Alberto Miyares is a Queens, New York native who has lived and worked in downtown Los Angeles and Landers, California since 1987.
From 1987-2000, Miyares was a central figure among the small group of artists and musicians who pioneered the rise of the Arts District in downtown Los Angeles.
Miyares’s Coffee Strippers coffee shop (1994-1996), located at the corner of Traction and Hewitt in the lobby of the American Hotel next door to the punk rock mecca Al’s Bar and Joel Bloom’s general store, was a cultural hub for the artists who lived, worked and played in the community. One of Miyares’ best known works of that era was the Flame Throwing Espresso Rod (1994), which made its debut at the grand opening of Coffee Strippers and Bloom’s General Store. Miyares collaborated with Keith Greco and Oliver Manhattan to organize the series of free, public art and music festivals that took place in neighborhood (1987-1990) known as “Sunday Jumps.” In 1996, he produced a music festival, Cure Autism Now, which was headlined by Beck and raised money for children with autism. Miyares is one of the artists featured in Tales of the American Steven Seemayer’s documentary, Tales of the American, (Amazon) chronicling the history of the American Hotel and the artists who created what is now known as the downtown Los Angeles Arts District.
Miyares’ metal sculptures and mixed media installations have been shown at Dada, Art Share, Matt Gleason’s Coagula Gallery (both at the Brewery and in Chinatown) Bedlam Gallery, Lynn Basset Gallery, Boyd Street in Los Angeles, and 17 Frost in Brooklyn, NY.
His commissioned work includes Greco Decor art cars for Burning Man “The Fly,” “Bouncy Castle,” Yellow Submarine,” “The Fish,” “Red-Eyed Rabbit,” and “Birds Nests,” a custom queen-sized bird nest bed for Patricia Arquette, as well as other custom metal works for numerous Hollywood decorators.
Since 1989, Miyares’ work as a Hollywood fabricator and prop maker has been featured in dozens of feature films and television shows. Select credits include Fisher King (1990), Roadside Prophets (1991), Ad Astra (2019), Pirates of The Caribbean, (2005), and The Offer (2021).
As a bass player, he has been a member of Fe Fi Fo Fum, (1986-1990), Downtown Devil Dogs (1990-2018), and Mr. Tamale (1999-present.) He has performed at countless venues and special events in New York City and across Southern California, including Al’s Bar, Alex’s Bar, Café Nela and 17 Frost. Miyares is the featured bass player on stage in Beck’s Where It’s At video.