Category: Press

The Discipline of Nature: Architect Alfred Browning Parker explores his work over his legendary 60-year career in Florida

MIAMI –  HistoryMiami Museum is proud to announce its upcoming exhibition, The Discipline of Nature: Architect Alfred Browning Parker, which will examine the 60-year career of the famed Miami architect whose organic tropicalist designs made him a regional leader and a national icon.

Opening on the 100th anniversary of the architect’s birth, The Discipline of Nature will celebrate Parker’s rich and prolific life. Featuring original drawings, archival photographs, and models and furnishings, the exhibition will illustrate Parker’s evolving designs and illuminate his use of natural principles, forms, and materials to create an organic structure for his work.

The exhibition, running from September 24, 2016 – February 26, 2017, brings new relevance to Parker as the activist architect, writer, speaker, teacher and philosopher of Miami.

“Parker has a remarkable legacy in Miami. He was an original thinker who emphasized environmentally friendly design and sustainability longer before the “green movement” even existed,” said Stuart Chase, President and CEO of HistoryMiami.  “This exhibition not only celebrates his remarkable designs, but highlights the ecological and environmental basis to his work.”

Parker designed more than 500 projects in his 60-year career, many of which were award-winning designs, and was the recipient of the American Institute of Architects Florida Association’s inaugural Award of Honor in 1967.

“As an architect deeply rooted in Florida, Parker designed and built singular works directed by a coherent system of values that directly address issues of place,” said co-Curator Allan Shulman. “Central to his ethos was respect for the earth and its resources, and moral and aesthetic interest in the power of nature.”

HistoryMiami Museum will host a Grand Opening party for The Discipline of Nature on September 24th with a special conversation with curators Randolph C. Henning and Allan Shulman that will bring to light the indelible impact Parker had on Florida’s built landscape.

“Without question Alfred Browning Parker is Florida’s most renowned and celebrated architect,” Curator Randolph C. Henning said. “What better day to open this exhibition, a celebration of his passionate creative energy and commitment to living in harmony with the environment, than on the day marking the centennial anniversary of his birth.”

For more information visit www.historymiami.org. Tickets to see the exhibition cost $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students, $5 for children, and free for children under 6 years old.

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 historic 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.

MIAMI – Sports and history intertwine in HistoryMiami Museum’s new exhibition Beyond the Game: Sports and the Evolution of South Florida. The exhibition, opening July 16 and running thru January 15, 2017, highlights the way South Florida sports have both reflected and shaped the cultural growth of South Florida.

Since the 1920s, sports events and teams have both mirrored and influenced the development of the area. Miami Jai-Alai, featuring the “world’s fastest” ballgame, and Hialeah Park, showcasing horse racing, were two early sporting attractions that lured northern tourists and fueled the public’s growing fascination with the area. By the early 1960s, the Fifth Street Gym in Miami Beach, home to champion boxers like Muhammad Ali, emerged as an island of democracy amid the realities of Jim Crow segregation. Meanwhile, the newly opened Miami Marine Stadium was gaining popularity, and the sport of powerboat racing symbolized “sun and fun.” The professional sports franchises followed, as did the rise of the University of Miami’s football program, confirming Miami’s status as a modern metropolis.

“From a historical perspective, the thing that is most striking is how central South Florida’s sporting scene has been to its identity almost from the very beginning. Hialeah Park and Miami Jai-Alai date to the mid-1920s, and both were not only important tourist destinations, but really shaped the way that people understood South Florida,” said exhibition curator Gaspar Gonzalez. “These kinds of attractions conveyed a sense of South Florida as a unique place.”

Curated by HistoryMiami and Gaspar González, a Yale-trained historian (and former Miami New Times writer) known for creating Emmy-winning documentary programming that has been featured on PBS, ESPN and others, the exhibition tells this story of evolution through photographs, trophies, uniforms, and never before seen items related to South Florida’s sports scene. In addition, two short films — one on Hialeah Park, the other on the Marine Stadium, as well as a series of short video interviews with some of South Florida’s most iconic former athletes, will be played throughout the exhibition.

Presented by Hialeah Park and HistoryMiami, the 5,000 square foot exhibition will showcase artifacts from HistoryMiami’s own collection, individuals in the community, as well as the area’s sports venues and professional teams.

Notable items include:

• Original Miami Heat floor from the Miami Arena
• Dan Marino’s contract
• Don Shula Play Sheet
• Footage of Muhammad Ali at 5^th Street Gym
• Orange Bowl trophy from University of Miami
• Memorabilia from Marlins’ inaugural year
• Hialeah Park infield sign
• Video interviews with local sports icons: Mike Lowell, Mercury Morris, Glen Rice, and Randal Hill

“The exhibition appeals to a diverse audience,” said Stuart Chase, President and CEO of HistoryMiami. “From the days of horseracing to the players who graced the gridiron, Beyond the Game not only celebrates sports history, but offers a fresh perspective on the impact it had on Miami becoming the world-class city it is today.”

HistoryMiami Museum will host a Grand Opening Celebration on July 16, 2016 and will feature team mascots, games, and fun for the whole family. The all-day event will be FREE and open to the public. Starting July 17, 2016 tickets to see the exhibition cost $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students, $5 for children, and free for children under 6 years old. A special member preview day will be held July 15. For more information on becoming a member of HistoryMiami Museum contact Hilda Masip at 305-675-1618 or visit www.historymiami.org.

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 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. Social Media: twitter.com/historymiami, facebook.com/historymiami360, Instagram.com/historymiami.

About Gaspar Gonzalez

Gaspar González has produced documentary programming for PBS, ESPN, and others. His credits include the national PBS release Muhammad Ali: Made in Miami, the Emmy®-winning Hecho a Mano: Creativity in Exile, and the Grantland short documentary Gay Talese’s Address Book. He is currently writing and producing the feature-length documentary A Long Way from Home: The Untold Story of Baseball’s Desegregation. His work has been recognized by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Cinematheque. He earned his Ph.D. in American Studies from Yale University.

MIAMI– HistoryMiami Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate, is proud to announce it is the recipient of the American Association for State and Local History’s Award of Merit for its powerful and moving exhibition Operation Pedro Pan: The Cuban Children’s Exodus.

The AASLH Leadership in History Awards, now in its 70th year, is the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history.  The awards are presented to organizations and museums that demonstrate excellence for projects ranging from civic engagement to exhibits and educational programs.

“HistoryMiami is honored and humbled to receive the Award of Merit for our Operation Pedro Pan exhibition,” Stuart Chase, CEO/President of HistoryMiami Museum. “Our team worked tirelessly to create an exhibition that truly told the story of courage and strength of the thousands of Cuban boys and girls who left their homeland to come to the United States. Daily, visitors of the exhibition were brought to tears by their story of bravery.”

Operation Pedro Pan, displayed from June 26th 2015 thru January 17th 2016, documented the emotional journey of 14,000 children and their families who were part of what became the largest recorded child refugee exodus in the Western Hemisphere, which lasted from 1960-1962.  Faced with the gut-wrenching decision, parents sent their children to the United States in an attempt to escape the communist government and the persecution of Catholics.  Operation Pedro Pan took visitors on the children’s journey from Cuba to Miami and beyond, offering a glimpse of the children’s past and the camps they lived in once they reached the United States.

Apart from artifacts, the Museum also created “a fishbowl display” that was a reconstruction of a glass room where authorities would confine Cuban children before they would leave the country. It was the last place they would see their parents. The display emphasized the pain, suffering, and fear that these children were put through as they made their way to the U.S.

The 5000 square foot exhibition was presented in partnership with Operation Pedro Pan Group, Inc., the organization that connects the children of the Pedro Pan exodus and preserves its artifacts and memories. The Museum also received a $300,000 grant from the State of Florida, Division of Cultural Affairs.

This is HistoryMiami’s second Merit Award in three years.  The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) honored HistoryMiami with the 2013 Award of Merit and a 2013 History in Progress (HIP) Award from the AASLH Leadership in History Awards committee, for The Guayabera: A Shirt’s Story exhibition. The Leadership in History Awards is the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of history and brings public recognition to small and large organizations, institutions, and programs that make contributions in this arena.

Located at 101 West Flagler Street in downtown Miami, HistoryMiami Museum is open Monday – Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students with ID, $5 for children ages 6-12, and free for children under the age of 6. Discounted Parking with validation is available at the Miami-Dade Cultural Center Parking Garage, 50 NW 2nd Avenue.

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.

MIAMI– In the midst of the start of another Hurricane Season in South Florida, HistoryMiami announces the Hurricane Andrew exhibition will be arriving to the Museum in August 2017.

In gearing up for this exhibition, the museum will be hosting a collection initiative this coming August. The Museum asks for the entire Miami community to participate and bring in any items or photos they have from Hurricane Andrew.

As the most destructive hurricane at the time to hit South Florida, Hurricane Andrew is a pivotal point in hurricane history and caused a huge change within the city of Miami. The exhibition will have a variety of items on display, in which guests will be able to learn about the history of the hurricane and remember Hurricane Andrew’s impact on the Miami community.

“HistoryMiami feels that this exhibition is about remembering Hurricane Andrew and its impact but also about remembering the courage and strength of the people of Miami.”

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.

MIAMI – Tim Chapman loved news, and he covered it better than just about anyone. As a photojournalist, Chapman captured the history of the world frame by frame for more than four decades. His life’s work will be soon be on display at HistoryMiami Museum from April 15- August 14 in an exhibition titled Newsman: The Photojournalism of Tim Chapman. It chronicles Miami’s history from the 1970s thru 2012, as well as major regional events and beyond, that have forever shaped our minds.

The exhibition, curated by HistoryMiami and Photographer Al Diaz, highlights Chapman’s storied career that started at the Miami Herald in 1972. The photographs show snapshots of four decades of covering wars, riots, waves of refugees, and hurricanes.  Chapman’s legacy will hang on the walls at the HistoryMiami Museum in the gallery on the museum’s third floor.

“For the last four decades, many of the iconic images from the most prominent events in South Florida were captured by Tim Chapman. He archived all of his photos and gifted that prized collection to HistoryMiami,” said Stuart Chase, CEO and President of HistoryMiami Museum. “We have chosen the very best that capture Chapman’s range of work, and we know it will be an eye-opening and moving experience for everyone who visits the exhibition.”

In 1978, Chapman was one of only four photographers to make it into Jonestown, Guyana to document what became known as “The Jonestown Massacre,” which marked the largest loss of U.S. civilian lives in a non-natural disaster, prior to September 11th. Chapman also captured Hurricane Andrew, the Cocaine Cowboys era, and the Mariel Boatlift.

As his friend and former colleague Carl Hiaasen once wrote in the Miami Herald, “You did not send Chapman to take pictures at Art Basel… You sent him to fires and wars and plane crashes and mass suicides in Guyana. You sent him to crawl the jungles of Nicaragua with armed rebels. You sent him to shoot the guarded island mansion of a crooked prime minister (where he rented a plane and flew in low “with the sun at our backs”)…  And those of us who got to ride with him in those kick-ass days cherish every harrowing memory.”

Some of those memories will be shared at a special opening night conversation with Chapman and Hiaasen that will be held on April 15 at HistoryMiami Museum. The event is open to the public. Tickets are $10 for HMM members and $20 for non-members.

The exhibition is part of the HistoryMiami Center for Photography which explores the Miami experience through photographic images. The Center builds on the Museum’s significant photography archive of 1.5 million images to collect and exhibit documentary photography, and to offer lectures, workshops, and photo tours. For more information visit www.historymiami.org/photography.

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.

MIAMI – Following its highly acclaimed stops at the New York Public Library and the GRAMMY Museum^® at L.A. LIVE, the multimedia exhibit exploring the life and career of Frank Sinatra will start its run in Miami at the HistoryMiami Museum on March 4, 2016.

As the official exhibit of the Frank Sinatra Centennial, Sinatra: An American Icon, traces 100 years of Sinatra’s legacy, from Hoboken, N.J., through superstardom, chronicling the meteoric rise of his music career, his Hollywood success, personal life, and humanitarian work.   The exhibit, presented in cooperation with the Sinatra Family, Frank Sinatra Enterprises, USC School of Cinematic Arts, and the GRAMMY Museum at L.A. LIVE, combines photos, family mementos, rare correspondence, personal items, artwork, and, of course, music, to offer a look into Sinatra’s legacy.

On view in the Museum’s Special Exhibits gallery on the third floor from March 4, 2016- June 5, 2016, HistoryMiami will also present a special section that highlights Frank Sinatra’s connections to South Florida. During the mid-20th century, Sinatra not only performed at Miami venues, but also shot several movies and television programs in the region. On display will be concert programs, movie and television memorabilia, and other items that tell Sinatra’s Miami story.

“Sinatra has a remarkable legacy performing, working and playing in Miami, and being able to bring the official exhibit of the Sinatra centennial to our museum is truly a treat for fans in South Florida,” said Stuart Chase, President and CEO of HistoryMiami. “This exhibit not only celebrates his iconic music legacy, but offers visitors a rare look into what it was like to know him personally.”

Sinatra’s story is told through items of his clothing, including his signature fedora and tuxedo, and pajamas, original artwork by Sinatra, and his golf clubs.

Other items on display include:

• Numerous awards, including Sinatra’s GRAMMY Awards, Academy Award, and Golden Globe Award
• Archival video and audio recordings from Sinatra’s many TV and radio appearances
• Original audio from one of Sinatra’s recording sessions
• Revealing personal family photos, behind-the-scenes studio images, and Herman Leonard’s classic photographs of Sinatra

“By working together with the Sinatra family on this exhibit, we were able to provide fans a unique glimpse of what it was like to know the man behind ‘The Voice,’ said exhibition curator Bob Santelli, Executive Director of the GRAMMY Museum. “Through this collection of photographs and mementos, the exhibit brings visitors into the life of Frank Sinatra.”

HistoryMiami Museum will host a Grand Opening party in partnership with Ocean Drive Magazine on March 3,^, 2016. Tickets cost $45 for members and $75 non-members.  For more information visit https://historymiami.org/exhibition/sinatra-an-american-icon/

Tickets to see the exhibition starting March 4, 2016 cost $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students, $5 for children, and free for children under 6 years old.

This traveling exhibition is made possible through the generous support of Jack Daniel’s, Sinatra’s drink of choice.

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 historic 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.

About Frank Sinatra

Throughout his career, Frank Sinatra performed on more than 1,400 recordings and was awarded 31 gold, nine platinum, three double platinum and one triple platinum album by the Recording Industry Association of America. He extends his record to 57 for the most top 40 albums on the Billboard 200 with this year’s new Ultimate Sinatra release. Sinatra has had Top 40 hits on the charts for eight decades, which is as long as the Billboard charts have existed. He received nine GRAMMY Awards over the course of his career, including three for the prestigious Album Of The Year, and an Oscar. Sinatra demonstrated a remarkable ability to appeal to every generation and continues to do so; his artistry still influences many of today’s music superstars. He also appeared in more than 60 films and produced eight motion pictures.

Sinatra was awarded Lifetime Achievement Awards from The Recording Academy, The Screen Actors Guild and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), as well as the Kennedy Center Honors, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. Today, he remains a legend and an inspiration around the world for his contributions to culture and the arts.

About The GRAMMY Museum^®

Paying tribute to music’s rich cultural history, this one-of-a-kind, 21st-century museum explores and celebrates the enduring legacies of all forms of music, the creative process, the art and technology of the recording process, and the history of the premier recognition of excellence in recorded music — the GRAMMY^® Award. The GRAMMY Museum features 30,000 square feet of interactive and multimedia exhibits located within L.A. LIVE, the downtown Los Angeles sports, entertainment and residential district. Through thought-provoking and dynamic public and educational programs and exhibits, guests will experience music from a never-before-seen insider perspective that only the GRAMMY Museum can deliver. For more information, please call 213-765-6800 or visit www.grammymuseum.org. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @TheGRAMMYMuseum on Twitter and Instagram, and like “The GRAMMY Museum” on Facebook.

MIAMI – The Miami International Map Fair, the longest continuously running map fair in the world, will return to HistoryMiami Museum February 5-7, 2016. Over 40 leading map dealers will gather from across the globe bringing an unparalleled selection of original antique maps, charts, town plans, and atlases. Thousands of maps from the 16th century to present day, and ranging in price from $25 to over a $100,000 will be on display offering something for the first time buyer, as well as the seasoned collector.

One of the rarest maps on display will be the first printed map of South Carolina, and the first to designate it as so. The map, drawn in 1695 and priced at $95,000, focuses on the developed region around Charleston, reaching southwards to the South Edisto River and north to “Sewee Harbor”. Also for sale will be a superb, scarce and important map of the Eastern Seaboard from Cape Lookout to Florida, with Cuba and the Bahamas, published by Theodore de Bry in 1591.The map was drawn by the French artist Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues, who’d accompanied French explorer René de Laudonnière to Florida in 1564.

“Maps are about history and HistoryMiami is proud to host one of the biggest events of its kind in the world, highlighting an ever-growing appreciation for international and rare maps,” Stuart Chase said, President/Chief Executive Officer for HistoryMiami Museum. “Each year, the Map Fair showcases rare maps that give a fascinating insight into the past and gives collectors and map enthusiasts the opportunity to come together and peruse visual pieces of living history.”

Held annually during the first weekend in February, the Miami International Map Fair provides buyers with a weekend to browse antique maps, rare books, panoramas and atlases from around the world, as well attend a series of special topical lectures. This is a unique opportunity to meet experts with an unrivaled depth of knowledge and scope of material.

The 2016 Map Fair Speakers include:

Maps to the Masses: Content, Creation and Dissemination at Stanford

Julie Sweetkind Singer, Saturday, February 6, 11 am

Assistant Director of Geospatial and Cartographic Data and the Head of the Branner Earth Sciences Library & Map Collections at Stanford University

Cartography and Culture: Using Old Maps in New Ways

Robert A. Leath, Saturday, February 6, 3 pm

Vice-President of Collections and Research at Old Salem Museums and Gardens

Mapping the Imagination: Fantasy, Science, and Making Maps in the Human Brain  

Catherine L. Newell, Ph.D., Sunday, February 7, 3 pm

Assistant Professor of Religion and Science in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Miami.

Additionally, The Florida International University GIS Center has partnered with the Miami International Map Fair and will present interactive GIS presentations throughout the weekend that will show the growth of Miami over the decades through aerial photographs.

Daily admission to the Map Fair is $20 for adults and children, $15 for HistoryMiami members and $10 for students with ID.  Full access weekend registration is $70 per person for HistoryMiami members and $80 for non-members and includes a VIP Private Preview on Friday evening before the fair opens to the public, a cocktail reception with the map dealers, and complimentary lunch on Saturday and Sunday.  A Friday night cocktail reception and dinner is available for $75 per person, in addition to the registration fee, and is open to full access weekend registrants only. Online Weekend Registration is open until February 3, 2016. Fair hours are Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 12 to 5 p.m. at 101 West Flagler Street in downtown Miami. Parking is available at the Cultural Center Parking Garage, 50 NW 2 Avenue.

The Miami International Map Fair sponsors include Miami-Dade County and BrandsMart U.S.A. Sponsorship and underwriting opportunities are still available, please contact 305-375-1618 or email mapfair@historymiami.org for more information. To register for the Miami International Map Fair or event information, please call 305-375-1618 or email mapfair@historymiami.org.

For high-resolution map images and credit information, please email Michele Reese at mreese@historymiami.org.

About HistoryMiami Museum

HistoryMiami Museum, a Smithsonian Institution 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 exhibitions, city tours, education, research, collections and publications. Visit www.historymiami.org to learn more.

MIAMI – HistoryMiami Museum will capture the spirit of the magic city during Art Basel Week while hosting  one of the most popular art events in recent years: the Miami Street Photography Festival. The festival and exhibitions are part of HistoryMiami’s newly-established Center for Photography, created as a part of a Knight Arts Challenge grant, and will feature world-class photographers, exhibitions, lectures, workshops, photo walks, and portfolio reviews. Legendary photographers Bruce Davidson, David Alan Harvey, Peter Turnley and Maggie Steber will be this year’s featured guests.

Now in its fourth year, the Miami Street Photography Festival is expanding to HistoryMiami Museum after gaining success in Wynwood during the previous three Art Basel Weeks. The festival’s mission is to give exposure to up-and-coming photographers from around the globe, and highlight the best in international street photography.

“The Miami Street Photography Festival creates an interactive platform for photographers to showcase their work during a time of high exposure for art,” said Juan Jose Reyes, founder of

The Miami Street Photography Festival. “This level of talent in photography cannot be found anywhere else during Art Basel Week and partnering with HistoryMiami helps solidify our standing in the community during one of the most prestigious art events in the world.”

As part of the festival’s program, HistoryMiami Museum will exhibit:

• Photographs of the finalists of the MSPF Street Photography Contest and of the Miami Photo Series competition; two international, juried competitions currently underway.
• New Cuba photography from David Alan Harvey in the festival’s featured artist gallery.
• Images from two respected street photography collectives – SPontanea from Italy and The Street Collective, an international group.

“Each of these photography exhibitions are in-line with our mission to preserve and document history, as street photography captures life as it is lived,” said HistoryMiami Museum President/CEO Stuart A. Chase. “This is a great opportunity for HistoryMiami to partner with an existing festival and expand our reach to new audiences by bringing world-class photography to the museum.”

The Miami Street Photography Festival expects to receive contest submissions from more than 50 countries. The exhibitions featuring the finalists of both contests will be displayed not only during the festival, but also for two months surrounding it, from November 20, 2015 through January 17, 2016.

This year, the Miami Street Photography Festival will be sponsored by Leica, Leica Store Miami, Adobe, Image Pro, Epson, Ona Bags and AroundTown Magazine.

Museum Hours and Fees:

HistoryMiami will be offering free admission during the festival, from December 3 – 6, 2015.

Hours: 10 am -10 pm.

Regular museum admission and hours:

$10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students with ID, $5 for children 6-12, and free for members and children under 6; Monday-Saturday, 10 am-5 pm; Sunday, 12 pm-5 pm.

About The Miami Street Photography Festival
Established in 2012, The MSPF© has evolved rapidly to become the leading street photography event in the world. The event is an international photography festival showcasing the best of contemporary street photography as viewed through the eyes of emerging photographers in this genre. The goal of the festival is to establish a global platform for learning through exhibitions, workshops, lectures, and other events. This event is a collaborative effort to advance the work of photographers who pay attention to everyday life in order to capture the world around us. For Festival information and submissions visit: www.miamistreetphotographyfestival.org or visit
facebook.com/MiamiStreetPhotographyFestival for more information.

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. For more information, call 305-375-1492 or visit historymiami.org.

MIAMI – Imagine leaving your homeland as a child, without your parents, to live in a foreign country. Will you ever return home? Will you ever see your parents again? What does your future hold?

That was the reality for the more than 14,000 unaccompanied Cuban boys and girls who left their homeland to come to the United States in what became the largest recorded child refugee exodus in the Western Hemisphere, which lasted from 1960-1962.

“I think it’s impossible for most people to understand how utterly frightening this was,” recalled Tony Argiz, one of the many children sent away from his parents and family in pursuit of freedom at age 9. “Remember, most of us had no idea if we were ever going to see our families again. And we were too young to understand why we were being sent away.”

With the support of Operation Pedro Pan Group, Inc., the organization that connects the children of the Pedro Pan exodus and preserves its artifacts and memories, HistoryMiami museum will open its doors to the exhibition documenting the emotional journey these children – and their families – underwent to escape indoctrination.

The exhibition will not only display the artifacts but also tell the story of how these families came to make this life-changing decision and what became of the children. Using video testimonials, private letters, journals and photographs, the exhibition will take visitors on a journey from Cuba to Miami and beyond; giving visitors a glimpse of the children’s past and the camps they lived in once they reached the United States through recreated environments.

With the support of a $300,000 grant from the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the 5,000 sq. ft. exhibition Operation Pedro Pan: The Cuban Children’s Exodus will be on view from June 26, 2015 – January 17, 2016.

Admission to the museum is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and students with ID, $6 for children 6-12, and free for members and children under 6. Museum hours are: Monday-Saturday, 10 am-5 pm; Sunday, 12 pm-5 pm. For more information, call 305-375-1492 or visit historymiami.org.

Operation Pedro Pan Group, Inc. (OPPG) is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1991 by the former children of Pedro Pan. The organization has played an integral role in documenting and educating the public on this important chapter of the history of Cuba and the United States. Learn more about OPPG at www.pedropan.org or facebook.com/OPPGI

About HistoryMiami

HistoryMiami, 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.