Is it art or is it apparel? If you are asking about the creations of local designer Migguel Anggelo, then the answer would be both. The Venezuelan born Anggelo will be premiering his latest work, appropriately titled “Meeting Canvas”, in a fashion show to be held at The Catalina Hotel and Beach Club on Sunday, November 11, beginning at 8 PM. 

Migguel Anggelo’s boyish looks belies his 35 years.  Anggelo was born to be an artist.  His mother was a professional ballet dancer and his father was a singer.  Tragically, during Angello’s teen years, his father passed away.  His mother was forced to abandon her art to raise young Anggelo, his twin sister Aliazith, and two older siblings, Christina & Eleazar.  Though she set aside her own passion for the sake of the children, she encouraged them to pursue theirs
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“My mother raised us in a magical world filled with love, acceptance, support, encouragement, and creativity,” Anggelo writes on his website, The Art of Migguel Anggelo.  He attributes the upbringing by his mother as the pivotal force behind his love for and his involvement in the arts.  “I made my first painting when I was six years old and it is still hanging in my mom’s home,” Anggelo shares. 
 
Upon graduating from high school Anggelo pursued a graphic design degree.  Though his plans included a career in the lucrative field of architecture, he says the pull of the arts was much stronger. And if life is a stage, then Anggelo begins Act I accordingly, as a performance artist.   His acting, dancing and singing career has taken him around the world.  He’s played Pinocchio and Romeo’s best friend, the witty skeptic Mercutio before audiences across Central & South America, as well as Germany.
   
During his almost two decades on stage, Anggelo’s passion for the canvas went unabated.  He found himself spending every spare moment painting and drawing.  “Although singing and acting is a form of expression, you’re still portraying someone else’s thoughts and feelings,” Anggelo explains.  “Painting allows me to express who I am and what I’m feeling,” he continues.  As Act I s seamlessly segues into Act II, the multifaceted artist leaves the stage to pursue a career in a field of art more tangible and, for Anggelo, more personal. 
 
From that painting created by the hands of a small child treasured by a loving mother, to pieces snatched up by private collectors from around the world, the work of Anggelo represents his joy, his sadness, his faith, and his dreams.  He considers each creation a friend and a member of his family. Those individuals fortunate enough to possess his work possess the essence of Anggelo. 
 
On Sunday, as the curtain rises, and Act III begins for Migguel Anggelo, the audience will behold the fusion or the artist’s love for art, and still another passion, fashion design.  With the experience of years of travel and his passionate love for art, Anggelo has created a line of clothing that honors the uniqueness of every individual, but remembers the commonality we all share.  Miami’s top fashion models will sport Anggelo’s signature hand-painted t-shirts and jeans, as well as a new collection of dresses.  But at the conclusion of “Meeting Canvas”, don’t expect a final curtain call.  The play is not over. The Life of Migguel Anggelo is a five act play at the least.