Category: Press

Emerging South Florida-based Documentary Photographers Invited to Apply for $25,000 Award, Opportunities to Create New Work, Engage Youth, and More

HistoryMiami Museum’s Center for Photography is launching a photography fellowship program for emerging, local documentary photographers to capture and amplify community stories, particularly those relating to Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and Latinx community members. The fellowship will provide one photographer with opportunities, including:

• A $25,000 award to support the creation of new work related to Miami.
• Select photography to be added to HistoryMiami’s permanent photography collection.
• An exhibition of the fellow’s work at the museum and/or offsite.
• An opportunity to collaborate with HistoryMiami’s Education Department to work with local youth.
• One or more public programs highlighting fellowship-related work.

“Thanks to a Perez Family Foundation CreARTE grant, HistoryMiami Museum will support local talent in documenting and sharing stories from our diverse community,” said Michel Knoll, Director of Curatorial Affairs and Chief Curator at HistoryMiami Museum. “We are eager to collaborate with photographers to build the historical record, exhibit new work, and offer a variety of learning opportunities.”

The Center’s core mission is to collect, safeguard, and share photographic images that tell the stories of our community and illuminate the Miami experience, in all its diversity. The Center emphasizes documentary photography and serves photographers, researchers, and the general public through its collection of historical images (numbering in the millions), dedicated photography galleries, programming, and more. This fellowship project intentionally aligns with the museum’s desire to address representational gaps in past collaborations, our collection, and the stories featured in our exhibitions and programs.  

In partnership with the Center, the Education Department will work with the photographer and youth stakeholders in documenting a subject of their choosing and lived experiences.

“On a daily basis, many of our youth are deprived of their humanity, but they have so much joy and beauty to share,” Director of Education Tina Menendez said. “Creating spaces for youth to genuinely feel seen, engaged, and heard is essential.”

Submissions for the 2022-2023 fellowship are due by May 31, 2022. Application details can be found at www.historymiami.org/photofellow.

Applications will be reviewed by a diverse committee of local documentary photographers, curators, other photography professionals, and/or museum staff. The selected fellow will be announced by June 30, 2022.

The project is made possible by a generous donation from The Jorge M. Perez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation, as part of the CreARTE grant program. First established in 2019, CreARTE aims to bridge gaps in key areas impacting the creative community most, including access to affordable workplaces, cultural equity, and education.

HistoryMiami Museum hosts FREE event Saturday, November 13th

CultureFest 305 is back!  After taking the event virtual last year, HistoryMiami Museum (101 W. Flagler Street) will host the fifth annual event in person, November 13th from 11 AM – 4 PM.   The free activities celebrating life in the Magic City include a jam-packed day of music, dance, food, and art. This festival brings together the city’s finest traditional artists for a day of performances and demonstrations and activities for all ages. Discover all that makes Miami the diverse, vibrant, and extraordinary city we love!

Saturday, November 13, 2021

11:00 AM – 4:00 PM

FREE ADMISSION

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Festival Schedule 

Performances

12:30 PM – 1:15 PM  Willie Stewart, Rhythms In Conversation Percussion Performance

2:00 PM – 2:30 PM  Clarita Filgueiras & Flamenco Puro Dance Company, Flamenco Music and Dance

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM  Bachaco, Reggae Rock & Latin Roots

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Demonstrations

12:00 PM – 12:30 PM  Louines Louinis Haitian Dance Theater, Haitian Drumming and Storytelling

1:30 PM – 1:50 PM  Ukrainian Dancers of Miami, Ukrainian Folk Dance Demonstration

2:45 PM – 3:15 PM  Rhythms School of Dance, Indian Dance Workshop

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Ongoing Demonstrators

Stay tuned as we continue adding demonstrators and activity details!

11:00 AM – 4:00 PM

• Miami Beach lifeguard tower model-making, Alcibiades Cerrud
• Pan-Asian folk traditions, Asian American Advisory Board
• Local food culture, Edible South Florida
• Marimba music demonstrations, Mexican folklife, and cafesito, Mi Folklor y Cafesito
• Live painting demonstrations, Omar Corrales Mora and Futurama Art Galleries
• Connection Bingo, Radical Partners
• Live woodturning demonstrations, South Florida Woodturners Guild
• Ukrainian folk traditions, Ukrainian Dancers of Miami

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Ongoing Activities from 11 AM – 4 PM:

• Poster Signing with Artist, Izia Lindsay
• Take-Away Craft Activities
• Food and Drink Vendors

*Schedule subject to change

Anastasia Samoylova’s photographic collection visually captures the impact climate change has on human behavior.

– FloodZone, a climate-inspired exhibition boasting a 47-piece collection, opens October 15 at HistoryMiami Museum.  Created and curated by Miami’s own Anastasia Samoylova, it will fittingly have its most impressive and largest display to date in her residential hometown. Her art is acclaimed for its bold stance on the notions of consumerism and environmentalism, but balanced in its non-sensationalistic approach to changing landscapes resulting from climate change. 

“This project explores how we navigate our space around environmental changes, how we prepare for this moment, and how we live in at-risk areas while economic forces instill a sense of denial and disavowal,” said Samoylova, a Russian-American artist who moves between observational photography, studio practice, and installation.

Visitors to FloodZone will experience portraits of locals, flora, the concrete jungles that replace mangrove forests, wetlands, and farms, all embodied in lush greens, azure blues, and pastel pink colors.

HistoryMiami Museum Executive Director Jorge Zamanillo describes Samoylova’s photography as an evocativedocumentary project of the changing landscape: “What this busy community needs desperately is time to reflect on the changes happening around us. FloodZone gives us the space to pause and consider how current realities are impacting our South Florida community.”

The exhibition, on display at HistoryMiami Museum, 101 W. Flagler Street, will remain in place through April 17, 2022. Open Wednesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., and Sunday noon – 4 p.m., admission is $10 for adults; seniors and students with ID are $8; children ages 6-12 are $5; Museum members and children under 6 are free. 

Guests enjoying FloodZone can also visit the complementary companion exhibition, storms and flooding in Miami, in the Photograph Collection Highlights gallery adjacent to FloodZone.  The exhibition is presented with the generous support of Miami-Dade County, State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, John and Susannah Shubin, Sheryl F. Gold, and the Touzet Studio.   For more information, visit historymiami.org.  

Objects provide a window into Miami’s history: Tequesta Artifacts, John James Audubon Prints, Walter Mercado Cape, Seminole Doll    

Unearthed Tequesta artifacts from 800 A.D., naturalist James Audubon prints, and famous gender non-conforming astrologer Walter Mercado’s cape all headline the newest HistoryMiami Museum exhibition, It’s a Miami Thing: Highlights from Our Collection. These treasures will be on display to the public starting July 29, just in time to celebrate Miami’s 125th birthday, as well as the Museum’s 81^st anniversary.  

“Our mission is to safeguard Miami Stories and one of the ways we do that is by collecting items that document the Miami experience,” HistoryMiami Museum Executive Director Jorge Zamanillo said. “This is truly the community’s collection, and we hope everyone will visit and enjoy these highlights that capture the uniqueness of our city.”  

It’s a Miami Thing was curated from over 30,000 objects and millions of archival items in the Museum’s collection, which  are carefully preserved.  The exhibition includes the Burdines sign from the original flagship store, Seminole patchwork clothing, architectural drawings of Miami buildings, prints from naturalist John James Audubon’s Birds of America and treasure salvaged from the 1622 Nuestra Señora de Atocha shipwreck, discovered 35 years ago off the coast of the Florida Keys. There is also an interactive component inviting visitors to reflect on and share their “Miami thing.” 

It’s a Miami Thing, on display at HistoryMiami Museum located at 101 W. Flagler Street, will remain in place through January 9, 2022. Open Wednesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., and Sunday noon – 4 p.m., HistoryMiami Museum is currently offering complimentary admission through August 31.  Starting September 1, admission is $10 for adults; seniors and students with ID are $8; children ages 6-12 are $5; Museum members and children under 6 are free.  

The exhibition is sponsored in part by Miami Dade County, State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, Bermont Gold Wealth Advisory of Raymond James, and Mark Migdal & Hayden.

For more information, visit historymiami.org.

HistoryMiami Museum joins forces with Rosie Gordon-Wallace and Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator to launch project that opens to public June 5

HistoryMiami Museum  and  curator  Rosie  Gordon-Wallace of Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator (DVCAI) invited the public to celebrate Caribbean-American Heritage Month by experiencing the community’s newest mural, “This is Miami.” A vibrant and bold 130-foot long panoramic piece, the mural graces the entrance of the Museum and highlights Miami’s link to five Caribbean nations, three talented local artists and a century of Caribbean impact on South Florida. The project, also known as “Esto Es Miami,” “Se Miami,” “C’est Miami” and “Dit is Miami,” reflects the diverse languages found among residents living on the more than 700 islands, islets and reefs that lie in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of the Gulf of Mexico. 

“We are honored to be working with Rosie Gordon-Wallace and WALL’N Collective on the launch of this mural. This is part of a newly-established, ongoing mural initiative at the museum to highlight diverse voices from our community,” Executive Director Jorge Zamanillo said. “We wanted to create a vehicle for artists to answer the question “What Makes Miami, Miami?” And this exciting artwork is the first of many to come, all tackling that question through artistic expression.”  

Ms. Gordon-Wallace, originally from Jamaica, is best known for curating internationally diverse art exhibitions and being the founder of DVCAI.  She selected a trio of Miami’s most talented Caribbean muralists to draw upon their own experiences in Cuba, Haiti, and Trinidad and Tobago to help inspire the final collection of painted images, woven together in a tapestry of color that will captivate the senses of any visitor. Created by WALL’N Collective, made up of Caribbean artists Asser Saint-Val, Izia Lindsay and Rosa Naday Garmendia, the mural is an answer to the question, “What Makes Miami, Miami?  

“I want people to feel the warmth of the Caribbean – to feel viscerally welcome,” said Ms. Gordon-Wallace. “’This is Miami’ offers smiles and nods and recognition that you can find yourself in the artists’ collection of memories.  As a curator, this is what inspires me.  While you can’t mandate feelings, I don’t think one can walk through the lobby without seeing a vignette that resonates and connects with Miami’s Caribbean culture.” “This is Miami” will remain through the end of 2021. The mural and Museum, located at 101 W. Flagler Street, Miami, is free to the public.

HISTORY OF CARIBBEAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH 

 In 2006, by proclamation, President George Bush announced the formal recognition of Caribbean-American Heritage Month. The campaign to designate June as National Caribbean American Heritage Month was spearheaded by Dr. Claire Nelson, Founder and President of the Institute of Caribbean Studies, to remind people of the impact Caribbean nations and immigrants have had on America’s history, past and present.   

Muhammad Ali in Miami: Training for the “Fight of the Century” opens February 25

Muhammad Ali versus Joe Frazier was billed as the “Fight of the Century” and, in preparation for the March 8, 1971 bout, Ali spent time in Miami Beach training at the famed 5th Street Gym. One-of-a-kind photos chronicling his preparations will now be on display at HistoryMiami Museum in a new exhibition titled Muhammad Ali in Miami: Training for the “Fight of the Century.” The images will be displayed from February 25 through August 29 within a new photography gallery dedicated to exhibiting selections from the museum’s extensive image collection.

With the support of the Knight Foundation, HistoryMiami Museum recently acquired the “ALI/MIA” portfolio of 20 silver gelatin photographs selected and handmade by photographer and Miami resident Andrew Kaufman. Seventeen of the images document Ali’s time training for the fight. Three additional images taken in 1981 capture Ali’s final fight, “Drama in Bahama,” against Trevor Berbick. The photographs were taken by award winning photographer Larry Spitzer and colleague Jebb Harris of the Louisville’s Courier-Journal, both of whom covered the Kentucky native for more than a decade. Kaufman’s portfolio is a portion of the work featured in the book Picture: Muhammad Ali, published by PSG.

“These photos captured a historic moment for Ali. He was just returning to boxing after his conviction for refusing to register for the draft in 1967 had been overturned,” HistoryMiami Museum Executive Director Jorge Zamanillo said. “These photos show him preparing to return to the biggest stage in sports at that time, and we hope everyone will visit the museum to view an incredible and rarely seen collection of images.”

“ALI/MIA” will launch a new gallery space dedicated to exhibiting highlights from the museum’s collection of more than two million historical images. Selections will be displayed on a rotating basis. The institution’s image collection documents South Florida history from the late 1800s to the present. Notable strengths include photojournalism, aerial photography, street scenes, architectural photography, and images of everyday life.

“We want to make sure the incredible photography that lives in our collection is widely accessible, so we created a special space to help us share it with the community,” said Michael Knoll, the museum’s director of curatorial affairs/chief curator. “We’re proud to open this new gallery by featuring ‘ALI/MIA,’ and we look forward to presenting more highlights from our collection within this space in the years to come.”

Open Thursday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Sunday noon – 5 p.m., HistoryMiami Museum is currently offering complimentary admission. For more information, visit historymiami.org.

Museum will preserve local experiences, stories, photographs, and artifacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Lives Matter movement, and the 2020 elections to help remember the unforgettable year

Most people want to forget just about everything from 2020, but HistoryMiami Museum wants to remember it all. That’s why on December 30 at 10:30 a.m. the Smithsonian Affiliate, located in downtown Miami, is issuing a communitywide call to Miamians to share stories and items that capture their experiences of 2020.

The project, Collecting 2020, will focus on the events that made this year unforgettable, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the protests for racial justice, and local and national elections. The initiative aims to preserve a record of life in Miami through community submissions that highlight how Miamians have been affected by and responded to these major events. 

“The events of this year are historic moments that will never be forgotten,” said Jorge Zamanillo, executive director of HistoryMiami Museum. “Our museum is committed to this collaborative effort to document the history of Miami and Miamians during this unheralded year.”   

Collecting 2020 is already underway with headline-making items such as the Grim Reaper costume, worn by attorney Daniel Uhlfelder, whose claim to fame was walking public beaches over the summer, attempting to warn people of the dangers of public gatherings amid COVID-19. HistoryMiami also secured a Miami HEAT jersey emblazoned with “Black Lives Matter,” and a collection of materials from national and local political races, which resulted in the history-making election of Miami-Dade County’s first female Mayor. 

HistoryMiami will host a press conference from 10:30 – 11 a.m. on Wednesday, December 30, 2020, 101 West Flagler Street, to kick off the initiative. In attendance will be Uhlfelder, Jason Jackson from the Miami HEAT and Miami-Dade County Mayor Danielle Levine Cava.

As part of its longstanding Miami Stories project, the museum is also asking the public to contribute written and video stories related to the events of 2020. Now over a decade old, Miami Stories collects stories about Miami’s past, present, and future. These stories are added to the museum’s archive, and shared online and with local media outlets.  

“At HistoryMiami Museum, we value everyone’s story,” said Michael Knoll, director of Curatorial Affairs and chief curator. “Partnering with the community on this initiative is of paramount importance to preserving and sharing our city’s stories, especially with future generations.” 

Submissions of items and stories can be made through the museum’s website (https://www.historymiami.org/collecting2020. No drop-offs or unsolicited donations through mail or in person will be accepted.​  Stories and materials collected through this project will be added to the organization’s permanent collection. The museum collects, preserves, and provides access to items that document the history of the Miami region. The institution’s Archives & Research Center includes more than 2 million images, along with maps, architectural records, and more. Its object collection houses more than 30,000 items, mostly from the 20th century, and an additional 550 cubic feet of archaeological ma​terial. The museum will make the submitted stories and donated items accessible through its research center, serving researchers and the general public for generations to come. 

(September 13) MIAMI- HistoryMiami Museum, located in the heart of Downtown Miami, will open its doors free of charge on Saturday, September 22, 2018, as part of Smithsonian magazine’s fourteenth annual Museum Day Live!, a national celebration that represents a commitment to providing access, equity, and inclusion.

Smithsonian recognizes the extraordinary power of museums, and other cultural institutions, to provide visitors with insight and inspiration. The event represents a nationwide commitment to boundless curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge wherever you are. As a Smithsonian Affiliate, HistoryMiami Museum, is proud to be part of this annual tradition once again.

“HistoryMiami is the city’s museum. We safeguard and share Miami’s history and we want to be able to share it with all who want to come the museum,” Executive Director Jorge Zamanillo said. “We already host our Free Family Fun Day once a month offering access to the community, and this is just another way to continue developing a culture of equity.”

Currenlty at HistoryMiami Museum, visitors can view Tropical Dreams, A People’s History of South Florida, Avenues of Expression: Street Traditions in Miami, and catch the final week of Miami Rocks: The Miami Pop Festival, May 1968.

A Museum Day Live! ticket is available for download at Smithsonian.com. Visitors who present the Museum Day Live! ticket will gain free entrance for two at participating venues on September 22, 2018. One ticket per email address is permitted. For more information about Museum Day Live! 2018 and a full list of participating museums and cultural institutions, please visit Smithsonian.com.

HistoryMiami Museum is supported by the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museum, HistoryMiami is also sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.

Museum Hours & Fees:  Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00am – 5:00pm; Sunday, 12:00pm – 5:00pm; Monday, closed. Regular museum admission: $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students with ID, $5 for children 6-12, and free for museum members and children under 6.

About HistoryMiami Museum: 

HistoryMiami Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is the premier cultural institution committed to gathering, organizing, preserving and celebrating Miami’s history as the unique crossroads of the Americas. We accomplish this through education, collections, research, exhibitions, publications and City Tours. Located in the heart of downtown Miami, HistoryMiami Museum is a 70,000 square foot facility and home to more than one million historical images and 30,000 three-dimensional artifacts, including a 1920’s trolley car, artifacts from Pan American World Airways, and rafts that brought refugees to Miami. For more information, call 305-375-1492 or visit historymiami.org. HistoryMiami Museum is located at 101 W Flagler St, Miami, FL 33130.