Exceptional Commitment & Dedication to Art & Culture in the City of Miami Beach and the World”. This award is significant to me and I was grateful for the positive response I received from the  Miami Beach community, it brought me overwhelming joy!

I am one of the founding members of the Miami Beach Black Affairs Advisory Committee, which has been working to create transparency and equity in programming, procurement, and policy. This inspired me to create a page in the new Bibi Book shining a light on programming and historic Black diaspora in Miami Beach. My community contributions to Miami Beach also include serving on the Miami Beach Sister Cities committee, and serving on the Miami Beach Arts Trust. I have received an award from Legacy Magazine as one of  “Miami’s Most Powerful and Influential Black Business Leaders of 2022.” It appeared in the Power Issue, which was published on April 17, 2022, as an insert in the Miami Herald.

I spent years dedicating my career to the arts and producing the Centennial Comic Book for Miami Beach in 2015. I created the website Art December Miami in 2008 for local artists to share art events and provide the community with free social media and marketing for the past 14 years. My friends and I often have a good laugh about being the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) of Miami Beach because, to date, I have four (4) Miami Beach proclamations, a key to the City, a Championship Medal, just to name a few. I am humbled and honored.

Congratulations on winning the 7^th Annual Art of Black Cover Competition presented by the Greater Miami and Miami Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) and M.I.A magazine! Tell us about it!

Winning this competition was a complete surprise. I entered the competition at the last moment after getting an email and only had a few days to submit a piece. I created “Serenity” for the competition in two (2) days and submitted it with no expectations. I was so surprised when the phone rang that I won!  The cover was featured as an insert in the Miami Herald and Sun Sentinel during Art Basel Miami Beach and Art Week 2021, which was fantastic coverage for an artist and came with a nice prize. The check presentation took place at the Historic Lyric Theater in Overtown on February 9, 2022.

What was your inspiration for Serenity?

My initial thought was that it is a cover competition, and what would look good on the cover of an insert magazine. I have published 17 covers of my  comic book series “The Adventures of Bibi & Friends”, so I started there. During the pandemic in 2020-21, I created a lot of digital art and sought to create something striking and colorful. A piece I created during the pandemic became the foundation of “Serenity”. I remember this day because I was in a super creative flow of energy, and everything was working in my favor. I have already sold my first “Serenity” art piece on aluminum!

Are there other interesting projects you are working on?

My new edition of "The Adventures of Bibi & Friends" is launching in early March 2023, to celebrate 24 years of the comic book series.  I am excited for this edition as it includes wonderful new events and cultural engagements in Miami Beach. I am also featured in the Miami Beach and GMCVB   "Take Care of Our City" ad campaign for the 2nd year as a local influencer. My art and merchandise can be found at the Bibi Museum Store, with custom sneakers and bags – which are a hit! I had the idea to put the comic characters on customized sneakers so my friends could promote themselves, and I have illustrated hundreds of real people from Miami Beach. There are other exciting projects in the pipeline, but I cannot reveal them yet – stay tuned!

You recently also had a museum exhibition in Miami?

I was honored to exhibit my work at the HistoryMiami Museum for four (4) months, celebrating 22 years of "The Adventures of Bibi & Friends" comic books. The exhibit was part of Art Week Miami. It was a snapshot of Miami Beach and showcased a collection of various pages from “The Adventures of Bibi & Friends” comic books.  Many of the places, featured in the comic books, are now part of an incredible history in Miami Beach, is it my way of paying homage to friends and places that are meaningful to me. The exhibit featured the “Miami Marine Stadium Bibi Chair,” which I created in collaboration with the "If Seats Could Talk" project, in support of the restoration of the Miami Marine Stadium. In 2017, the original seats were given to various artists, allowing them to create new works of art, sponsored by the City of Miami. I was thrilled that this was my 2^nd showing at the HistoryMiami Museum. My first featured the Legendary Soul man, Sam Moore, with some artwork pieces from a book that I have been working on for several years. I consider myself fortunate to have had 22 high-profile exhibitions and counting.

Are you currently exhibiting somewhere?

I have a current exhibition at “Nathan’s Video Bar”, on Washington Avenue, until the end of February 2023. I also have art on display at East of Collins Realty & Expediting in Aventura, FL and the art can be viewed online.

Where can we find you on social media?

You can visit my website www.theadventuresofbibiandfriends.com or follow @Bibiadventures on Instagram. You can also have a sneak peek at the upcoming Sam Moore book and art at www.soulmanart.com