The Soul Of Miami

Margarita Cano: Once Upon an Island 

Don’t miss this exhibition, which closes on October 31, by an artist who has been an important part of the cultural life of the city of Miami for over 40 years. The exhibit includes paintings, artist books, and videos as well of photographs of friends and colleagues. 

“Once upon an island I was happy. More than half a century ago, I felt free. There was diversity of thought and a renaissance of new ideas flourished. Memories of those times haunt me for they did not last. I am obsessed with recapturing every detail. Transformations of my longing are ever-present in my work. They are hidden in subliminal messages throughout my paintings. I like to challenge the viewer to interact and decipher this implied symbolism.

In Cuba today, nothing is what it seems. Many can’t even remember what was. Eventually, change has to come. They hope and wait on this island frozen in time surviving in what is. I think all the time in what might have been. It is a shame
we will never know . 

Yet, I have great hopes for what could be…” – Margarita Cano

Where? Centre Gallery

  300 N.E. Second Ave, Miami

  Building 1, Floor 3

Margarita Cano: Once Upon an Island 

Don’t miss this exhibition, which closes on October 31, by an artist who has been an important part of the cultural life of the city of Miami for over 40 years. The exhibit includes paintings, artist books, and videos as well of photographs of friends and colleagues. 

“Once upon an island I was happy. More than half a century ago, I felt free. There was diversity of thought and a renaissance of new ideas flourished. Memories of those times haunt me for they did not last. I am obsessed with recapturing every detail. Transformations of my longing are ever-present in my work. They are hidden in subliminal messages throughout my paintings. I like to challenge the viewer to interact and decipher this implied symbolism.

In Cuba today, nothing is what it seems. Many can’t even remember what was. Eventually, change has to come. They hope and wait on this island frozen in time surviving in what is. I think all the time in what might have been. It is a shame
we will never know . 

Yet, I have great hopes for what could be…” – Margarita Cano

Where? Centre Gallery

  300 N.E. Second Ave, Miami

  Building 1, Floor 3

On Tuesday, October 14th (a week from today), Melissa Krinzman, Founder and Managing Director of Venture Architects and Parter at Krillion Ventures will be hosted by Startup Grind Miami. Melissa is considered an expert in the field of business planning and entrepreneurship, and has been working for 20 years on growing and advising private companies and non-profits. 

What is Krillion Funds? It is a venture capital fund that provides Seed and Series A stage funding to tech-enabled companies in Miami, New York City, and San Francisco.  As Krillion puts it, they are looking for “the rockstars. The outliers. The driven. The optimists who engage and influence others.” Krillion Ventures has worked with over 800 companies that have raised approximately $1 billion in investment capital using business plans developed by Venture Architects, a company that serves as “architects for entrepreneurs” who pride themselves on building solid foundations for emerging companies.

In other words, Melissa seeks to help the movers and shakers that can take Miami to the next level with innovation and entrepreneurship. Come out on Thursday, October 14, 2014 from 6:00PM-9:00pm at Startup Grind Miami to hear her speak, and to learn how you could potentially bring your venture ideas to life. 

RSVP/Purchase Tickets at: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/startup-grind-miami-hosts-melissa-krinzman-venture-architects-tickets-12677345281

PRESS RELEASE

Miami International Film Festival VIP Attendees for MIFFecito 2014

Veteran Lead Actor Roberto Sanchez, Miami Native, Supports Lake Los Angeles
Opening Night Film Director Ernesto Daranas and Actor Héctor Noas To Attend
2009 Audience Darling Mariana Chenillo, Director of Paradise (Paraíso), Returns
Knight Foundation VP & Arts Patron Dennis Scholl Moderates The Laramie Project
Anti-Bullying Discussion With Director Moisés Kaufman

Miami International Film Festival (MiamiFF), a program of Miami Dade College’s MDCulture, will welcome a talented gathering of recognized filmmakers, actors and arts luminaries in conjunction with MIFFecito 2014, taking place October 16 – 19, 2014. This year’s broad-ranging international film lineup from American, Bhutanese, Cuban, Italian, Mexican, Polish, and Spanish filmmakers will be exclusively premiered at Miami Dade College’s Tower Theater, a perfect Miami location for red carpet events, screenings, cocktail parties and a moderated discussion.

Guests of MIFFecito include:

Mariana Chenillo, Director of Paradise (Paraíso)
Jewish-Mexican filmmaker Mariana Chenillo is best known for her widely acclaimed first feature Nora’s Will (Cinco dias sin Nora), and the popular Mexican TV series “Soy Tu Fan”. Nora’s Will won numerous Ariel Awards (the Oscars of Mexico), including Best Picture. Her second feature film Paradise was produced by Mexico’s prolific Pablo Cruz of Canana Films.

Ernesto Daranas, Director of Behavior (Conducta)
Writer, Director and Documentarian Ernesto Daranas is an award-winning Cuban filmmaker with numerous writing and directing credits to his name, including his first feature, Fallen Gods (Los dioses rotos) (2008). His latest film, Conducta, screening at MIFFecito, is being described as “a virtually unprecedented social phenomenon” in Cuba.

Moisés Kaufman, Director of The Laramie Project
Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, Moisés Kaufman is now based in New York City. He is the founder of Tectonic Theater Project and has won numerous awards for his theatrical work, including a Tony nomination. In 2002, his film adaption of his play The Laramie Project had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. He is currently in Miami rehearsing for a November production of Teutonic’s adaptation of Bizet’s Carmen. The Laramie Project will screen at MIFFecito 2014 and be the subject of a moderated discussion about the film’s lasting legacy.

Hector Noas, Actor in Behavior (Conducta)
Hector Noas is an award-winning Cuban film actor, radio actor and film documentary voiceover narrator. He received a Gold Medal and Diploma of Honor from the Higher Institute of Arts in Havana. Conducta is his second project with Daranas, the first being 2008’s Fallen Gods.

Roberto Sanchez, Actor in Lake Los Angeles
Born in Havana, Cuba but raised in Little Havana, this Miami native has an astounding 79 acting roles to his credit in both network episodic television and feature films, including “Law & Order”, “Desperate Housewives”, “Days of Our Lives”, Prison Break and the John Singleton action film 2 Fast 2 Furious with the late Paul Walker. Before becoming an actor in 2002, Roberto was a distinguished Desert Storm war veteran (Navy) and professionally competed in European basketball. MDC’s Tower Theater, where all MIFFecito films are being screened, was a frequent destination during Roberto’s childhood, where he watched movies, sparking his dream of becoming an actor.

Dennis Scholl, V/P Arts For The Knight Foundation
Dennis Scholl is the Vice President / Arts for Knight Foundation (with $2.3 billion in assets) overseeing the foundation’s national arts program, including the Knight Arts Challenge and Random Acts of Culture. He is well known as a collector of contemporary art and a three time regional Emmy winner for his work in cultural documentaries. Dennis is also the co-founder of Betts and Scholl, an award winning wine project. Dennis will be moderating The Laramie Project panel discussion with Moisés Kaufman regarding his groundbreaking 2002 film which spurred important anti-hate crime legislation nationwide.

Tickets to MIFFecito are available at 1-844-565-6433(MIFF) or www.miamifilmfestival.com/MIFFecito. Opening Night Film + Party $50 // $40 for members. All other screenings $12 adults, $11 seniors, $10 members, $7 students. For membership opportunities or more information, please visit www.miamifilmfestival.com or call 305-237-FILM(3456). Miami International Film Festival is the only major film festival event housed within a college or university.

It’s Music Monday, and this week, Miami will be full of some awesome (some free!) musical events. Let’s check it out

Are you a fan of Flying Lotus? Never heard of Flying Lotus?

Either way, you should go to Sweat Records tonight at 7pm, for a listening party of “You’re Dead!”, the new EP by Flying Lotus before it’s release tomorrow, October 7th. While there, snag some stickers, posters, and limited edition art cards with album character design cards by Shintaro Kago. While there, you can also get your tickets to see Flying Lotus at III Points, a 3 day celebration of music, art, and technology held in the Wynwood arts district of Miami, from October 10-12. 

ARTIST TO WATCH: Check out Phresh James, a rapper born and raised in Miami who “brings the Southern beats without the Southern drawl.” Phresh will be performing on the Miami artist showcase stage titled “305 Live” at the A3C Festival in Atlanta. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlAgmApDHcw

by Leah Bury

4th Annual Be Upstanding VIP Reception

PRESS RELEASE

The Gulf Coast Center for Law & Policy Announces the 2014 Gulf Guardian Fellows

The Gulf Coast Center for Law & Policy proudly announces its 2014 Class of Gulf Guardian Fellows. Five leaders submitted ideas that make progress toward restoring the humanity of marginalized communities in the Gulf South while honoring the work that strengthens the broader Gulf South ecology.

The Gulf Guardian Fellowship is a 12 month program that aims to strengthen social and ecological equity in the Gulf South. Fellowship awards are meant honor and support community members working to address root-causes, immediate consequences or long-term impacts of inequality or climate change in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

The Gulf Coast Center for Law & Policy (GCCLP) is a non-profit, public interest law firm and justice center with a mission to build, serve and advocate for structural shifts that promote equity in law, society and community. GCCLP’s long-term work addresses intersecting visions of Climate Justice, Migrant Rights, Land Sovereignty and Economic Opportunity for Gulf Coast communities on the frontlines of climate change. Through human rights-based legal services, community leadership development and advocacy, GCCLP promotes structural equity in the laws, policies and practices that impact Gulf South communities on the frontlines of climate change.

As part of GCCLP’s community leadership development initiative the Gulf Guardian fellowship aims to support various approaches to building social and ecological equity by honoring community leaders working to address the long-term impacts of inequality and climate change. Support for the 2014 Gulf Guardian Fellows is made possible by a generous grant from the Nathan Cummings Foundation.

Leaders from the five Gulf South states made up the regional Selection Committee that met in Louisiana in early September to select five fellows from nearly 300 applications submitted. To be selected, applicants had to be 18 years of age or older and residing in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, or Florida. Selection priority was given to Individuals working on climate, environment, economic justice, or social justice issues for at least two years and to those who showed a history of collaborative work. Selected fellows receive a $40,000 stipend and attend training and retreats designed for collective learning, cross-sector networking, collaborative strategy and leadership development.

The Gulf Coast Center for Law & Policy is pleased to announce the following 2014 Gulf Guardian Fellows:
·
Pandwe Althea Gibson
EcoTech Visions
Miami, Florida
In order to create jobs and impact climate change, EcoTech Visions will serve as an incubator for green manufacturing start-ups. EcoTech Visions creates and offers innovative programs and services that address both climate change and systemic poverty and ultimately further economic development in the regions it serves—low-income, blue collar, underdeveloped areas. Leveraging the growing market and funding for green products, servicing and manufacturing processes, as well as the growing pot of resources designed to address income inequality, EcoTech Visions’ programs develop and support local green businesses and jobs. Successful implementation of this project will reduce landfill plastics by 20%, reduce unemployment rates in Liberty City, Florida by 50%, and create new advocates for green businesses.

Gibson is making going green cool, practical and profitable. After founding a network of schools and proving herself an effective educator, Gibson dove into the business world where she started, led and scaled three successful companies. Her experience and passion for lifting up the underserved, combined with green industry are what drive her forward.

Joel Lewis
University of South Alabama
Mobile, Alabama

In association with the University of South Alabama, native Mobile resident Joel Lewis uses her documentary, Mobile in Black and White, as a teaching tool to educate audiences in Mobile, Alabama and beyond about race and inequalities. The documentary is a project that addresses racialized disparities and outcomes in Mobile, Alabama and examines how race remains a fundamental issue in American life, but also how it can be addressed without assignments of guilt or blame. Lewis will use the fellowship to further the educational outreach of this film by interviewing and sharing the stories of people who are included in the statistical disparities seen in diversity data. From the interviews, Lewis will create relevant videos to be used for training, education, and community awareness. Discussion fostered by the film will be used to design an online learning module that will be available on the Mobile in Black and White website.

Because Lewis is a part of this community, her relationships and experiences have helped her recognize that there is a collective responsibility of stakeholders, community leaders, and citizens to examine root causes, understand levels of engagement, and identify community-developed success indicators. This project will be used as a tool to educate, empower, and move toward equity.

Ya-Sin Shabazz
Hijira House
Biloxi , Mississippi
Working with Hijira House, whose mission is to cultivate, advocate, and facilitate faith-based solutions to distinct, economic and social challenges of low to moderate income citizens and low to moderate income areas, Shabazz’s project will educate, organize, and mobilize low-income, minority members of utility cooperatives. First, Shabazz will generate broad, grassroots civic engagement amongst traditionally disengaged minority and low-income cooperative member-owners at Coast Electric Power Association in Hancock County, Mississippi and Singer River Electric Power Association in Jackson County Mississippi. Finally, he will address and advance a grassroots developed and led climate justice initiative regarding energy distribution, pricing, and production policies as well as Coastal Restoration priorities and activities associated with the BP Oil disaster.

Raised along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Shabazz has long had an interest in both economic development and community development in and for small town, rural, and economically distressed areas. Furthermore, having previously been an unengaged member/household of an energy cooperative, Shabazz would now like to increase participation and engagement in these entities that have unused potential to transform many of the unwanted, economic realities across the United States.

Bette Billiot
United Houma Nation Tribe
Houma, Louisiana
Bette Billiot’s project focuses on inequality in the Gulf South. Her plan is to construct and organize a task force consisting of a small number of dedicated indigenous community members from the Houma region affected by inequalities, such as poor representation from others in understanding the importance of their daily lives and culture. The community taskforce members would be instrumental for making sure the unheard voices of their otherwise unheard community are heard as well as received. The members would share responsibility of attending meetings, trainings and workshops hosted throughout the Gulf South that explore changes and future projects that would directly affect their communities. They would be responsible for collecting information to bring back to a committee in order to collectively discuss plans of action, responses, and/or strategy.

As a member of the United Houma Nation herself, Billiot is dedicated and fervent about this work. She knows how important it is that indigenous people of the Houma area speak for themselves. This project not only makes the community members responsible for their own knowledge and representation, it also allows them to travel to different areas in the region to see first-hand how inequality is affecting them.

Jorge Lugo
Artist/Activist
Houston, Texas
Jorge Lugo uses art to raise awareness of and motivate involvement in issues of climate change and inequality in the Gulf South. His project focuses on environmental justice issues in the Manchester community of Houston, where Lugo has lived most of his life, and will create a space that encourages education on local issues by working on alternative solutions for the community, providing services (or giving back to the community), hosting communal events, skill shares, teach-ins, and work-shops. The use of art will serve as a form of creative, direct action public presentations to raise awareness of environmental and inequality issues. Visual and performing arts will unify diverse, multicultural communities and encourage youth communities to take on the challenge of raising awareness.

Lugo was driven to this project and the arts due to not having an opportunity to a creative space to share with other environmentally affected community members. His mother has suffered medically due to environmental pollution, disasters, and injustices and this fellowship grant and opportunity will help establish a creative communal space for all to address these issues.

PRESS RELEASE

The Gulf Coast Center for Law & Policy Announces the 2014 Gulf Guardian Fellows

The Gulf Coast Center for Law & Policy proudly announces its 2014 Class of Gulf Guardian Fellows. Five leaders submitted ideas that make progress toward restoring the humanity of marginalized communities in the Gulf South while honoring the work that strengthens the broader Gulf South ecology.

The Gulf Guardian Fellowship is a 12 month program that aims to strengthen social and ecological equity in the Gulf South. Fellowship awards are meant honor and support community members working to address root-causes, immediate consequences or long-term impacts of inequality or climate change in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

The Gulf Coast Center for Law & Policy (GCCLP) is a non-profit, public interest law firm and justice center with a mission to build, serve and advocate for structural shifts that promote equity in law, society and community. GCCLP’s long-term work addresses intersecting visions of Climate Justice, Migrant Rights, Land Sovereignty and Economic Opportunity for Gulf Coast communities on the frontlines of climate change. Through human rights-based legal services, community leadership development and advocacy, GCCLP promotes structural equity in the laws, policies and practices that impact Gulf South communities on the frontlines of climate change.

As part of GCCLP’s community leadership development initiative the Gulf Guardian fellowship aims to support various approaches to building social and ecological equity by honoring community leaders working to address the long-term impacts of inequality and climate change. Support for the 2014 Gulf Guardian Fellows is made possible by a generous grant from the Nathan Cummings Foundation.

Leaders from the five Gulf South states made up the regional Selection Committee that met in Louisiana in early September to select five fellows from nearly 300 applications submitted. To be selected, applicants had to be 18 years of age or older and residing in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, or Florida. Selection priority was given to Individuals working on climate, environment, economic justice, or social justice issues for at least two years and to those who showed a history of collaborative work. Selected fellows receive a $40,000 stipend and attend training and retreats designed for collective learning, cross-sector networking, collaborative strategy and leadership development.

The Gulf Coast Center for Law & Policy is pleased to announce the following 2014 Gulf Guardian Fellows:
·
Pandwe Althea Gibson
EcoTech Visions
Miami, Florida
In order to create jobs and impact climate change, EcoTech Visions will serve as an incubator for green manufacturing start-ups. EcoTech Visions creates and offers innovative programs and services that address both climate change and systemic poverty and ultimately further economic development in the regions it serves—low-income, blue collar, underdeveloped areas. Leveraging the growing market and funding for green products, servicing and manufacturing processes, as well as the growing pot of resources designed to address income inequality, EcoTech Visions’ programs develop and support local green businesses and jobs. Successful implementation of this project will reduce landfill plastics by 20%, reduce unemployment rates in Liberty City, Florida by 50%, and create new advocates for green businesses.

Gibson is making going green cool, practical and profitable. After founding a network of schools and proving herself an effective educator, Gibson dove into the business world where she started, led and scaled three successful companies. Her experience and passion for lifting up the underserved, combined with green industry are what drive her forward.

Joel Lewis
University of South Alabama
Mobile, Alabama

In association with the University of South Alabama, native Mobile resident Joel Lewis uses her documentary, Mobile in Black and White, as a teaching tool to educate audiences in Mobile, Alabama and beyond about race and inequalities. The documentary is a project that addresses racialized disparities and outcomes in Mobile, Alabama and examines how race remains a fundamental issue in American life, but also how it can be addressed without assignments of guilt or blame. Lewis will use the fellowship to further the educational outreach of this film by interviewing and sharing the stories of people who are included in the statistical disparities seen in diversity data. From the interviews, Lewis will create relevant videos to be used for training, education, and community awareness. Discussion fostered by the film will be used to design an online learning module that will be available on the Mobile in Black and White website.

Because Lewis is a part of this community, her relationships and experiences have helped her recognize that there is a collective responsibility of stakeholders, community leaders, and citizens to examine root causes, understand levels of engagement, and identify community-developed success indicators. This project will be used as a tool to educate, empower, and move toward equity.

Ya-Sin Shabazz
Hijira House
Biloxi , Mississippi
Working with Hijira House, whose mission is to cultivate, advocate, and facilitate faith-based solutions to distinct, economic and social challenges of low to moderate income citizens and low to moderate income areas, Shabazz’s project will educate, organize, and mobilize low-income, minority members of utility cooperatives. First, Shabazz will generate broad, grassroots civic engagement amongst traditionally disengaged minority and low-income cooperative member-owners at Coast Electric Power Association in Hancock County, Mississippi and Singer River Electric Power Association in Jackson County Mississippi. Finally, he will address and advance a grassroots developed and led climate justice initiative regarding energy distribution, pricing, and production policies as well as Coastal Restoration priorities and activities associated with the BP Oil disaster.

Raised along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Shabazz has long had an interest in both economic development and community development in and for small town, rural, and economically distressed areas. Furthermore, having previously been an unengaged member/household of an energy cooperative, Shabazz would now like to increase participation and engagement in these entities that have unused potential to transform many of the unwanted, economic realities across the United States.

Bette Billiot
United Houma Nation Tribe
Houma, Louisiana
Bette Billiot’s project focuses on inequality in the Gulf South. Her plan is to construct and organize a task force consisting of a small number of dedicated indigenous community members from the Houma region affected by inequalities, such as poor representation from others in understanding the importance of their daily lives and culture. The community taskforce members would be instrumental for making sure the unheard voices of their otherwise unheard community are heard as well as received. The members would share responsibility of attending meetings, trainings and workshops hosted throughout the Gulf South that explore changes and future projects that would directly affect their communities. They would be responsible for collecting information to bring back to a committee in order to collectively discuss plans of action, responses, and/or strategy.

As a member of the United Houma Nation herself, Billiot is dedicated and fervent about this work. She knows how important it is that indigenous people of the Houma area speak for themselves. This project not only makes the community members responsible for their own knowledge and representation, it also allows them to travel to different areas in the region to see first-hand how inequality is affecting them.

Jorge Lugo
Artist/Activist
Houston, Texas
Jorge Lugo uses art to raise awareness of and motivate involvement in issues of climate change and inequality in the Gulf South. His project focuses on environmental justice issues in the Manchester community of Houston, where Lugo has lived most of his life, and will create a space that encourages education on local issues by working on alternative solutions for the community, providing services (or giving back to the community), hosting communal events, skill shares, teach-ins, and work-shops. The use of art will serve as a form of creative, direct action public presentations to raise awareness of environmental and inequality issues. Visual and performing arts will unify diverse, multicultural communities and encourage youth communities to take on the challenge of raising awareness.

Lugo was driven to this project and the arts due to not having an opportunity to a creative space to share with other environmentally affected community members. His mother has suffered medically due to environmental pollution, disasters, and injustices and this fellowship grant and opportunity will help establish a creative communal space for all to address these issues.

PRESS RELEASE

The Art Experience, Inc. , will celebrate October 8th, 2014, its first Visitors Information Stands in Wynwood. With two visitor information stands opening to the public, this Wednesday, October 8th, 2014. One stand will be at the corner of 24th Street and NW 2nd avenue (adjacent to Panther Coffee) and the 2nd Stand at 25th Street and NW 2nd Avenue (adjacent to the Wynwood Walls). Creative Founder Susana Baker launched The Art Experience, Inc. in 2009. A company specializing in Art and Culinary Tours for visitors and locals to experience the cultural side of Miami. To date with touring over 100 monthly visitors with its Signature VIP Tour: Dine Design Explore the Art, has earned the company a 5 star rating on trip advisor. The Visitors Stands will be free to the public. All visitors wishing information on murals, galleries, cafes can receive the information for free from these stands. Maps will be handed out and orientation tours (available with a small donation) will be offered from the stands. All tours are accompanied with a Uniformed Tourator (trained as a tour guide in History and Curator trained in Arts). After 3 years in business, it became apparent to Ms. Baker that every time she toured in Wynwood, visitors would approach her asking questions, or even following her on tours to learn about the different artists, murals and the history of Wynwood. “Most visitors GPS Wynwood or take a taxi to the area, but then they feel lost, walking around uncertain as to what they are viewing, and is there more, and where?” Says Susana Baker. “The saddest thing for me is that the visitors leave Wynwood without the full experience, story and the rich history of the area, including trivia facts of the murals and the artists. This is what our Tourators deliver to the visitor the total panoramic picture of Wynwood, which is filled with great history, amazing street art, and galleries! The tours can be done in Russian, Portuguese, French, Chinese and Spanish!

Gallery 212 located at 2407 NW 2nd Avenue, Miami, Florida 33127, will host along with The Art Experience a free Public Celebration, with Miami Club Rum sponsoring signature cocktails, The Riviera Foccaceria Italiana from Midtown will serve signature bites and live music. Join us for the official launch of Wynwood’s Visitors Information Center. City of Miami Mayor Regalado will be there to cut the ribbon along with other Community leaders. Special performance by MAD DANCE

PRESS RELEASE

The Art Experience, Inc. , will celebrate October 8th, 2014, its first Visitors Information Stands in Wynwood. With two visitor information stands opening to the public, this Wednesday, October 8th, 2014. One stand will be at the corner of 24th Street and NW 2nd avenue (adjacent to Panther Coffee) and the 2nd Stand at 25th Street and NW 2nd Avenue (adjacent to the Wynwood Walls). Creative Founder Susana Baker launched The Art Experience, Inc. in 2009. A company specializing in Art and Culinary Tours for visitors and locals to experience the cultural side of Miami. To date with touring over 100 monthly visitors with its Signature VIP Tour: Dine Design Explore the Art, has earned the company a 5 star rating on trip advisor. The Visitors Stands will be free to the public. All visitors wishing information on murals, galleries, cafes can receive the information for free from these stands. Maps will be handed out and orientation tours (available with a small donation) will be offered from the stands. All tours are accompanied with a Uniformed Tourator (trained as a tour guide in History and Curator trained in Arts). After 3 years in business, it became apparent to Ms. Baker that every time she toured in Wynwood, visitors would approach her asking questions, or even following her on tours to learn about the different artists, murals and the history of Wynwood. “Most visitors GPS Wynwood or take a taxi to the area, but then they feel lost, walking around uncertain as to what they are viewing, and is there more, and where?” Says Susana Baker. “The saddest thing for me is that the visitors leave Wynwood without the full experience, story and the rich history of the area, including trivia facts of the murals and the artists. This is what our Tourators deliver to the visitor the total panoramic picture of Wynwood, which is filled with great history, amazing street art, and galleries! The tours can be done in Russian, Portuguese, French, Chinese and Spanish!

Gallery 212 located at 2407 NW 2nd Avenue, Miami, Florida 33127, will host along with The Art Experience a free Public Celebration, with Miami Club Rum sponsoring signature cocktails, The Riviera Foccaceria Italiana from Midtown will serve signature bites and live music. Join us for the official launch of Wynwood’s Visitors Information Center. City of Miami Mayor Regalado will be there to cut the ribbon along with other Community leaders. Special performance by MAD DANCE