Education & Classes in Brownsville

Some of Donn F. Flipse's earliest memories are of him wielding a broom, sweeping up the fallen petals and snipped-off stamen that have gathered around the feet of the floral designers at his family's flower shop. Eight-year-old Donn eventually moved up in rank, escorting arrangements to their destinations in the delivery truck as soon as he got his license. When he graduated college, he almost turned his back on the flower business his father and his grandfather built, but after mentoring under one of the shop's floral designers, he realized, “It was in [his] blood.” In 1990, he opened Field of Flowers in Davie.

The rose, he says, continues to be the most popular flower, although different breeds take the crown every so often—the current favorite is the garden rose, a throwback blossom like what might flourish in a well-tended backyard. Donn's favorites are the rose-like lisanthius and the Canterbury bells, which look delicate but are sturdy and long lasting, much like a quarterback who takes ballet classes.

Field of Flower's team of designers compose striking arrangements using popular flowers as well as rare blooms such as orchids or birds of paradise. The team also crafts design pieces for celebrations, with past creations including a french poodle sculpted from flowers and a Spongebob Squarepants–themed arrangements in which blue gel simulated the ocean, submerging plants in an under-the-sea wonderland.

Every day, MIY Ceramics' spacious art studio begets a kaleidoscope of one-of-a-kind masterpieces made by students and staffers alike. With a bevy of supplies for crafting pottery, glass pieces, and jewelry, artists of every level can discover a new passion or hone existing skills under the trained guidance of the studio's helpful attendants and in-house Greek muses.

Technicolor liqueurs stream from bottles and shakers as 786-Bartend infuses the brains of students with 80-proof knowledge. Workshops for intro and advanced mixology—developed by founder Isaac Ergas—begin with international history lessons on the origin and evolution of the modern cocktail. Then barkeeps expound on the spirited synergies of high-quality liquors and common drink ingredients and share veteran bar-backing tips, such as how to open drink umbrellas in a windstorm. Prospective bartenders can opt to complete the 40-hour bartending course, which provides in-depth instruction on drink preparation and presentation, job-interview etiquette, and resumé construction. Taught onsite in an actual nightclub, 786-Bartend’s courses let students serve drinks to real customers who, like regular bar patrons, ignore last call and try to open tabs with library cards.

Mambo Con Cache co-owners Brian Anthony and Juan Portella spread their fiery brand of salsa up and down the East Coast with studios in South Florida and New York. Set to the pulsating beat of Latin music, their classes keep students swiveling and sliding across the studios' spacious hardwood dance floors. Though Anthony brings his background in hip-hop footwork to the classes he teaches in Hollywood and Coconut Creek and Portella draws on his Broadway experience to spice up classes in his Bronx studio, both instructors' hearts belong to the salsa music they fell in love with early in their careers. Whether popping in for a group class or a more intimate private lesson, students quickly grow confident as they practice the fundamentals of salsa by side-stepping with partners or high-kicking piñatas strewn about the studio.

The intricately designed, European-style buildings that populate the Buenos Aires cityscape enchanted the eyes of Argentina native Cari Cohen at an early age, inspiring her to earn a degree in architecture from the University of Buenos Aires. Driven to push the boundaries of architectural innovation, Cari began delving into other creative media to expand her horizons, sparking a newfound fascination with abstract art and jewelry crafting. She has since moved to Miami, where her original paintings have been showcased at events such as Art Basel and Art Miami.

Cari founded The Fun Palette as a way to share her passion for the visual arts with kids and adults, hosting a variety of imagination-spurring classes for students of all skill and experience levels. During the studio's painting sessions, students can closely follow their instructor's step-by-step instructions to create flowing landscapes or abstract pieces or go off the beaten path to compose self-portraits that reimagine the painter as a bowl of fruit.