Xavier Cortada is certainly not your typical brush to canvas artist. He is known for his science and nature involvement and his deep love for the environment. To that end, he has created art installations at the Earth’s poles to generate awareness about global climate change, is active regarding solar power awareness and environmental advocacy right here in South Florida, and has been involved in dozens of prestigious projects internationally, including an art installation that hangs aside CERN’s Large Hadron Collider honoring the discovery of a new Higgs-like particle.
Cortada has created art for many corporate customers, the White House, the World Bank, Florida Botanical Gardens, Miami City Hall, Miami-Dade County Hall, the Florida Turnpike, Miami-Dade Housing Authority, the Frost Science Museum, Museum of Florida History, and the Frost Art Museum.
Is it any wonder that he was just elected Chair of the Miami-Dade County Cultural Affairs Council? Cortada is not new to the Council, having served on it since 2005, but is the first ever artist as Chair. Cortada has already started to make his mark.
“I’m honored to be appointed and know that the right way to serve the role is to go beyond a traditional art creator and to organize, engage and bring our community together.”
It is widely believed that cultural arts play a major role in a community’s healthy economy. A recent New Economic Impact of the Arts study shows that arts added $1.43B to our Miami-Dade economy.
“Besides the cultural and community impacts, the arts are an incredible economic multiplier,” explained Cortada.
Tallahassee, it seems, does not subscribe to this data. They cut the cultural arts funding this year by 90 percent, to just $2.6M.
Cortada sees this as a problem and a challenge that he and the 15-member Council must help address. “During my first meeting as Chairman, I urged our council members need to engage the County Commissioner who appointed them and invite them to cultural events to see their investment in the arts in action.”
Cortada wants to strengthen our cultural ecosystem and feels artists and arts advocates are part of the conversation.
“Artists shouldn’t just be relegated to a stage or a studio, they also have roles of civic engagement in the broader community” explained Cortada. “Cultural organizations and artists are change leaders and work tirelessly to make our community a great place for constructive civic dialogue and social and economic success. Now more than ever, we, the locals need to continue to invest in the arts and develop cultural excellence, diversity and participation throughout Miami-Dade County. We are already the shining example for the rest of the country, but now is not the time to rest on our laurels.”
Real Estate Update
As of November 2, the Pinecrest market is heading back toward a neutral bias. Homes listed over $1M are at 12 months of inventory. A healthy $1M+ market has 6-9 months of supply.
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Hal Feldman (MiamiHal) is a Realtor with RE/MAX Advance Realty. You can contact him with your story ideas or real estate questions at www.MiamiHal.com, Hal@MiamiHal.com or www.facebook.com/MiamiHal.
