Visual Art
Celebrating Artists of Color During Miami Art Week
“Veo Veo, I See I See, Mwen wè Mwen wè” by Anthony “Mojo” Reed II: Honoring Judge Lawson E. Thomas and the civil rights history of Overtown. (Photo courtesy of Miami MoCAAD)
Point Comfort was anything but comfortable for a group of 20 enslaved Africans who landed on Virginia’s shores in 1619. Their arrival in Hampton, where Point Comfort is located. ushered in an era of slavery in the United States, as well as a period of creativity that exists to this day.
“We believe that the beginning of African American art began when Black folk came to this colony,” says Christopher Norwood, founder of Hampton Art Lovers, which operates the Historic Ward Room House Gallery in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood.
Norwood routinely uses his artistic pursuits as a conduit to examine periods in African American history and culture. It’s not surprising given that art, in and of itself, often reaches far beyond the scope and stroke of a painter’s brush or the caress of a sculptor’s touch. It is a discipline with a reputation for weaving itself into seemingly unrelated subjects, bubbling up into various schools of thought, and asking its viewers to ruminate on meaningful philosophical questions such as, “Did Disco begin in Miami?”
The Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau is marking the tenth year of its Art of Black Miami series highlighting art and performances from throughout the African diaspora. (Photo courtesy of AJ Shorter Photography )
Yes. It’s a bold sentiment for sure, but Norwood believes that the topic should at least be open for debate. And why not? Since he points out that KC and the Sunshine Band were founded in Hialeah, thank you very much.
And for those who are willing to take a closer look at music, and the role that Miami plays in it, Norwood recommends visiting Hampton Art Lovers Point Comfort Art Fair + Show 2024 at the Historic Ward Rooming House Thursday, Dec. 5 through Sunday, Dec. 8.
This year, Hampton Art Lovers is presenting “One Night Stand!,” a photography exhibit of musicians who played in clubs and bars and restaurants in the Overtown area, explains Norwood.
“The photo exhibit is bringing into life these amazing musicians because there was a music movement in Miami that a lot of people don’t recognize. It wasn’t at the level of Detroit or Motown, but it was definitely a center of Black music.”
Inside the Ward Rooming House, “One Night Stand!” showcases the work of photographer Greg Clark, displayed alongside oral histories, which are meant to preserve Overtown’s cultural heritage in partnership with FIU Wolfsonian Public Humanities Lab. Outdoors in a tented space, the gardens will exhibit works by contemporary artists Solomon Adufah, Adonis Parker and Judy Bowman. One of the original artworks may be recognizable – a Parker original featured on OneUnited Bank’s OneLove credit card.
“Sunday Best (Sunday School I).” 2023 by Solomon Adufah. The oil on wood panel piece will be on view during the Point Comfort Art Fair + Show during Art of Black Miami. (Photo courtesy of Point Comfort Art Fair + Show 2024 )
Art of Black Miami hits a milestone this year celebrating ten years. In 2014, AOBM was founded to showcase Black artists who were often overlooked and to give visibility during Miami Art Week. From panel discussions to live music performances to art workshops and more, there are enough activities to keep any art enthusiast occupied.
Connie Kinnard, senior vice president, multicultural tourism and development for The Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau says that through Art of Black Miami’s partnerships with local artists, she has seen the impact the initiative has made.
.“We couldn’t have Art of Black Miami without our community arts,” says Kinnard. “We’ve heard that it has really helped some of the artists to expand their reach, to expand their platform and to expand who some of their customers are.”
South Florida-based muralist Stefan Smith is just one example.
“I did a couple of projects this year working with different municipalities,” says Smith.
“Specifically, I did one in Overtown that I’m quite proud of, and it was called ‘OVERtown Pitch: Game Changers’ and it was essentially a honorarium to the Miami Edison girls varsity soccer team and how they won the regional championships.
“OVERtown Pitch: Game Changers,” a mural tribute to the Miami Edison girls varsity soccer team and how they won the regional championships, according to artist by Stefan Smith. (Photo courtesy of Miami MoCAAD)
“But more importantly, it was a way for me to connect with the Overtown community and the underserved communities of Miami that are really starting to invest their time and money into backing the arts in South Florida.”
For Art of Black Miami, Smith will be a featured panelist at an event hosted by Miami MoCAAD at the Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater, 819 NW 2nd Ave., Overtown, on Monday, Dec. 2. Miami MoCAAD will host a screening of the documentary and virtual reality art exhibition, “ARt Connecting Communities: Overtown and Coral Gables,” from 7 to 10 p.m. The evening will feature replicas of interactive murals, oral history QR codes, music, refreshments, and networking opportunities. Tickets through eventbrite.
Co-founder Marilyn Holifield said that enlarged mural replicas by Smith, Anthony Renelle “Mojo” Reed II and Reginald O’Neal will be on view.
“I think that in different ways, each of these artists reflects a level of creative genius that maybe many people have not been exposed to. Some of the artists are more well known than others, but I would say that many people in our community may not have had an opportunity to examine the artwork of these artists, close up and personal in this way, and what we’re doing is carrying out our mission to inspire curiosity about art and to bring art to people by making it accessible in different forms using technology.”
In addition to the murals, French Caribbean artist Marielle Plaisir will present her artwork alongside a showing of a companion documentary.
“It features Dr. Dorothy Fields, who is legendary in her knowledge about the history of Miami,” says Holifield, about the founder of the Black Archives.
“I like the idea that I can call Dr. Fields a movie star, a movie star as a historian who’s pulling together facts and knowledge that most of us have not thought about, and she brings it together in a very compelling way. I love the fact that we are creating a context for art, for us to show the power of art to tell stories.”
It is collaborations like these that the GMCVB hopes to achieve on a consistent basis.
“One thing to remember is that Art of Black Miami is it is a year-round platform,” says Kinnard. “Art and culture is a big part of Miami and a very important piece of our destination. And specifically (Art of Black Miami) is a good, unifying cross-cultural program, and you can enjoy it and it doesn’t matter who you are. And although Art of Black Miami is an elevation of artists in art that touches the Black diaspora, it is for anyone.”
WHAT: The Point Comfort Art Fair + Show
WHERE: Historic Ward Rooming House, 249 NW Ninth St., Miami
WHEN: Begins Sunday, Dec. 1.
COST: Varies. Tickets start at free.
INFORMATION: For a complete list events, go hamptonartlovers.com
Here are additional programs scheduled during Miami Art Week
Afrikin Art Fair
Miami’s premier showcase of African contemporary art, the AfriKin Art Fair, returns to Maison Afrikin, in the Scott Galvin Community Center from Sunday, Dec. 1 through Sunday, Dec. 8. Themed “Threads of Life in Fragments of Time,” the tenth edition of the fair offers a week-long exploration of the interconnectedness of human existence, the cosmos and the transformative power of art.
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday, Dec. 2 through Sunday, Dec. 8.
WHERE: Scott Galvin Community Center, 1600 N.E. 126th St., Miami
COST: $5 donation gift or free. Tickets at Afrika Art at eventbrite
INFORMATION: Afrikinart
Lauren Pearce, “Hidden Beneath the Shadow,” 36” x 40”, 2024, will be shown at PRIZM during Miami Art Week. (Photo courtesy of Prizm Art Fair)
Art Beat Miami
Good food, great entertainment and beautiful clothing is all that one can hope for. But at this event you can experience all three. The Little Haiti Optimist Club is hosting its 11th annual Art Beat Miami, a satellite fair, at both Brightline Miami and the Joseph Caleb Center, which will feature more than 30 artists including sculptors, muralists, painters and visual artists. A youth art history workshop and exhibit will also be on view.
WHAT: Art Beat Miami
WHEN: Various times. Wednesday, Dec. 4 to Sunday, Dec. 8
WHERE: Brightline Miami Central Station, 600 NW 1st Ave and Joseph Caleb Center, 5400 NW 22nd Ave.
COST: Free. RSVP required for some events.
INFORMATION: artbeatmiami.com
Art of Transformation
Ten North Group is hosting “Black Aliveness and an Aesthetics of Being” as part of their Art of Transformation program. For the past five years, the group has selected literary works by those in the African diaspora as a “foundation for artistic exploration.” For 2024, Art of Transformation will delve into Kevin Quashie’s book, “Black Aliveness, or A Poetics of Being.” Performances, exhibitions, discussions and film screenings exploring this theme will be available for those who attend.
WHEN: Various times. Wednesday, Dec. 4 to Sunday, Dec. 8
WHERE: Art and Recreation Center, 675 Ali Baba Ave., Opa-locka
INFORMATION: Art of Transformation
Eighth Annual-Basel B.A.E. (Black Art Experience)
Basel B.A.E (Black Art Experience) is billed as a rare cultural celebration of incredible visual art in various formats; paint, photography, sculpture and fashion. The artists will be present to comment on their work, and pieces will be available for purchase, along with additional items provided by local vendors.
WHEN: Friday, Dec. 6 through Sunday, Dec. 8
WHERE: The Urban, 1000 N.W. 2nd Ave., Miami
COST: Free entry until 10 p.m., but RSVP; also $15 plus fee or VIP seating from $450 to $800.
INFORMATION AND TICKETS: Basel B.A.E. at eventbrite.
PRIZM 2024
Prizm 2024, in partnership with REVOLT, returns to Miami’s Omni District, showcasing international artists from the African Diaspora. Artists from Africa and various global locations such as Barbados, Kenya, Martinique, Portugal, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom, and the United States are featured. This year in its 12th edition, Prizm presents “The Architecture of Liberation” examining the profound role of visual art, architecture, and spatial aesthetics in the context of political resistance and social justice.
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 3 to Sunday, Dec 8
Prizm Preview Day, noon to 4 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 3.
WHERE: Ice Palace West Studio, 71 NW 14th St., Miami
COST: $25-$50
INFORMATION: www.prizm.art
Umbrellas of Little Havana
Little Havana’s Calle Ocho’s Umbrellas of Little Havana Art Festival features a myriad of hand-painted umbrellas by local artists, each reflecting the rich cultural influences of the region. The colorful, custom-painted umbrellas serve as a symbol of the diverse artistic spirit that thrives in Miami.
WHAT: Umbrellas of Little Havana Art Festival
WHEN: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6 to Sunday, Dec. 8
WHERE: Futurama 1637 Art Building, 1637 SW 8th St.
COST: Free
INFORMATION: (305) 972-5774
For a detailed list of Art of Black Miami events, go to www.miamiandbeaches.com/things-to-do/art-and-culture/art-of-black
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