Written By Jonel Juste September 1, 2025 at 5:44 PM
A trilingual poem made from recycled materials is part of “Poetry on the Plaza,” on display through Sunday, Sept. 21 at MOCA North Miami. (Photo by Daniel Bock)
Poetry is typically found in books, its words inked onto the page to stir emotions such as love and passion. However, in the case of “Poetry on the Plaza,” it sometimes appears on public walls, crafted from recycled materials to raise awareness about environmental issues.
Since July, MOCA Plaza in North Miami has been the host of the public walls adorned with trilingual poems made from recycled plastic. The installation remains on view at Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) North Miami through Sunday, Sept. 21.
The installation, Poetry on the Plaza, was created by artist and designer Nathan Justice Moyer, founder of the nonprofit Free Plastic. With support from O, Miami and MOCA North Miami, the initiative invited community members to collect discarded plastic, repurpose it into letters, and form poems in English, Haitian Creole, and Spanish.
“As an artist, I explore the wasted potential of discarded materials, transforming waste into both creation and solution,” says Moyer.
Nathan Justice Moyer is the creator of the Poetry on the Plaza installation and founder of the nonprofit Free Plastic. (Photo by Daniel Bock)
Moyer explains that the project is part of the broader Plastic Poetry program, launched in 2020, which merges cleanups, poetry workshops, and public art. The program has produced more than 30 installations across South Florida, each one written by members of the community where it is displayed.
“At each location, our mission is to educate the local community about the environmental impacts of plastic, to activate the community with a cleanup, to engage participants in a poetry-generative workshop, and to celebrate their work by selecting a poem written by a community member,” he says.
For the MOCA installation, three North Miami residents contributed poems: Angela Delgado, Jennifer Kramer, and Rebeca Lugo Carrillo.
One of the poems reads, “I feel like I could stretch out my arms and hug this city” in English; “Mwen santi mwen ka louvri bra mwen e anbrase vil sa a” in Haitian Creole; and “Siento que podría extender mis brazos y abrazar esta ciudad” in Spanish.
“The quick answer here is simply, inclusion,” says Moyer of the trilingual approach. “Through the presentation of the three poems in three of North Miami’s commonly spoken languages, I hope to demonstrate the idea that there is no linguistic hierarchy, that no language is superior to another.”
Kimari Jackson, curatorial assistant at MOCA, says the choice to display poetry on the museum’s exterior aligns with its mission to connect with the community.
“As an art museum, we tend to focus on the visual arts and I think it is important for MOCA to display poetry as it shows there are many forms of art, not just the visual,” says Jackson. “It allows MOCA to highlight these different forms, especially those that incorporate MOCA’s community.”
For the O, Miami, Poetry Festival the collaboration was a natural extension of its mission to bring poetry into public life.
One of the poems from the Poetry on the Plaza installation, written in English, Haitian Creole, and Spanish, is titled “Feel, Siento, Santi.” It is a ZipOde, a poetic form created by O, Miami that structures each line according to the digits of a U.S. ZIP code. (Photo by Daniel Bock)
“O, Miami has collaborated with Nate and Free Plastic to produce Plastic Poetry since 2020,” says Caroline Cabrera, artistic director of O, Miami. “Plastic Poetry is deeply rooted in place, both through the sustainability efforts of upcycling plastic waste and the poetic action of publishing resident work in public spaces.”
She added that seeing community poems elevated in a museum setting was particularly meaningful. “It’s exhilarating to see resident work elevated in this way,” says Cabrera. “Poetry can live anywhere. Over the years we’ve put poetry on buses, benches, parking tickets, fruit stickers, fence wraps—the list goes on. What feels most special about Poetry on the Plaza is seeing poetry adopted by a major art institution and validated as a fine art alongside the works displayed inside the museum.”
Workshops encouraged participants to write in the languages most natural to them, often leading to hybrid forms that reflected Miami’s cultural mix. “The results are often surprising and delightful—Spanglish, Creolish, Frenchlish poems that play with hybrid languages the way so many Miamians do in their day-to-day lives,” says Cabrera.
By turning plastic into poetry, the project not only gives voice to community expression but also confronts the urgent issue of waste. Nearly 50 pounds of discarded plastic were repurposed for the MOCA installation.
“Art allows us a space to question, to explore,” says Moyer. “Through a community art project like this, art is a catalyst. We engage viewers to reconsider their preconceptions about plastic and its environmental impact. We demonstrate that this material should not be blindly discarded after just one use.”
According to Caroline Cabrera, artistic director of O, Miami, “Plastic Poetry is deeply rooted in place, both through the sustainability of upcycling plastic waste and the poetic action of publishing resident work in public spaces.” (Photo by Chantal Lawrie)
Cabrera echoes that perspective, noting that sustainability and poetry are deeply connected in the project. “Our approach to poetry is inherently tied to place and to a sense of responsibility for the stewardship of this place,” she says.
For MOCA, the project was also an opportunity to deepen ties with its community through workshops and cleanups, including one at North Miami Senior High. “Plastic Poetry and Free Plastic is all about community engagement, and the community is what makes the installation,” according to Jackson.
Since its inception, the Plastic Poetry program has expanded across South Florida, from Homestead to Boca Raton, and continues to grow. MOCA’s Poetry on the Plaza is its latest installation, with others planned for Everglades National Park and Westchester.
“Each year we add a few more installations throughout South Florida, and we aim to reach new communities with each one,” says Moyer.
Poetry on the Plaza will remain on view at MOCA North Miami through September 21, 2025.
WHAT: Poetry on the Plaza
WHEN: Through Sunday, Sept. 21.
WHERE: Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), 770 NE 125 St., North Miami
ArtburstMiami.com is a nonprofit media source for the arts featuring fresh and original stories by writers dedicated to theater, dance, visual arts, film, music, and more. Don’t miss a story at www.artburstmiami.com.
At PAMM, the Jiménez Twins Reimagine Afro-Cuban Spirituality Through Art
Written By Miguel Sirgado August 28, 2025 at 10:29 AM
Cuban American photographers Elliot and Erick Jiménez debut their first solo museum exhibition with “El Monte,” opening August 28 at PAMM. Above, “El Monte (Ibejí),” 2024, archival pigment print on paper, 36 x 48 in. (Photo courtesy of the artists and Spinello Projects)
Cuban writer and ethnographer Lydia Cabrera published “El Monte” in 1954, a groundbreaking study of Afro-Cuban spirituality and oral traditions. Cabrera devoted her life to documenting the Lucumí faith—also known as Santería or Regla de Ocha—a syncretic religion that emerged in Cuba from Yoruba belief systems brought by enslaved Africans and merged with Catholicism. Her work preserved stories, rituals, and sacred knowledge that might otherwise have remained hidden, earning her the trust of communities that rarely shared such practices with outsiders. Cabrera died in exile in Miami in 1991, but her scholarship continues to shape the way Afro-Cuban culture is understood worldwide.
With the opening of the exhibition, Cabrera’s presence resonates in a new way. “El Monte,” the first solo museum exhibition by Cuban American twin photographers Elliot and Erick Jiménez, opens on Thursday, Aug. 28, at the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM).
The show draws inspiration from Cabrera’s seminal text, published in English for the first time in 2023 by Duke University Press.
The Jiménez brothers use in-camera techniques, staging, and body paint to achieve a painterly effect. “Who is the Ram and Who is the Knife? ” (2025), archival pigment print on canvas with metal glitter, 64 ½ x 50 in. Courtesy the artists and Spinello Projects. (Photo courtesy of the artists and Spinello Projects)
PAMM’s Associate Curator Maritza Lacayo, who organized the exhibition for the museum, sees the translation as pivotal. “‘El Monte’ is one of the most influential books in Cuban cultural history, and now, with its English translation, it has become accessible to a new generation of readers,” she said. “For the Jiménez twins, who grew up in Miami as Cuban Americans, the translation is deeply meaningful. It connects them to their heritage in their first language.”
Elliot Jiménez echoes the sentiment. “We felt that having our first exhibition here in Miami, referencing Cabrera’s book, was important—especially because when we began working on the show, we learned the book was being translated into English for the first time. That widens access not just to a new audience, but also to first-generation Cuban Americans like us. Many of our peers don’t necessarily speak Spanish, so now they can finally read this work and connect to it.”
For the artists, Cabrera’s text is not a script to be illustrated but a catalyst. “We didn’t set out to necessarily recreate Lydia Cabrera’s book—we set out to create a world inspired by its spirit,” says Elliot. “‘El Monte’ is not an illustration; it’s a response born of heritage and imagination.”
Miami-born photographers Elliot and Erick Jiménez explore work that reflects on Afro-Cuban spirituality and cultural memory. Their first solo museum exhibition, “El Monte,” opens Thursday, Aug. 28 at PAMM. (Photo courtesy of the artists)
Erick Jiménez adds that Cabrera’s exile gives the exhibition particular resonance in Miami. “It’s an interesting circle—that Lydia was forced into exile and lived her last years here, and now her work comes alive again in this city,” he says. “Our own family also fled Cuba, seeking asylum in Costa Rica before coming to Miami. For us, and for so many in this community, that story of displacement and refuge feels deeply familiar.”
Visitors to the exhibition will encounter an immersive environment: a nocturnal forest where flora and spirits come alive. At its center stands a towering Ceiba tree, sacred in Afro-Cuban cosmology and believed to connect heaven, earth, and the underworld. Inside the tree, a space represents the shared womb of twins, housing the Ibejí Chapel, dedicated to the divine twins of Lucumí who symbolize duality, balance, and sacred siblinghood.
“Our idea was that you walk into ‘El Monte’ at night,” according to Erick. “The space is designed intentionally so that visitors don’t just look at works on a wall, but wander through a forest, encountering figures along the way. Inside the Ceiba, the space shifts—it becomes a chapel, more tied to Catholic references. That duality is at the heart of the show, reflecting both the history of the island and our own story as twins, bilingual Cuban Americans of mixed heritage.”
For the brothers, the Ibejí imagery is deeply personal. “We see the Ibejí not just as divine twins in Lucumí, but as a reflection of ourselves,” says Elliot. “Their story—of loss, of care, of sacred bond—becomes a way to tell our own.”
The exhibition also reflects on motherhood, presence and absence, and the dualities that have shaped the artists’ lives. These personal narratives are interwoven with references to Western art history, Catholic iconography, and Yoruba mythology, creating what they call a “visual syncretism” that invites connections across cultures.
“Children of the Moon,” (2025), reflects the twins’ interest in myth, duality, and diaspora. Archival pigment print on canvas with raw brass and metal glitter, 55 x 40 in. (Photo courtesy of the artists and Spinello Projects)
Known for their painterly approach to photography, the brothers reject digital manipulation in favor of experimental techniques. “All of our works are photographs. There’s no Photoshop—everything happens on set,” explains Elliot. “We build the costumes, the sets, the lighting, and even print on canvas, working the surface while the ink is still wet to give it a painterly effect. We want to push photography beyond documentation, to expand what it can be inside a museum.”
Among their recurring motifs are shadow figures—anonymous bodies with only the eyes visible.
Elliot recalls that the religions the brothers that surrounded them growing up —Lucumí, Santería, Palo—were always practiced in hiding.
“So we use concealment to reference that secrecy. At the same time, the anonymity lets viewers see themselves in the work. Even if they don’t know Santería, they can connect to themes of resilience, concealment, and transformation.”
Exhibition organizer Lacayo explained that this strategy enriches the show. “They’re creating a space that reflects how spirituality exists—in fragments, in mystery, in what’s seen and what’s hidden. That ambiguity is part of the story.”
For the Jiménez brothers, Miami is not just a backdrop but an essential part of the narrative. “If you had told me five years ago that our first solo museum show would be in Miami, I probably wouldn’t have believed it,” says Elliot.
He explains that the twins moved to New York a decade ago because they felt photography didn’t have much visibility in Miami.
“Things have changed, and coming back with this exhibition feels surreal—a full circle moment.”
Erick added: “It feels different to show this work here rather than anywhere else. Miami is where we were born, and it’s also where Lucumí and other Afro-Cuban traditions are so present in daily life. That means audiences here can connect to it in a way that’s very personal. For us, that makes it the most special of all.”
In works like “The Rebirth of Venus,” (2025), the artists merge photography with embellishments such as crystals and pearls, creating images that blur the line between sacred ritual and Western art history. (Photo courtesy of the artists and Spinello Projects)
Lacayo underlined the significance of the museum’s role. “Whenever we do an artist’s first solo museum show, we’re investing in that artist,” she said. “Because they were born here, and because their story mirrors so many others in Miami—first-generation Americans living between cultures—it felt essential to debut this exhibition at PAMM. It couldn’t have been anywhere else.”
Ultimately, “El Monte” is a dialogue across generations—between Cabrera’s anthropological work and the Jiménez brothers’ artistic practice. That dialogue is not only conceptual but literal: the exhibition incorporates field recordings Cabrera made during her investigations in Cuba.
“Through those recordings, Cabrera is not just referenced, she’s there,” says Lacayo. “Her voice and the chants she documented become part of the soundscape.” Cabrera gained extraordinary access at a time when women were rarely allowed into such sacred spaces. By recording babalawos—male priests whose rituals were traditionally closed to outsiders—she preserved songs, chants, and oral histories that might otherwise have been lost.
In the PAMM galleries, those recordings mingle with the Jiménez brothers’ imagery, bridging past and present. She returns to the city where she lived her final years not only as an intellectual presence but as a living voice.
The brothers believe that Lucumí has existed for centuries in hiding, and their exhibition is to make the “invisible visible” while honoring a tradition passed down orally and shaping it into something new.
And in that space of images and sound, Cabrera’s voice does not echo from the past but breathes into the present, keeping Afro-Cuban memory alive in Miami, the city she once called home.
WHAT: “Elliot and Erick Jiménez: El Monte”
WHERE: Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), 1103 Biscayne Blvd., Miami
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Opens Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025 through Sunday, March 22, 2026
ArtburstMiami.com is a nonprofit media source for the arts featuring fresh and original stories by writers dedicated to theater, dance, visual arts, film, music, and more. Don’t miss a story at www.artburstmiami.com.
Two Immersive Exhibitions at Locust Projects Explore Culture, Communication
Written By Douglas Markowitz August 25, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Artist William Cordova reconstructed the sets of two 1970s sitcoms, “Good Times” and “Que Pasa, U.S.A.?,” as part of “william cordova: algo•ritmos (2 tienes santo pero no eres babalao).” The installation exhibition is at Locust Projects through October. (Photo by Zachary Balber, courtesy of Locust Projects)
Raw concrete and exposed drywall – these rough materials form the skeletons of two immersive new shows at Locust Projects, yet each one explores distinct ideas about connection, communication, and forgotten architecture.
The bare walls of the mazelike environment constructed by William Cordova in the art center’s main space may seem forbidding at first. It’s easy to get lost while navigating the cramped, liminal rooms and hallways, reminiscent of urban legends such as the “backrooms,” an extra-dimensional realm resembling a creepy, nondescript office environment that originated from paranormal internet fandom communities.
But this stripped-down interior is based on a pair of much warmer, fictitious houses. In the installation, titled “algo•ritmos (2 tienes santo pero no eres babalao),” Cordova has reconstructed the floorplans of two 1970s sitcom sets: “Good Times,” which aired on CBS for six seasons, and “¿Qué Pasa U.S.A.?,” produced by local PBS affiliate WPBT.
Untitled (frequencies), Polaroid 600 prints, oil stick, tape. 2007-2022. (Photo courtesy of William Cordova)
According to Cordova, the aim of “algo•ritmos” is to compare and contrast these two shows, which ran concurrently. Both offer distinctive depictions of minority experiences in America, and in the process, ask probing questions about how media affects our perceptions of each other. The show reflects on the ephemerality of cultural memory. We find sculptures by Cordova reminiscent of various artifacts from the sitcoms: bead circles and Polaroid photos, a triangular ornamental mirror that resembles one hung on the wall in “Good Times.” Aside from these few pieces of decor, the stripped-down sets offer little indication of what was once there, a physical manifestation of our fading memories of these once-familiar homes and families.
There’s also content from shows that never were: A mini-TV plays video from “Sak Pasé, U.S.A.?,” an unproduced Haitian Creole version of “Qué Pasa.” The only extant footage from the project, showing the title sequence, was recovered and digitized by Barron Sherer, a Miami-based media artist and archivist.
“The exhibit in general is this meditation on time, space, architecture, (and) subtle, nuanced narratives on race and culture – and who is interpreting those narratives,” says Cordova, who grew up watching both shows. “Who’s writing it, who’s producing it, and who’s presenting it? And is it flawed? Is it real? Does it matter?”
Though similar in many ways, the two shows were made for very different reasons. “Good Times” focused on the working class, African-American Evans family in a Chicago housing project. it was a commercial sitcom produced in Hollywood and was part of what was essentially a sitcom franchise under the umbrella of Norman Lear and his influential, politically contentious hit “All in the Family.”
A mini-TV plays video from “Sak Pasé, U.S.A.?,” an unproduced Haitian Creole version of “Qué Pasa.” The only extant footage from the project, showing the title sequence, was recovered and digitized by Barron Sherer, a Miami-based media artist and archivist. (Photo courtesy of William Cordova and Barron Sherer)
“¿Qué Pasa U.S.A.?,” meanwhile, looked at a Cuban immigrant family in Little Havana, the Peñas. Made entirely in Miami, it innovated as America’s first bilingual sitcom and was relatively successful for a PBS show, yet it only ran for four seasons (39 episodes) and was cancelled when its funding, which came from a federal grant, ran out. Production issues are reflected in Cordova’s work: But he considers the program to be even more challenging than even Lear’s socially-minded shows.
“It was way ahead of its time because it was addressing, and not in a two dimensional way, themes of race, of religion, of homosexuality, of class, the hypocrisy of people’s nationalisms – just a plethora of information on themes that were going on that you would never see, not even on ‘All in the Family.’ You just didn’t see that there. You saw certain things, but it was mostly laughable.”
William Cordova with a work from his installation at Locust Projects. (Photo courtesy of Locust Projects)
Nearby, another project has similarly transformed Locust’s space, with markedly different results. “Drawn Breath, Exhaled Frequencies” is a collaboration between three artists: Michael Webster, a sculptor and photographer based in South Carolina, and two spoken-word artists, Arsimmer McCoy of Miami and Selina Nwulu, who is of Nigerian-British heritage and lives in London.
The installation is concerned with communication in a time of crisis: An arched doorway lined with soundproofing foam leads us into the art center’s project room, where we find a group of satellite dishes hewn from what looks like raw concrete (really a combination of wood and a water-based sculpting material called Aqua Resin) emitting curious messages.
The satellite dishes are meant to evoke sound mirrors, the massive concrete structures that were placed all along the south coast of England between the World Wars as an early warning device in case of aerial invasion. McCoy, Nwulu, and Webster have repurposed the idea for a novel form of transatlantic exchange.
“We thought about this as a conversation across the ocean that was an early warning system in itself,” says Webster. “How can poetics and writing and performance become a system of early warning that’s more about experience, and about perspective, and about the ongoing kind of political and social climate that’s happening between the two countries?”
“Drawn Breath, Exhaled Frequencies” addresses how “poetic and writing and performance become a system of early warning,” according to artist Michael Webster. (Photo by Michael Webster, courtesy of Locust Projects)
McCoy sees the work as a response to the multitude of crises facing both the United States and the United Kingdom. “I think we’re not tacking on one thing, because it’s all insane from every angle, from every point,” she says. “This is the warning that if we do not address them, if we do not take the time to heal and to take care of ourselves, what the end result will be.”
She continues, “The politics of pushing past is what I think I’m addressing through this work. And I think we are all kind of having that conversation. And so the warning is like, what is the cost of the push-through? What is the end result of just sucking it up and saying ‘oh, that’s life?’”
In all, four mirrors occupy the room, two on the floor and two mounted on a wall. The higher pair are each equipped with a speaker playing recordings of poetry from McCoy and Nwulu. Viewers can sit in front of the lower mirrors to hear one side or wander through the room and listen as the two voices mix, forming a kind of sonic architecture.
Sound mirrors along the southern English coastline inspired Michael Webster’s design for “Drawn Breath, Exhaled Frequencies.” (Photo by Michael Webster, courtesy of Locust Projects)
Though Webster provided the initial concept of the show and brought McCoy and Nwulu on later, all three consider themselves equal partners.
“Some artists will ask for collaborations, but really it’s, you know, plug and play into my vision. And this is very different,” says McCoy. “This is, yes, his pieces, he made them, but he has brought us in to also be sculptors in our own right. All of our names are on the wall, and that doesn’t happen all the time.”
WHAT: “algo•ritmos (2 tienes santo pero no eres babalao)” and “Drawn Breath, Exhaled Frequencies”
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Through Saturday, Oct. 25.
ArtburstMiami.com is a nonprofit media source for the arts featuring fresh and original stories by writers dedicated to theater, dance, visual arts, film, music, and more. Don’t miss a story at www.artburstmiami.com.
40th Anniversary Oolite Exhibition Looks At The Past, Envisions The Future
Written By Douglas Markowitz August 22, 2025 at 3:01 PM
“Penumbras: a narrative of ArtCenter/South Florida • Oolite Arts (1984–2014)” opened on Wednesday, Aug. 6 runs through Sunday, Oct. 19 at Oolite Arts on Lincoln Road. (Photo by Zachary Balber, courtesy of Oolite Arts)
How do you distill 40 years of Miami art history into one exhibition?
This was the dilemma faced by artist William Cordova when he was asked to curate an anniversary show for Oolite Arts, an organization whose scope and impact is both influential and tough to summarize. Known as ArtCenter/South Florida until it was renamed in 2019, the organization stages exhibitions and events throughout Miami-Dade County, hosts an artists’ residency and art classes at its Lincoln Road headquarters, and offers grants to artists through its awards program the Ellies. Artists who have participated in Oolite residencies include Teresita Fernandez, Cara Despain, Reginald O’Neal, and Anastasia Samoylova.
“It’s impossible to, of course, include every single artist’s artwork,” says Cordova, himself a former resident at Oolite. “But it was possible to draw from the ephemera from the archives at Oolite Arts and have different types of representations of all the projects and exhibits, through brochures, photographs, catalogs, even video, and also to honor all of those alumni and those who have also passed away.”
The result is “Penumbras: a narrative of ArtCenter/South Florida • Oolite Arts (1984–2014),” which opened on Wednesday, Aug. 6 and runs through Sunday, Oct. 19. Co-curated by Marie Vickles, head of education at the Pérez Art Museum Miami, the show looks back at the organization’s history, spotlighting the artists that have come and gone through its doors through both their artistic output and various pieces of memorabilia.
Brochures, pamphlets, posters, archival materials, and other goods relating to the institution’s history have all been gathered and put on display.
In the corner of one room at Oolite Arts sits a neon sign for ArtsCenter from the early 2000s. Photo artworks by Cordova, Ximenia Carrion and Manuel Acevedo hang alongside framed press clippings and posters. (Photo by Zachary Balber, courtesy of Oolite Arts)
In the downstairs vitrine running along the wall by the entrance, a wide variety of goods sits in front of a wall listing all known artists who participated in ArtsCenter activities in the three decades covered in the show. Upstairs, in the corner of one room, sits a neon sign for ArtsCenter from the early 2000s. Photo artworks by Cordova, Ximenia Carrion and Manuel Acevedo hang alongside framed press clippings and posters. Most of the works feature a blue color scheme coordinated with the glow of the neon sign. Across the way, a video room features a variety of rare materials, including a profile of ArtCenter dating back to 1999, a CBS News Miami interview with founder Ellie Schneiderman, and films from artists Lazaro Amaral and Josh Levine.
The main gallery changes up the color scheme from the cool blue of the sign to tropical oranges and yellows. There’s a particular focus on African diaspora artists in this section: Paintings by Fenol Marcelin and Edouard Duval-Carrié emphasize Caribbean themes, while Charo Oquet’s ornate ceramics are a riot of colors and shapes. For Cordova, who watched the transformation of Oolite and its surroundings on Lincoln Road since moving to Miami from Lima in 1987, it was also important to highlight art and artists from underserved backgrounds.
“I wanted to reflect on the marginalized community, the histories of that community,” he says. “That’s why I titled it ‘Penumbra,’ which is a less shaded part of a shadow, the outcast part. The marginalized communities and artists tend to be part of that outlaw culture.”
While “Penumbras” looks back into Oolite’s past, the organization is also hoping to move ahead into its future. Plans continue to move forward for its new campus in Little River, which is now estimated to begin construction in 2026 according to President and CEO John Abodeely. The complex was originally unveiled in 2022, with a design by Barcelona architecture firm Barozzi Vega themed after a “village of artists” featuring new studio and exhibition spaces as well as a multipurpose theater.
A wall lists all known artists who participated in ArtsCenter activities in the three decades covered in the show. (Photo by Zachary Balber, courtesy of Oolite Arts)
“My expectation would be that we do demolition on the current buildings on the site and start construction in the first half of next year,” says Abodeely. “All this stuff always takes a little bit longer than you want, whether it’s permitting or architects doing their thing, but it is 100 percent happening. And we expect all the physical stuff to start happening next year.”
Abodeely is a former Obama administration official who served as acting director and deputy director of the President’s Committee on the Arts. He left his previous job as CEO of the Houston Arts Alliance in Texas’ largest city to join Oolite officially in January and hopes to rebuild relationships upended by a censorship issue it faced in May of last year.
After Oolite abruptly removed an artwork featuring a pro-Palestine political slogan from public view, there was an uproar by artists and community members and a boycott was called by Miami Arts Accountability, a group comprised partially of former and current Oolite residents.
Drawing on a principle called “dynamic accountability,” the organization plans to create an advisory group in order to “bring diverse voices into our decision making in a formal way,” says Abodeely. He also hopes to establish working groups made up of arts community members in order to restructure the grant process, an idea imported from his work in Houston.
Conversations have already been held with staff and resident artists with such dialogues deemed necessary in the wake of the controversy.
“One of the things that we need to be better about after last year is how the staff kind of more deeply engages with the artists we work with. . . . We are rethinking a lot of our processes and how we do things. I think we can engage more deeply and be in a conversation and work more closely with our artists to support them in the ways they want to be supported.”
Works by Fenol Marcelin, left, and Charo Oquet, right, on display in “Penumbras.” Curator William Cordova made an effort to highlight Caribbean and African diasporic artists in the show. (Photo by Zachary Balber, courtesy of Oolite Arts)
Do Oolite artists have to worry about further limits on expression? “No, I don’t think so at all,” says Abodeely. “We do serve a diverse group of audiences, and so, for example, what goes up in a public environment versus what goes up in our gallery are two different conversations.”
As Oolite moves into a new phase, however, it remains a crucial cornerstone of the arts community in South Florida. For Vickles, who came to Miami in 2005, the organization has always held an outsize importance in the community, especially as the city continues to present economic obstacles for artists.
“We’re always talking about how challenging it is to find not only studio space, but living space in Miami and South Florida in general. So I think what a place like Art Center/South Florida, Oolite can offer is incredibly important, and the fact that they’ve been around for 40 years at this point, I think, also underscores that.”
She continues, “without the artists continuously reinvesting into it, through their time, their energy, making work, a place like this would not even exist. I mean, it was founded by artists for artists. So I think as long as that continues to be the core essence of what Oolite is, I think we’re going to continue to see it be something that is helpful, supportive and a strong part of the arts ecosystem.”
WHAT: “Penumbras: a narrative of ArtCenter/South Florida • Oolite Arts (1984–2014)”
WHEN: Noon to 5 p.m. daily. Through Sunday, Oct. 19.
ArtburstMiami.com is a nonprofit media source for the arts featuring fresh and original stories by writers dedicated to theater, dance, visual arts, film, music, and more. Don’t miss a story at www.artburstmiami.com.
‘Joined at the Roots’ an Exhibition to Change the Haitian and Black American Narrative
Written By Jonel Juste July 30, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Artists from “Joined at the Roots: The Haitian and Black American Bond” are, from left, Oscar Martinez, Fabienne Polycarpe, Tawana Dixon, Ruth Louissaint, Ed Waffle, Nate Dee, Anthony Lumpkin, and Goodwin Ferrier. The exhibit is on view at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex through Saturday, Aug. 30. (Photo courtesy of Cacos MUCE)
Haitians and Black Americans have lived side by side in South Florida for decades. While the relationship between the two communities has not always been smooth, they have managed to coexist, “building families, businesses, churches, and communities that defied the odds,” according to Bart Mervil, CEO of My Urban Contemporary Experience (MUCE) and organizer of the “Joined at the Roots” exhibit, currently on view at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex through Saturday, Aug. 30.
The exhibition aims to shift public perception by exploring shared stories that connect Haitians and African Americans, emphasizing the historical and ongoing ties between the communities. It showcases the works of a diverse group of artists working across painting, sculpture, and photography.
“Joined at the Roots was born out of a need to honor the quiet, powerful history of solidarity between Haitians and African Americans,” says Mervil, describing a legacy often eclipsed by stories of division. He notes that while both communities have made significant contributions, their impact is rarely part of mainstream conversations.
Two emblematic artworks of the “Joined at the Roots” exhibit: At left, “Haitian & Black American” by Rico Melvin Costoso Jr., and at right, “Taking Power” by Goodwin Ferrier. In the middle, author and South Florida‑based youth advocate, Shirley Plantin who introduced the exhibition last May. (Photo courtesy of Cacos MUCE).
“From local politics to high school championships to shared porches and block parties, we have had real moments of collaboration, unity, and brotherhood,” adds Mervil. “This hybrid culture did not just survive poverty. It gave rise to entrepreneurs, educators, artists, and a thriving Black middle class. This exhibition is a love letter to that shared struggle and success.”
According to Mervil, every artwork featured in the exhibition contains an element of the shared narrative of the two black communities in Miami.
Mervil explains that the exhibition highlights significant historical examples of collaboration between Haitians and African Americans in South Florida. “The first wave of Haitian immigrants were welcomed by Black churches; residents in Overtown opened their homes, shared meals, and offered resources,” says Mervil.
A central quote prominently displayed within the exhibition reads, “We’re either going to come together or we’re going to perish together.” Mervil describes this message as pivotal. “That quote hits deep because it’s not just a warning, it’s a truth. We chose it because it speaks to the heartbeat of the exhibition: We go together,” according to Mervil..
He continues, “There is no separation in this family. Haitian, Bahamian, African, Jamaican, African American, we are all branches from the same root. When we see ourselves as one body, one vision, imagine the power of our collective economics, our collective voice, our collective vote. We don’t rise until we rise together.”
Haitian American artist Fabienne Polycarpe standing between her two artworks. Polycarpe’s art explores hair as a profound cultural symbol, reflecting both Haitian traditions and Black American influences. On her left, an artwork by Rico Melvin Costoso Jr. titled “Black Power.” (Photo by courtesy of Cacos MUCE).
The idea for the exhibit began with a series of conversations with artists and community leaders about the underrepresented stories of cooperation between Haitian and African American residents in Miami.
Among the artists contributing to the exhibit is Fabienne Polycarpe, a first-generation Haitian American and cultural wellness curator. She contributed a series rooted in her upbringing around her mother’s beauty salon. Polycarpe’s art explores hair as a profound cultural symbol, reflecting both Haitian traditions and Black American influences.
“Hair has always been more than just hair; it’s been ritual, identity, memory, and survival,” says Polycarpe. As a child, she remembers how her Haitian mother instilled the importance of hairstyles that reflected discipline and respectability. “I wore ribbons and ‘boule gogo’ [braid balls]; my hair parted into clean plaits,” she says. “But deep down, I admired the colorful beads Black American girls wore.”
Over time, Polycarpe began to recognize how her artistic voice was influenced by both cultures. “And as I got older,” she adds, “I realized my artistic voice was formed by that dual gaze, the Haitian lens of structure and reverence, and the Black American lens of freedom, creativity, and expression.” Ultimately, she concludes, her art exists in the space where these two cultures meet, carrying the language of both traditions.
Haitian American muralist Nate Dee next to his artwork is an homage to Uncle Al (Albert Leroy Moss), an African American DJ and community leader whose legacy helped bridge cultural gaps between Haitians and African Americans. (Photo courtesy of Cacos MUCE).
Another featured artist, Nate Dee, who grew up in Miami, presents a portrait of Uncle Al (Albert Leroy Moss), an African American DJ and community leader whose legacy helped bridge cultural gaps. Dee, a Haitian American muralist, recalls coming of age during a period when being Haitian carried social stigma. DJ Uncle Al’s visible support for the Haitian community left a lasting impression on him.
“I went to high school down here in the 1990s, and it was really rough to be Haitian, especially in the late 80s and early 90s,” Dee says. “So, to see a person like DJ Uncle Al, who wasn’t Haitian, showing love was big for me.”
Reflecting on those years, Dee adds, “As a teen I listened to his music and even grew up thinking he was a Haitian American DJ, only to find out later that he was in fact African American. This was in part because he was very active in Little Haiti.”
DJ Uncle Al, recalls Dee, founded the Peace in the Hood festival to bring together people from various neighborhoods and cultural backgrounds. His goal was to celebrate community and demonstrate that peaceful coexistence and mutual respect were possible and necessary. “He wanted to show that we have more in common than what differentiates us, that we are all truly the same. Just different branches from the same tree.”
Artist Tawana Dixon contributed two pieces to the exhibition. One pays tribute to Arthur Teele, an African American political figure whose work helped lay the foundation for the Little Haiti Cultural Complex (Photo courtesy of Cacos MUCE).
Artist Tawana Dixon contributed two pieces to the exhibition. One pays tribute to Arthur Teele, an African American political figure whose work helped lay the foundation for the Little Haiti Cultural Complex. The other captures the vibrant Haitian presence at the West Indian American Day Parade in Brooklyn.
“I ultimately chose to center the portrait around Teele because I wanted to explore the relationship between communities,” says Dixon, who was raised in New York and now resides in Miami. “In doing so, I hoped to honor the bond between Haitian and African American communities in a way that wasn’t too literal or expected.”
Reflecting on her second piece, Dixon says her New York upbringing made it essential to include Brooklyn’s Little Haiti in the show. “While Miami’s Little Haiti came first and is home to established institutions like the Cultural Complex, Brooklyn has the largest Haitian population in the U.S. and a community that has fought hard for recognition,” she says. She adds, “Haitians in New York were once seen as underdogs in the Caribbean community, but through resilience and pride, they’ve earned deep respect. Their presence, especially during the West Indian Day Parade, is powerful.”
Ruth Louissaint, an educator and Haitian artist, contributed a shrine centered around Dana A. Dorsey, Miami’s first Black millionaire. Her installation incorporates flags, religious symbols, and historical elements that reflect the intersection of culture and spirituality. “To me, the shrine embodies all three themes of the exhibition: identity, resistance, and unity,” says Louissaint.
Other artists in the exhibition also explore the emotional depth of blended identities. Joe Wesley’s photography captures moments of intimacy, pride, and joy between community members. Oscar Martinez sculpts a tribute to Dana A. Dorsey. Rico Melvin’s paintings evoke ancestral memory, while Rico Melvin’s textile art speaks in the quiet, powerful language of heritage passed down. The works of Edwaffle, Nica Sweet, and Anthony Lumpkin add layers of generational reflection, migration, and domestic life.
Bart Mervil, CEO of My Urban Contemporary Experience (MUCE) and organizer of the “Joined at the Roots” exhibit, currently on view at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex through Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025. (Photo by Joe Wesley, courtesy of Cacos MUCE)
For Mervil, the exhibit reflects MUCE’s broader mission to preserve heritage while diversifying the artistic landscape in South Florida. “MUCE has always believed in bringing culture to the people, not keeping it hidden behind museum walls,” he says. “This exhibit lives right where it belongs: in the neighborhood, in the community, and in a space built for cultural expression.”
Beyond its artistic value, the exhibit aims to foster real-life conversations among community members and visitors alike.
Polycarpe says the community’s response has been emotional and affirming. “What I cherish most is when someone stands in front of my work, pauses, and says, ‘That’s my story,’” she explains.
Dee hopes younger generations inspired by his tribute to Uncle Al will learn about the DJ’s contributions. “I hope they explore his legacy and all of the positive impact he had on the Miami cultural scene,” he says. Louissaint echoes the sentiment, emphasizing the role of art in countering the divisiveness currently shaping American discourse. “We are currently in a strange time in the U.S. where much of the rhetoric is divisive. I think events like this are important and an act of resistance against this growing trend throughout the country.”
“Unforgettable Love Story” is an art piece by Joe Wesley that tells the love story of married couple Taylisha Scott and Drolin Celestin, an African American woman and a Haitian man, who are seen here posing next to the artwork. (Photo courtesy of Cacos MUCE)
“Joined at the Roots” also acknowledges the evolving nature of cultural identity in cities like Miami, where gentrification and displacement threaten to erase long-standing community narratives. Artists like Polycarpe see their participation as a form of preservation, a way to anchor the stories of a vanishing neighborhood in memory and meaning.
“There’s a deep sense of loss, but also a sense of responsibility to share my stories of witnessing and experiencing the forever that are no longer ‘forevers’ but a love letter to Little Haiti,” Polycarpe says. “Being part of this exhibition is an honor. It feels like I am giving something back to the place that raised me.”
WHAT: “Joined at the the Roots”
WHEN: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday; Saturday and Sunday schedule may vary based on programming and events. Through Saturday, Aug 30.
WHERE: Little Haiti Cultural Complex, 212 NE 59th Terrace, Miami
ArtburstMiami.com is a nonprofit media source for the arts featuring fresh and original stories by writers dedicated to theater, dance, visual arts, film, music, and more. Don’t miss a story at www.artburstmiami.com.
Laura Marsh and Inés Raiteri Threaded Together at Dot Fiftyone Gallery
Written By Miguel Sirgado July 22, 2025 at 6:00 PM
“Laura Marsh and Inés Raiteri: Labyrinth of Thread” is on view at Miami’s Dot Fiftyone Gallery through Saturday, Aug. 30. (Photo courtesy of Dot Fiftyone Gallery)
In a white-walled gallery in the heart of Miami’s Allapattah neighborhood, thread does more than sew fabric—it stitches memory, language, and art as a form of care.
That’s the premise behind “Laura Marsh and Inés Raiteri: Labyrinth of Thread” at Dot Fiftyone Gallery featuring the distinct yet deeply intertwined textile works of Binghamton, N.Y.,-born, Miami-based Laura Marsh and Argentina’s Inés Raiteri. Though shaped by different geographies and generations, both artists converge around embroidery as a collective act, fabric as symbolic language, and art as a form of care.
Textiles—historically dismissed as decorative or domestic—take on new meaning “Laura Marsh and Inés Raiteri: Labyrinth of Thread” at Dot FiftyOne Gallery in Miami. (Photo courtesy of Dot FiftyOne Gallery)
Curated by Saul Ostrow, a critic, editor, and curator currently based in New York City, three large-scale textile pieces demand attention. Two are collaborative—one initiated by Marsh and finished by Raiteri, and one in the opposite direction. The third, a communal canvas, was started in Argentina and found new life in Miami Springs, where Marsh leads weekly embroidery sessions with older adults.
“When Alfredo Guzmán (director of Dot Fiftyone Gallery) brought me the pieces from Inés’s studio—one nearly finished, one blank, and a communal canvas—I felt I had to respond through making,” says Marsh. “I dove into the community textile, which became the heart of the show and is still open to new interventions. For months, I stitched it with students at the Miami Springs Adult Center. Every week they’d add an image, a memory, a symbol from their lives.”
That workshop, says Marsh, “wasn’t just a teaching space—it became a circle of listening, affection, and intergenerational exchange.” One participant embroidered a bird that had started appearing in her backyard after her niece passed away. Another participant, named Luceli, added a small bird before she died. “I wrote a poem in her honor,” says Marsh, adding that “she was a survivor of domestic violence, gifted in watercolor and embroidery. Her presence is still there. Every thread is a memory. Every stitch, a story told by hand.”
“I moved to Miami ten years ago because of the vibrant cultural mix, the fiber arts scene, and the opportunity to grow roots. There’s a fast pace, but if you’re focused, the city gives back,” says artist Laura Marsh. (Photo courtesy of Dot Fiftyone Gallery)
For Ostrow, it was this intersection of materiality, intimacy, and pedagogy that inspired the exhibition’s conceptual core. “The show has a dual focus,” he explains. “First, it examines evolving practices that challenge the traditional boundaries between craft and art. Second—and this inspired the title—it delves into the conceptual foundations of each artist’s work, emphasizing how their ideas could only be fully realized through their chosen mediums. The labyrinth becomes a metaphor for the intricate, deliberate paths both artists navigate.”
Raiteri, who studied at Guillermo Kuitka’s Programa de Talleres para las Artes Visuales (Workshop Program for the Visual Arts), in Buenos Aires, has long explored embroidery’s communal dimension. “Art happens with others,” she says. “From the beginning, Laura and I were able to step into each other’s work so quickly, despite not knowing one another. We both understand collectivity as a creative act.”
Her contribution includes a canvas embroidered in workshops she held in Argentina using bedsheets that belonged to her grandmother. “The fabric preserves touch like repeated caresses,” she says. “Embroidery is a kind of text—sometimes hidden, but always speaking. It activates memory.”
Inés Raiteri’s “Flowers for You” (2025). (Photo courtesy of Dot Fiftyone Gallery)
Raiteri also embroidered semamoris, amulets inspired by Japanese traditions in which mothers sew protective symbols into their children’s clothing. “They’re like portable charms,” she explains. “I paired them with wallpaper patterns evoking natural landscapes. Speaking about architecture is, in a way, speaking about how we inhabit space.”
For Marsh, who has degrees from Yale University and the Cleveland Institute of Art, embroidery is a critical language rooted in autobiography, protest, and care. “One of my pieces in the show is a large blue band embroidered with the Indian shisha technique,” she says. “Mirrors symbolize self-reflection and protection. I come from a difficult family background, and this is my way of saying: I don’t agree with cruelty. Let’s be kind to each other.”
Her artistic influences include Jenny Holzer, Sheila Hicks, and Jessica Stockholder, as well as Alfredo Jaar. “His vision of America as plural—North and South together—has always resonated,” she says. “That perspective shaped how I approached this collaboration.”
Laura Marsh’s “Caretaking Is Underrated” (2023). Embroidery, indigo, and iridescent stain on cotton and upholstery material. (Photo courtesy of Dot Fiftyone Gallery)
Ostrow notes that their practices, while distinct, share an “indexical” impulse. “Laura emerges from a sculpture and fine arts background while engaging with themes of identity,” he says. “Inés is rooted in craft but conceptually invested in community. Interestingly, their seemingly antithetical approaches found common ground in teaching, which became a key point of overlap and exchange.”
This educational dimension—Marsh’s Miami-based sewing circles and Raiteri’s decades working in early education—infuses the exhibition with an ethics of transmission. “Community workshops are everything,” says Marsh says. “Twice a week, I lead sessions with elders. We explore stitches—split stitch, French knots, feather stitch—and what those gestures mean. It’s meditative, tactile, and empowering.”
One standout work is a color wheel of embroidery stitches, created collaboratively with her students. “It helps them see thread as a painting medium,” according to Marsh. “Embroidery can blend colors, layer meaning, and offer presence.”
As curator, Ostrow underscores how both artists reclaim embroidery as a conceptual and political tool. “They transmute embroidery from a passive craft into an active critical practice—both personal and collective,” he says. “The needle and thread become a line of inquiry, and the fabric a palimpsest of texts whose layers refuse resolution.”
Laura Marsh’s “Rejection is Redirection” (2025). Macramé cord around mirror, gouache, and gel medium on suede. (Photo courtesy of Dot Fiftyone Gallery)
Textiles, historically dismissed as decorative or domestic, take on new meaning here. “Viewers sometimes expect something soft, minor, domestic,” according to Marsh. “But here, thread is charged with symbolic force and layered with personal and collective histories.”
For Ostrow, this transformation is emblematic of textile art’s current status. “Today, textile art occupies an insurgent—almost subversive—position. It plays an active role in shaping discourses of materiality, labor, decolonization, and traditional hierarchies. It’s a site of productive tension that reflects broader shifts in contemporary culture.”
Despite the physical distance, both artists developed a meaningful dialogue. “We communicated in English and some Spanish—enough to understand each other,” recalls Marsh. “We both wished we spoke the other’s language better, but the willingness was there. That says a lot about the nature of coexistence. Collaborating this way felt human, compassionate.”
Raiteri says they joined forces in whatever way they could.
“Her community understood what it means to create together—respecting each other’s space, stitching from within. This show confirmed something I deeply believe,” says Raiteri. “Beauty can be built together. And I love that I still get surprised.”
WHAT: “Laura Marsh and Inés Raiteri: Labyrinth of Thread” WHERE: Dot Fiftyone Gallery, 7275 NE 4th Ave., Miami WHEN: noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; 2 to 6 p.m., Saturday. Through Saturday, Aug. 30. COST: Free INFO: (305) 573-9994 or dotfiftyone.com
ArtburstMiami.com is a nonprofit media source for the arts featuring fresh and original stories by writers dedicated to theater, dance, visual arts, film, music, and more. Don’t miss a story at www.artburstmiami.com
Communing With The Everglades Brings Inspiration To AIRIE Artists
Written By Carolina del Busto July 18, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Inspired by nature, artist Lee Pivnik creates mainly sculptures but also documents images, like this piece titled “Swamp Lily in the Springs.” Pivnik begins his AIRIE residency in Everglades National Park in September. (Photo by Lee Pivnik)
With its efforts to bring the art and environment closer together since 2001, the non-profit Artists in Residence in the Everglades (AIRIE) has not only grown in size, but in depth.
Each year, the organization selects approximately 12 artists to be part of their residency program. The residency lasts for one calendar month, where artists stay in a cabin within the Everglades National Park. Every morning, they see the sunrise over the Everglades and experience the sunset. The hope is to inspire the creation of something beautiful.
This season, AIRIE is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The celebration comes in the form of new programming throughout the year as well as an extended residency program featuring 18 fellows instead of the usual dozen. T
The new season began in July with artist Sterling Rook as the first fellow to take up residency at AIRIE. (Photo courtesy of Sterling Rook and AIRIE)
“We’ve also grown in terms of what we’re trying to say, which is around creating an affirming space for artists to come and engage with the environment,” says Tracey Robertson Carter, AIRIE’s acting director. “We want to encourage the use of the arts around the challenges that we face every day in our, in our precious environment, and particularly that in South Florida.”
The most recent open call for AIRE garnered over 500 applicants, more than any other year, says Carter. While the selection process is lengthy and tough, the director admits it’s also wholly inspiring. “I love reading in the application about what the residency can be,” she says.
Carter mentions one incoming fellow, musician Thandeka Mfinyongo from Cape Town, South Africa, who works with ancestral instruments and sounds. “She’s bringing her ancestral instruments here and wanting to create new sounds in our Florida environment. (Reading in her application) what that would mean to the sound, what it might mean to her connection back to her ancestry, it’s projects like that you just can’t help but be in awe.”
Thandeka Mfinyongo, born in Cape Town, is a musician deeply rooted in African musical traditions. (Photo courtesy of Thandeka Mfinyongo and AIRIE)
Artist residents are given one month to stay on property within the Everglades and given the freedom to create. There is also a stipend for expenses and exclusive access to the national park. Their singular mission is to take inspiration from their surroundings and apply it to their practice.
“We really look at it as a research residency,” says Cornelius Tulloch, global artistic director for AIRIE and former fellow himself. “The artists’ only commitment is to be in the park, engage with the community, and to do one public programming, which could be a talk, a walk, or some other kind of format where we meet the artists… we aren’t afraid to allow the artists to be artists.”
Tulloch was part of the 2022 AIRIE cohort and was so inspired, he stuck around. “I think that’s the beauty of doing AIRIE,” he says. “No matter what you thought you’d come in with, you leave with so much more.”
Artist Daveed Baptiste plans on hosting extravagant photoshoots during his residency and aims to capture images like this piece titled “Boy Dreams.” (Photo courtesy of Daveed Baptiste and AIRIE)
Throughout his time with AIRIE, Tulloch has become a pseudo-Everglades influencer, he quips. He went from posting pictures of art and fashion to posting about the national park. “I feel like for a lot of people, it’s that kind of literal fact of representation like, how do I exist in this space?”
Tulloch’s social media feed inspired fellow artist and friend, Daveed Baptiste. The Haitian-American textile artist and photographer never really saw himself in an environment like the Everglades. That is, until he saw Tulloch’s posts. He was inspired and applied to AIRIE. Baptiste will begin his residency at the Everglades National Park in March 2026.
“I just remember seeing footage for like a whole month,” says Baptiste of his friend Tulloch. “He was posting in the Everglades, like the swamp and trails.”
Incoming AIRIE fellow David Baptiste focuses his practice on photography and textile design. (Photo courtesy of Daveed Baptiste and AIRIE).
Based in New York City, Baptiste grew up in Miami and shares that he’s been searching for an opportunity that would bring him home. “Miami is where I discovered art… I feel like Miami is the soul of my practice.”
When it comes to his residency, the photographer plans on hosting multiple photoshoots among the trees and water.
“When you look up the Everglades, you didn’t really see a lot of Black folk in the (attraction) videos or photos. There’s this large absence of Black folks. And so during my time there, I’m going to be looking at how visual culture shapes our perception of who has access to the Everglades… and I will be hosting the most fabulous photo shoots with beautiful Black families, friends, queer people, and kind of just presenting this Black Utopia within the river of grass,” says Baptiste.
“Homecoming” by Daveed Baptiste. (Photo courtesy of Daveed Baptiste and AIRIE)
Another Miami native and incoming fellow is Lee Pivnik. The young artist has been applying to the residency on-and-off since 2016. His upcoming residency in September is a dream come true. He lists a handful of growing ideas he has for his one month in nature.
“I’m so excited for September,” shares Pivnik. “I have two ongoing projects right now that are very Everglades focused and inspired. I’ll be thinking about how the Everglades holds all of these histories and stories of trauma, survival, neglect, and then resurgence.”
Pivnik adds, “I’m hoping to really use the experience to produce materials and ideas that’ll continue to feed my practice.”
In addition to Baptiste, Pivnik, Mfinyongo and Rook, this season’s fellows include Ashia Ajani (Denver, Colo.), The Honourable Elizabeth A. Baker (who works within the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University), Shenny de Los Angeles (Kissimmee, Fla.), Sarah Doerfel and Vincent Scheers (Munich), Samuel Dominguez (London), Laurena Finéus (New York, N.Y.), Havîn Hât (Germany), Julius Karoubi (Oslo, Norway), Bex McCharen (Miami), Jewel Rodgers (Nebraska), Ackeem Salmon (Detroit), Jean Shin (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Sheherazade Thénard (Miami) and Coco Villa (Queens, N.Y.), and David Rahahę•tih Webb (Tuscarora Nation of North Carolina).
Artist Lee Pivnik begins his AIRIE residency in September. (Photo courtesy of Lee Pivnik and AIRIE)
Board president Zoë McKenzie has been with AIRE for two years and sees her role as bridging a connection between the organization and the community.
“The folks that are in this cohort have already begun to intersect their point of view and experience and influence with their fellow participants,” says McKenzie. “They are already building an incredible legacy and network that will go from South Florida, from AIRIE and the Everglades, and beyond.”
WHAT: Artists in Residence in the Everglades (AIRIE)
WHERE: Everglades National Park, Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, 40001 State Highway 9336, Homestead
ArtburstMiami.com is a nonprofit media source for the arts featuring fresh and original stories by writers dedicated to theater, dance, visual arts, film, music and more. Don’t miss a story at www.artburstmiami.com
Frost Science Goes Beyond the Algorithm with MyFi Studio
Written By Carolina del Busto July 11, 2025 at 12:36 PM
MyFi Studio will present four performances throughout Frost Science Museum’s nightLAB on Thursday, July 17, utilizing the 67-foot dome in its Planetarium.Other activities are all part of the adults-only night at the museum showcasing its exhibit “AI: More Than Human.” (Photo Courtesy of Frost Science)
Technology influences many aspects of life. It also plays a part in the creation of art. For the artist duo MyFi Studio, one without the other does not exist. The pair will debut their latest tech-inspired performance piece at Frost Science Museum’s adult-only night, nightLAB, on Thursday, July 17.
“We build instruments and computer systems for creating digital art and music in real time,” says Aimee Rubensteen, one half of MyFi Studio. “Our performance at the Frost will be showcasing how we create video art, how we create electronic music instruments, and how we use them live.”
MyFi Studio was founded in 2021 by real life partners Rubensteen and Josh Eisenberg. The pair first met in 2017 and were married in 2022. Much of their relationship was built on their shared love of music and the arts — and technology.
“A big part of our relationship has always been talking about art and talking about technology… so we started MyFi to make the art we’ve always wanted to make,” says Eisenberg.
MyFi Studio is the duo of Josh Eisenberg, left, and Aimee Rubensteen. (Photo by Karli Evans)
The duo specializes in digital art and creating their own electronic instruments. Eisenberg has a background in coding and a Ph.D. in computer engineering from Florida International University, so he applies his skills to create magic with Rubensteen.
Their instruments are often interactive in nature and inviting for the public to participate. In 2024, The Bass Museum of Art commissioned a piece by the duo titled “in real time” that featured a collection of 454 electronic instruments. The piece is available online for the community to interact with and play.
The excitement behind the instruments they create comes from seeing a computer more like a toy than a machine. Eisenberg compares the digital instruments he builds to more tangible pieces like guitars or trumpets. “With a cello, you touch it and the way it sounds depends on how you touch it. And (the) same with these instruments. The way they sound depends on how you actually play them and touch them, not just how you click a button in a program.”
MyFi Studio’s latest performance piece for nightLAB, “Look Over Here,” was heavily inspired by the night’s theme: “Beyond the Algorithm.” It is both a nod to the current Artificial Intelligence (AI) exhibit at the museum as well as an homage to the planetarium itself where the performance will take place.
“The piece is definitely a reference to being in the planetarium, but it’s also a reference to how people learn and how computers learn. They learn by example,” says Eisenberg.
Custom-made cyanotype crested by MyFi Studio for its “Look Over Here” performance at the Frost Science Museum. (Photo courtesy of MyFi Studio).
The idea behind the performance is almost as if the planetarium and MyFi Studio’s computer are having a conversation and the audience is witnessing the dialogue. There will be four performances throughout the night (7:45 p.m., 8:30 p.m., 9:15 p.m., and 10 p.m.), each unique in what theme the artists will be exploring.
“Our live performances are also improvisational,” says Rubensteen. “So while there are pieces that are rehearsed or scripted, it’s also an improvisational performance, so they’ll all be different, which will be a lot of fun.”
The performance will feature custom code created by the artists, which will allow them to “write and draw and paint around the dome like an electronic paint brush,” explains Rubensteen.
“Look Over Here” by MyFi Studio is part of a packed program for the Frost’s nightLAB event. In addition to the four 25-minute performances, the evening will feature events such as a talk from an AI expert, an interactive experience led by FilmGate Miami, a demonstration by Florida International University’s Robotics Lab, and various showcases led by Miami Dade College.
“Poem Portraits” by Es Devlin is displayed as part of the “AI: More than Human” exhibition at the Barbican Curve Gallery on May 15, 2019 in London, England. The exhibition is now at the Frost Science Museum, Miami. (Photo by Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Barbican Centre)
“NightLAB is a really unique event,” says Analisa Duran, Ph.D., Frost Science’s Knight Sr. Director of Science Education. “Through the programs that we design and the partners that we choose to engage with, we are thinking specifically about adults. We’re reflecting on ourselves as adults in the Miami community and what we would like to see and also learn more about when it comes to science.”
Duran is particularly excited for the Thesis Bingo portion of the night. She explains, “Ph.D. Students are going to give a 2 to 3 minute thesis and the audience will get a Bingo card with jargon words that they may say, and if they say one of the words, you mark it on your card and you can get extra points for trying to define whatever word that they’re that they’re using.”
Since the evening’s theme is all about technology, Duran encourages guests to spend time experiencing the museum’s latest exhibit, “AI: More Than Human.”
Frost Science Museum is not just for kids. Its quarterly event, nightLAB is an adults-only night at the museum happening on Thursday, July 17. (Photo Courtesy of Frost Science)
“It challenges a lot of what people may already be thinking about AI,” she says. “It gives a new and fresh perspective to AI and tells a unique story. When you go through the exhibit, you start off learning about the history of AI, but through a very philosophical and religious lens… And then we go into what we’re thinking about AI today.”
WHAT: MyFi Studio at “nightLAB: Beyond the Algorithm”
ArtburstMiami.com is a nonprofit media source for the arts featuring fresh and original stories by writers dedicated to theater, dance, visual arts, film, music and more. Don’t miss a story at www.artburstmiami.com.
Addonis Parker brings faith, fatherhood and resilience to Opa-locka’s ARC
Written By Sergy Odiduro July 1, 2025 at 2:00 PM
“Inky” by Addonis Parker is part of the “Still We Rise: The Art of Addonis Parker” exhibit at the City of Opa-locka’s Arts and Recreation Center (ARC). The exhibition is on view through Saturday, Aug. 30. (Photo courtesy of Addonis Parker)
Addonis Parker’s “Elevation” is a colorful cacophony of disjointed images, a pictorial diary, a journey back in time. In it there is a man who walks with a sense of pride and purpose. Smartly dressed, he carries a bookbag over both shoulders and wears a tie kissed by a sun setting in the sky.
It’s obvious that this man is going places.
“I took maybe 10 years out of my life, and I put it in a painting,” says Parker, a Miami muralist.
“Elevation” is replete with a mélange of symbols.
Addonis Parker cites his work “Elevation” as one of his favorites pieces and is part of the exhibition “Still We Rise: The Art of Addonis Parker” at The ARC in Opa-locka. (Photo courtesy of Addonis Parker)
Pick one and you will find yourself tumbling down a rabbit hole of memories and meaning.
Let’s start with the man’s timepiece.
“If you look at it and zoom in on his watch you see it’s almost 12 o’clock,” points out Parker.
“I’m not saying it’s the end of time, but the Bible says it’s the beginning of sorrow.”
The backpack, he says, holds a set of blueprints, the symbolical plans for his life.
“And if you see the part of his leg; His leg is concrete and it’s heavy, but he’s ripping it off the building. That’s an old building. He’s leaving the old behind and going to the new.”
The piece is also a spiritual testimony.
“He’s holding a brick in his hand. if you look at it and zoom in to the brick, it has cracks and stuff. But if you zoom all the way in, you see the cracks are spelling out J- E-S-U-S.”
Hallelujah.
“Elevation” he says is one of his favorites pieces and part of the exhibit “Still We Rise: The Art of Addonis Parker” at The ARC in Opa-locka.
Addonis Parker is the first artist-in-residence for OneUnited Bank. (Photo courtesy of Addonis Parker)
What began as an art project that Parker steered ten years ago, has blossomed into a longstanding partnership, where Parker has now spent a decade as OneUnited Bank’s artist in residence, a unique collaboration.
In 2015 the bank unveiled “Thunder & Enlightening,” a 550-square foot mural at its Miami branch.
(RELATED: ARTSPEAK: The Portraits of Addonis Parker)
The piece was the result of the bank’s OneUnited Mural Project which paired Parker with 21 students in a four-month apprenticeship where they not only received his guidance on the research and development of the piece, but also received a $250 stipend, a OneUnited Bank account and a financial literacy course.
“His whole involvement with our community outreach was so successful that we thought about what else could we do with Addonis?,” says Teri Williams, president and chief operating officer of OneUnited Bank, America’s largest Black owned bank.
When they realized that they could revamp some extra space at its Miami branch, the perfect opportunity presented itself. The second floor, which had been vacant for 20 years, was then transformed into an art creative space and studio. Having art on demand was something that OneUnited Bank was willing to explore and the possibilities were endless. This included Parker’s pieces being featured on a series of debit cards for the bank.
Parker’s art is featured on 10 OneUnited Bank debit cards. (Photo courtesy of Addonis Parker)
“The reality is that most businesses use art to communicate messages,” says Williams.
“And really, it sort of grew organically from there where we finally came to the conclusion that we really wanted to create this artist in residence program and have him on site to really instill some of the messages of his work.”
Some of those themes are prominently displayed throughout the exhibit. This includes the message of unity and hope.
“I have colors that normally won’t go together, they clash, but the way I put them together, that’s actually a subliminal message to where, how humanity can be mixed and how different cultures can come together and make a masterpiece,” explains Parker.
Another message that he wants to explore is the importance of men playing an active role in the lives of their children. There are few things the passionate and proud father of five can think of that are more important.
“Fatherhood is important to me because it transcends to other things, other aspects of your life, and it’s a responsibility that I think every man should carry,” says Parker.
“My Soul is an Anchor.” Addonis Parker’s pieces confronts social injustice and celebrates Black culture. (Photo courtesy of Addonis Parker)
And as he touches on different themes, he hopes that others will take the opportunity to stop by and take a look at the exhibit.
“My message is true, and it’s different, but it’s real, because it relates to everybody in my environment, it relates to people that are not in my environment, and it relates to different cultures too, because everybody likes good art.”
WHAT: “Still We Rise: The Art of Addonis Parker”
WHERE: The ARC, 675 Ali Baba Ave., Opa-locka
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays through Saturday, Aug. 30.
ArtburstMiami.com is a nonprofit media source for the arts featuring fresh and original stories by writers dedicated to theater, dance, visual arts, film, music and more. Don’t miss a story at www.artburstmiami.com
Shaped by Community: 75 Years of the Ceramic League of Miami
Written By Miguel Sirgado June 20, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Richard Notkin, shown leading a workshop at the Ceramic League of Miami, is the curator for the organization’s 75th anniversary exhibition. An exhibition featuring 32 artisans is at the Fundación Pablo Atchugarry gallery. (Photo courtesy of Ceramic League of Miami)
Although often relegated to the margins of art history, ceramics have long stood as an aesthetic and cultural expression of depth and resonance. From Grayson Perry’s narrative sculptures and Beate Kuhn’s experimental forms to Julian Schnabel’s textured paintings on shattered ceramic fragments, the medium has outgrown its utilitarian roots to claim its place as a powerful expressive language. In Latin America, artists such as Amelia Peláez, Gustavo Vélez, and Geles Cabrera have shown how ceramics can serve as a vehicle for identity, modernity, and cultural resistance.
That transformative potential has found fertile ground in Miami’s visual arts, where the Ceramic League of Miami has spent 75 years cultivating ceramics as a living, accessible, and deeply community-rooted art form.
James Herring, president of the Ceramic League of Miami, pictured in the studio, highlights the organization’s blend of technical resources and community spirit. (Photo courtesy of Ceramic League of Miami)
Founded in 1950 by a group of women who gathered in homes and garages to work with clay, the League has evolved into a singular institution in South Florida. Its current 5,000-square-foot facility in the Falls Warehouse district for the past 50 years —complete with workshops and a spacious backyard—is equipped with gas, electric, soda, and RAKU kilns, along with dedicated areas for traditional techniques like pit firing.
“What sets us apart is the wide range of technical possibilities we offer,” says James Herring, the League’s president. “We even have a glaze lab where members can mix their own formulas—something you usually only find in university settings. It turns the space into a true creative laboratory.”
But beyond the tools and infrastructure, Herring emphasizes that the League’s true engine has always been its people. “The secret to our longevity is the community that keeps this place alive. Generations, cultures, and creative paths intersect here. That human richness becomes a network of friendship, collaboration, and learning—passed from one maker to another like a living tradition.”
The intergenerational exchange is especially meaningful for Hanna Banciella, a 26-year-old artist and one of the League’s youngest members. “After college, it was hard to find a space with the resources and access I had in school,” she says. “The League gave me exactly that—and more. It wasn’t intimidating; it was welcoming.”
Banciella, who studied drawing and painting at the University of Florida with a focus on ceramics, sees her practice as interdisciplinary. “Ceramics is a supplementary material in my work, but it adds another layer of depth. It connects me physically to the process,” she explains. “I don’t have my own kiln or equipment yet, so being here is a gift. It’s affordable, fully equipped, and offers a sense of community you just can’t replicate on your own.”
That diversity of voices and experiences is reflected in the League’s artistic direction. Adler Guerrier, a visual artist and current chair of the exhibitions committee, underscores how ceramics has outgrown the hierarchical lens that long placed it beneath painting or sculpture.
“In 2025, ceramics is one of the most expressive forms in contemporary art. There’s no longer a need to justify whether it’s art or craft. Just look at how many museums and galleries now include ceramics in their permanent collections,” he says. For Guerrier, much like photography or printmaking once did, ceramics had to fight for its place, “but today, its value is undeniable.”
The Ceramic League of Miami celebrates its 75th anniversary with an exhibition at the Fundación Pablo Atchugarry featuring works by 32 local artists. (Photo courtesy of Ceramic League of Miami)
The League’s 75th anniversary is being celebrated with an exhibition at the Fundación Pablo Atchugarry in Little Haiti, featuring 32 local artists and showcasing the vitality of ceramic practice in South Florida. Participating artists include Banciella, Barbara Bernstein, Debra Burch, Celine De Paz, Lexi Dreybus, Nan Ernst, Noah Farid, Zanze Fowler, Stacey Frisch, James Herring, Carin Ingalsbe, Lili Kamely, Sepideh Kalani, Giselle Kovac, Chris Labbe, Edith Landowne, Julia Levay, Marcia Manconi, Pamela Manresa, Gus Pages, Polo Ramirez, Marianne Russell, Linda Sands, Tammy Shapiro, Ryan Shedd, Diane Slezak, Donna Sperow, Maite Oca, Katherine Palacios, Fredric Witkin, Catherine Yang, and Sabine Zerarka.
The exhibition was curated by Richard Notkin, who lives and works in the state of Washington. Notkin, a leading figure in American contemporary ceramics known for his intricately crafted works that explore political, social, and environmental themes, had come to Miami in February to lead a workshop and was invited to curate the exhibition.
Hanna Banciella, one of the Ceramic League of Miami’s youngest members, values the welcoming and resource-rich environment the League provides. (Photo courtesy of Hanna Banciella)
Guerrier, who joined the League five years ago, has also integrated ceramics into his own practice. “I’ve taken classes and made pieces that became part of my photography and drawings,” he says. “When you’re that close to a process from start to finish, it’s hard not to participate. It’s fascinating.”
For Banciella, learning directly from more experienced members has been equally rewarding. “You’re surrounded by people who’ve been working with clay for decades—some professionally, others as a passion—and everyone is generous with their knowledge,” she says. “Techniques, materials, ideas… it’s all shared. That kind of exchange has really shaped the way I work and how I see ceramics.”
Although the League primarily functions as a working studio and educational space, it lacks a dedicated exhibition gallery. This allows them to cultivate partnerships with institutions across the region to present the work of its members. “We collaborate with universities, museums, and commercial galleries,” says Guerrier. “In the past, we’ve partnered with the Lowe Art Museum, the Museum of the Americas, and this year, the Fundación Pablo Atchugarry. These alliances allow us to show our work in professionally curated spaces that already draw a public.”
That outreach will continue in the coming months. Guerrier says that in September, a group show at Bernice Steinbaum Gallery will feature League members and maybe a few invited artists. “Bernice herself will take part in the selection process,” he says.
Such partnerships help amplify the League’s mission. “We make beautiful objects, and exhibition spaces know how to present them. Together, we make sure ceramic art reaches farther.”
Master potter Mark Hewitt leads a hands-on workshop at the Ceramic League of Miami, exemplifying the spirit of intergenerational learning that defines the organization. (Photo courtesy of Ceramic League of Miami)
Staying true to its educational roots, the League also maintains a robust artist residency program. “We want the next generation to see ceramics as an expressive language they can grow with,” adds Herring.
Banciella echoes that vision.
“My dream is to one day have my own studio and kiln. But until then, the League makes it possible to keep working and evolving. It’s a bridge between school and professional practice—a space that lets you grow.”
WHAT: “75 Years of Shaping Community Through Clay: Ceramic League of Miami 75th Anniversary Members’ Exhibition”
WHERE: Fundación Pablo Atchugarry, 5520 NE 4th Ave., Miami
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Through Friday, Aug. 30
ArtburstMiami.com is a nonprofit media source for the arts featuring fresh and original stories by writers dedicated to theater, dance, visual arts, film, music and more. Don’t miss a story at www.artburstmiami.com.
Written By Douglas Markowitz June 13, 2025 at 12:48 PM
A postcard from Expo67, Montréal, Canada, part of “World’s Fair: Visions of Tomorrow” at the Wolfsonian-FIU in Miami Beach. (Photo courtesy The Wolfsonian–FIU, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection)
Halfway across the world in Japan as thousands of visitors are diving into the future at Expo 2025, a Miami Beach museum is giving locals a view into the World’s Fairs of the past.
“World’s Fairs: Visions of Tomorrow” at the Wolfsonian-FIU explores the once-popular International Exposition event format, using the museum’s extensive collection of design-related objects to illustrate World’s Fair events, which served as celebrations of scientific and technological progress.
“In the past, it was the only big way to see new technologies or representations of nations through their pavilions,” says Silvia Barisione, chief curator at the Wolfsonian.
The exhibition arrives a few months after Expo 2025 officially opened on April 13 in Osaka, Japan’s third most populous city and a previous World’s Fair host. Neither the current fair nor the previous 1970 edition in the city, which was the first official expo to be hosted in Asia and held the record for most-attended until Shanghai in 2010, are mentioned due to the museum not holding any of the collateral tied to the events in its current collection. Instead, the focus is on the late 19th and early 20th century, the era when World’s Fairs were at their height.
Sculpture, “La Gloire du fer (The Glory of Iron), c. 1889 Arthur Waagen (French, b. East Prussia, now Lithuania, 1833–1898) Bronze, tin, brass. (Photo courtesy of The Wolfsonian–FIU, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection)
Eight expos are covered that illustrate the format’s rise, heyday, and decline, from the spectacular Paris Exposition of 1889 through the futuristic New York fairs of 1939 and 1964 to the environmentally focused Expo ‘74 in Spokane, Washington. They show the transformation of the concept across time: Originally conceived of in the 19th century as soft-power competitions between imperial powers, they evolved into idealistic displays of technological progress and eventually into a way for developing nations to put themselves on the map.
“We have a very comprehensive collection of World’s Fair materials,” says Frank Luca, chief librarian at the Wolfsonian. “So space was the biggest consideration of what we couldn’t include, but in terms of what we wanted to include, it was those kinds of iconic structures that really lend themselves to this idea of a utopian future.”
Objects from various fairs display the major structures and innovations of each event. A bronze statue from the Paris Exposition shows builders crafting the Eiffel Tower, which was built as a temporary structure for the fair. The first consumer television set, an RCA Victor TRK 12 the size of a washing machine, displayed at the 1939 New York World’s Fair, shows the role of Expos in debuting new technology.
The first consumer television set, an RCA Victor TRK 12 the size of a washing machine, displayed at the 1939 New York World’s Fair, shows the role of Expos in debuting new technology. (Photo courtesy of The Wolfsonian–FIU, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection)
Posters, brochures, and other archival materials speak to the ways World’s Fairs were used as showcases for modern design. A book from the 1929 Barcelona International Exhibition shows the German Pavilion, a landmark of the International Style designed by legendary Modernist architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Posters from the Chicago World’s Fair of 1933, meanwhile, focus on the emerging Art Deco style that would become extremely popular in Miami Beach the following decade. According to Luca, the fairs of this era were meant to give people hope in dark times.
“During the Great Depression, you had more American World’s Fairs than in any other decade,” he says. “In troubled times, you need to boost people’s morale. You need to get architects, engineers, construction workers working to build all these structures, and people to man the buildings and these rides once they are built. This was considered a great way to boost your economy and attract domestic and international tourism. It was considered a win-win, economically and psychologically for people who are extremely stressed.”
Posters from the Chicago World’s Fair of 1933 focus on the emerging Art Deco style that would become extremely popular in Miami Beach the following decade. (Photo courtesy of The Wolfsonian–FIU, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection)
The exhibition also shows how World’s Fairs have at times given way to more overt political expression. Guidebooks from the 1958 Brussels Expo feature contrasting visions of the future during the Cold War: A consumerist utopia at the U.S. pavilion next to the technological prowess of the Soviet Union. The 1939 section displays a maquette for “The Threatening Shadow,” a proposed sunshade sculpture modeled after a line of soldiers giving the Nazi salute. Conceived as a cri de coeur against the then-rising wave of fascism sweeping across Europe, it was rejected by the organizers and never built.
Although most World’s Fair pavilions are torn down after the end of each exhibition, remnants of various World Expos still exist in cities all over the world. The Eiffel Tower was considered by artists and intellectuals “a monstrosity at the time,” says Barisione, but soon became a timeless and beloved icon of its city. The same is true of the Atomium in Brussels, the Seattle Space Needle, and Habitat ‘67 in Montreal. Parks such as Flushing Meadows in Queens, New York and Chicago’s Midway are former Expo sites.
Lamp, “A Century of Progress, Chicago: Travel and Transportation Building,” 1933 Painted metal, glass, felt, gift of James and Martha Sweeny. (Photo courtesy of The Wolfsonian–FIU, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection)
Yet despite this legacy, World’s Fairs basically disappeared from North America in the 1980s. Geopolitical events such as the oil crisis of 1973 and the environmentalist movement caused the public to call the costly events into question, while theme parks such as Disney’s Epcot and sporting events like the Olympic Games began to emerge as alternatives. As a result, Barisione says, “people don’t know what a World’s Fair is.”
Yet the curators hope that by educating the public about these utopian events, they can address the similar political issues of our own time.
Poster, “In 1939: The New York World’s Fair,” 1937 Nembhard N. Culin (American, 1908–1990), designer New York World’s Fair Inc., New York City, publisher, Offset lithograph. (Photo courtesy of The Wolfsonian–FIU, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection)
“We also want to remember the historical context,” says Luca, “because very often these fairs are done in troubled times, as a means of saying, ‘oh, I know things aren’t great right now, but things will be better.’”
WHAT: “World’s Fairs: Visions of Tomorrow”
WHERE: The Wolfsonian-FIU, 1001 Washington Ave., Miami Beach
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Open until 9 p.m. on Friday. Through Feb. 22, 2026.
COST: $12 for adults; $8 for seniors, students with ID, and children ages six to 18; free for members, Florida residents, visitors with disabilities and accompanying caregivers, children under 6, Florida university system students and staff, and active U.S. military and veterans with ID
ArtburstMiami.com is a nonprofit media source for the arts featuring fresh and original stories by writers dedicated to theater, dance, visual arts, film, music, and more. Don’t miss a story at www.artburstmiami.com
A Mystical Painter Headlines MoCA North Miami’s Spring Season
Written By Douglas Markowitz May 16, 2025 at 4:19 PM
“Philip Smith: Magnetic Fields” is one of two solo exhibitions now on view at the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami, through Sunday, Oct. 5. (Photo by Zachary Balbar, courtesy MOCA North Miami)
There’s plenty going on in the mind of Philip Smith, and it shows in his art. The Miami-born painter’s canvases are full of esoteric symbols and mystical imagery gleaned from years of studying ancient cultures, world religions, and the work of historical magicians. Spirals, DNA strands, minerals, magic circles, foliage, human hands – all coexist in a ghostly mélange of images and ideograms.
“These images are meant to basically provoke your imagination,” says Smith, who is currently the subject of a career-spanning retrospective at the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami, which opened Wednesday, April 30 and is on view through Sunday, Oct. 5.
Artist Philip Smith’s paintings are filled with esoteric symbols and ideographs designed to heighten the viewer’s consciousness. (Photo by Oriol Tardas, courtesy MoCA North Miami)
“The idea of looking at my paintings is a bit akin to sitting in a planetarium, where you’re looking up at the stars and they project all these patterns. And you’re told to see those patterns, that this is the Milky Way, but then your mind wanders and you start to see other things. And that’s the idea with my work, really. It’s a portal for the imagination.”
Smith’s encounters with the supernatural began during his childhood in Miami. His father Lew Smith, who had been an interior decorator for famous and powerful people such as Walt Disney and Cuban president Carlos Prio Socarras, one day discovered he could speak to the dead and heal the sick. He became a faith healer, and the difficulties this placed on then-teenage Philip, who eventually wrote about the experience in his memoir “Walking Through Walls,” put him on his own spiritual quest. He tried drugs. He joined, and later left, the Church of Scientology. And finally, he moved to New York to become an artist, and from there he developed the image-dense visual language in his paintings.
“As a kid, I wanted to be an archeologist, so I was looking at, obviously, Sumerian and Egyptian and Indian temples,” he says. “I wanted to sort of create a pictographic language, also a slightly cinematic language. Because I think we respond to that experientially and also cerebrally more than words,” he says.
Smith explains that words have to be learned, whereas images are immediate.
Philip Smith’s father was an interior decorator turned faith healer; living with him deeply influenced the artist to make his own turn towards the spiritual. (Photo by Oriol Tardas, courtesy MoCA North Miami)
“When you speak to mediums or psychics, they get their information visually. It’s imprinted. They see things as they’re talking to you. And so all those components go into making up this visual language,” he says.
Smith’s work managed to get noticed by the critic Douglas Crimp, who put him in a soon-to-be-influential show at Artists Space in downtown Manhattan called “Pictures.” It included several artists, including Robert Longo and Sherrie Levine, who would later be part of the so-called “the Pictures Generation,” a group of artists who were deeply influenced by the culture of mass media that was present at the time. Smith describes the art scene of that time as vastly different from today’s more professionalized art ecosystem, full of passionate people that did what they did not for money, but because they felt a calling.
“I didn’t understand what kids learn with their MFA today, how to network, how to write emails, how to get curators into your studio. I thought my job was just to make art, and the art world was very small and very personal. You kind of met everybody.”
Philip Smith lived and worked in New York for many years and was a part of the influential “Pictures Generation,” but was born and raised in South Florida and now lives in Miami. (Photo by Oriol Tardas, courtesy MoCA North Miami)
He says he was friendly with the likes of Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, and Jasper Johns.
“(Warhol) would call me every Saturday at the studio and chat. I interviewed Jasper Johns for Interview (magazine), and I would walk over to Bob Rauschenberg’s house at four o’clock in the morning and sit there and drink with him. It was a very different world. And it was more a world where you kind of made it up as you went along. None of us knew what we were doing, but we all knew we were doing something different.”
Still, he always wanted to come back to Miami, the place he considers his true home. After nearly three decades in New York, in 2019, he returned to South Florida and has staged several shows since then, mostly with the Little River-based gallery PRIMARY. The MoCA show, his first solo museum exhibition in Miami for several decades and one that incorporates work from “Pictures” to now, is something of a culmination for him.
“I’ve always wanted to do a major show in Miami, because it’s the city that I really love,” he says. “I had to leave Miami as a young artist, because there was no opportunity. There were no real museums, no galleries, no collectors. There was nothing here. So that’s why I went to New York.”
Installation view of “Philip Smith: Magnetic Fields” at the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami. The show is on view through Sunday, Oct. 5. (Photo by Zachary Balber, courtesy of MOCA, North Miami)
Smith mentions the progression of Miami’s art museums.
“Whether it’s the Rubell Museum, or Marty Margulies, or Art Basel – it’s an extraordinary transformation that I don’t know, that people appreciate, how it went from the desert to Tribeca in a generation or two.”
For the artist, the retrospective at MoCA is important on many levels.
“It’s a very meaningful show to me, because I feel it’s giving back to Miami as a Miami person, and I’m not coming in as a New Yorker saying ‘see how great I am.’ I’m coming in and saying, ‘I want to share with you what my life’s been about.’”
Smith’s status as a Miami-born artist who spent much of his career in New York complements that of MoCA’s other spring show, a New York-born artist who spent much of her life in South Florida. Vickie Pierre worked for Miami art institutions, including at the former Miami Art Museum (now PAMM) and as registrar at MoCA NoMi. But alongside that career, she also made art herself, and now her work is on view in the show “The Maiden is the Warrior.”
“The Maiden is The Warrior” is the first solo exhibition by Brooklyn-born, South Florida-based artist Vickie Pierre. (Photo by Zachary Balbar, courtesy MOCA North Miami)
The exhibition zeros in on the artist’s “Poupées in the Bush” series, featuring amorphous black blobs with clearly defined feminine features, somewhere between figures and abstract forms. Some have fingers, horns, and other protrusions appended to their bodies. Others wear rings or are surrounded by floral assemblages. Reflecting the duality of womanhood as in the title of the show, the Poupées are meant to have a bit of softness as well as ferocity, according to curator Adeze Wilford.
“The thrust of our show is really about the duality of their forms. Like they can equally be these, very soft, reclining figures, kind of droopy and globular but also very, almost Rubenesque in how they’re conceived of. But then there are some that have these very fierce bearings,” says Wilford.
Though the two shows are quite distinct, Wilford, who is curating her final show for MoCA after moving to the Memphis Art Museum in January, hopes viewers will be able to envelop themselves in each.
Vickie Pierre’s “The Maiden is the Warrior” at the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami. The exhibition zeros in on the artist’s “Poupées in the Bush” series, featuring amorphous black blobs with clearly defined feminine features. (Photo by Zachary Balbar, courtesy MOCA North Miami)
“The way that I conceive of solo presentations is really that the artists are inviting you into their world, into how their brain is working, and so they’re very different people, and we can see how things are unfolding for them both.”
WHAT: “Philip Smith: Magnetic Fields” and “Vickie Pierre: The Maiden is the Warrior”
WHERE: Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami, 770 NE 125th St., North Miami
WHEN: Noon to 7 p.m. Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Through Sunday, Oct. 5.
COST: $10 for general admission; $5 for seniors, students with ID, ages 12 to 17, and disabled visitors; free for museum members, children under 12 years old, North Miami residents and city employees, veterans, and caregivers of disabled visitors.
ArtburstMiami.com is a nonprofit media source for the arts featuring fresh and original stories by writers dedicated to theater, dance, visual arts, film, music, and more. Don’t miss a story at www.artburstmiami.com
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