A Three-Day Cultural Takeover of Downtown Miami During Art Days

DWNTWN Art Days is back for a fifth year, ready to take over Downtown Miami with three days’ worth of cultural activities for the entire family, Sept. 9-11. The brainchild of Miami’s Downtown Development Authority, it’s their way of showcasing the area as a cultural hub. Alyce Robertson, executive director of the Authority, lets us in on what she’s excited about for this year’s event, including several events not to be missed as well as how Art Days has evolved and what to expect in 2017.

Artburst: What new events are you excited about at this year’s Art Days?

Robertson: The best part about Art Days is that there really is something for everyone, even those who want to get their hands dirty rather than simply admire from afar. Beyond the endless series of activities, exhibitions and performances, art lovers this year can channel their inner Picasso by taking free drawing classes and designing their own Art Days t-shirts at The Hub at the Miami Center for Architecture & Design (MCAD). Festival goers can also create their own piece of art reflecting what they love most about Miami for the WeARTMiami mural at the Miami Children’s Museum.

Through the Drift Card Project, a collaboration between the Frost Museum of Science and the Miami Science Barge, they can even help out researchers by creating works of art on drift cards that will be deployed into the ocean to study how currents distribute debris through Biscayne Bay.

Other event highlights this year include:

• Live Arts Lab at Miami Dade College – launch of a new venue and arts initiative designed for inquiry and experimentation
• Recycled Art Fair – located at the MindWareHouse, this exhibit will feature recycled art along with music and light bites
• ArtsLaunch2016 at the Adrienne Arsht Center – featuring activities from community conversation to silent disco
• Centro Cultural Español Miami – puppet show for kids on the patio along with live painting by Spanish artist Ricardo Cavolo
• Exile Books & History Miami – hosting a zine making workshop in the vault of the historic Alfred I. Dupont building

The event’s been going strong for several years now, what kind of crowds are you expecting this year and how did you come up with the new events?

Now in its fifth year, DWNTWN Art Days continues to grow in lockstep with Downtown Miami’s blossoming arts and culture scene. Since inception, so much has changed including the addition of the Perez Art Museum Miami and Museum Park, expanded/renovated History Miami, anticipated Frost Museum of Science, and hundreds of new chef-driven restaurants, hotels, and bars that are bringing the district to life at night and on weekends. With all of this growth, this year’s Art Days expects to see the same kind of positive response it has in previous years, and more. We’ve noticed a trend of people wanting to get more involved in the experience, so this year we’ve also focused on giving attendees the ability to not just experience great art, but to interact with it in new and unique ways.

Any hints as to how you might grow the event for 2017?

Art Days would not be possible without the support and creativity of our incredible partners. As Art Days continues to expand, more and more venues, artists, and residents seek to participate. This year’s festival should be the biggest yet, with more than 70 events across 20 downtown Miami venues. Next year, we hope to expand the event even further with long-time partners as well as new ones, to bring unique and exciting events to art lovers in downtown and across South Florida.

Click here to see the entire Art Days 2016 schedule.