Parasols from TUUCI are widely recognized as forms of art, creatively incorporating inspiration from the marine environment. To expand on this commitment to the beautiful aesthetics of shade, TUUCI will sponsor a special event during Art Basel in Miami on Wednesday, Dec. 3, during which some of the world’s leading graffiti artists will use TUUCI parasols as mediums for original paintings.  

“The Art of Shade” special event will take place from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. at the Miami Ad School that is also featuring internationally recognized graffiti artists who have painted imagery on the school’s building.

"One of the founding principles of our company is that shade should be as artistic as it is functional and this is reflected in all of our products,” said Dougan Clarke, founder and chief product architect of Miami-based TUUCI. “This special event during Art Basel, in conjunction with the Miami Ad School, reflects our desire to bring more people into the creative expressions possible with shade.”

Leading the parasol decorating process will be Juan de Lascurain, whose career began as a professional triathlete and tennis player-instructor in Los Angeles. His work in Los Angeles subsequently opened the door to his own television show, “Dream Big,” and it was through Dream Big that de Lascurain began to explore his painting talents. His work today includes more than 5,000 graphic designs and represents the first brand where all of his commercial designs have been created on the i-Phone.

During recent months, de Lascurain has been painting an original design on an expansive TUUCI F-1 parasol that will be on display at the Dec. 3 special event. He will also paint another original design during Art Basel along with five other internationally known graffiti artists.

TUUCI is also proud to work on this event with the Big Brothers and Big Sisters organization of Greater Miami.  Big Brothers Big Sisters is a donor and volunteer supported organization that transforms the lives of at-risk children through supportive adult mentor relationships. For further information, visit www.wementor.org. If you have any questions or would like to get more involved, please call the agency at (305) 644-0066.

About DOUGAN CLARKE

Dougan Clarke began his career as a custom craftsman for a boat yard in Miami. Under the tutelage of his mentor, renowned South Florida craftsman and engineer Fred Herman, Dougan learned applied materials, material sculpting, molding, canvas construction and manufacturing methods from the marine industry. Clarke has adopted these principles and processes in everything he designs for TUUCI.

About TUUCI

Since its inception 16 years ago, TUUCI has redefined the shade category with innovative shade structures. In addition to artistic beauty, TUUCI products are engineered with marine grade components that are durable and easy to operate. All shade platforms are custom-made at the Miami headquarters and are distributed worldwide through strategically located service centers. Outdoor cafés and many of the world's leading resorts, hotels and restaurants have selected TUUCI because of this combination of beauty, durability and function.

Keeping the environment top of mind, TUUCI's manufacturing facility follows an Environmental Sustainability Program reducing solid waste and recycling objects from plastics to steel to fabric and beyond. With 100 percent replaceable parts, TUUCI products have an extended lifespan resulting in less waste. Follow TUUCI on Facebook, Twitter and through the company blog. On the Web at www.tuuci.com.