History Miami Museum’s South Florida Folklife Center, a division committed to documenting, presenting, and supporting local traditional arts and culture, has launched its exhibition, “Avenues of Expression: Street Traditions in Miami,” with the support of the National Endowment for the Arts.
The opening reception for this one-of-a-kind exhibition took place March 16, in conjunction with The New Tropic, and will be on display to the public through Jan. 13, 2019.
The new exhibition allows visitors to discover the street traditions that are hiding in plain sight on Miami’s avenues – where the vibrant, raw pulse that fuels this city is felt the most and where Miami’s diverse communities converge and interact. It also highlights the people who bring creativity and meaning to these practices, all of whom help to give Miami its unique mix of characteristics and identities.
The exhibition explores the streets as public spaces for expression, highlighting traditions such as street art, protests, vehicle customizing, parades, ventanitas, religious practices, and much more. Through artifacts, video interviews, interactive displays, and recreated environments, the exhibition inspires visitors to get “street smart” and discover the world around them.
The opening reception took place on HistoryMiami Museum’s plaza, tucked within Downtown Miami’s skyscrapers and iconic courthouse. Guests were treated to complimentary drinks provided by Tito’s Handmade Vodka and tunes spun by DJ Le Spam. They also enjoyed surprise performances throughout the night including Bahamas Junkanoo Revue of Miami.
For information, visit http://www.historymiami.org/exhibition/305streettraditions/.
