Diversity Embodied In New HistoryMiami Mural

Miami FL

09 June, 2021

11:35 AM

Description

By Johania Charles A newly unveiled mural at HistoryMiami Museum is answering a question the cultural institution has posed since its inception in 1940: "What makes Miami, Miami?" From its skyline to beautiful beaches and multi-ethnic cuisine, Miami is as rich in scenic views as it is in culture and language, unique identifiers the WALL'N Collective captured in its latest work, now stretch across a vast wall in the museum's entry space. HistoryMiami commissioned WALL'N to paint the 130-foot-long wall inside its lobby, replacing "Dos Alas," the previous mural – in place for three years – that was created by two Hispanic artists. A private unveiling ceremony for invited guests was held Friday and gave the mural's creators an opportunity to share their inspiration for the piece before it opened to the public. WALL'N is made up of three Miami-based Caribbean artists and renowned curator Rosie Gordon-Wallace, president of the Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator. The collective was formed out of a partnership with HistoryMiami. "We [often] look to work with the community and find partners to answer the question of 'What is Miami?" said Jorge Zamanillo, executive director of HistoryMiami. "We've done a series of murals and it's always been a great way to engage with artists locally. We thought Rosie would be the perfect person to create a collective to do that." Gordon-Wallace sought out artists she's worked with in the past to create "This is Miami," which was completed to coincide with the beginning of Caribbean American Heritage Month. Trinidadian artist Izia Lindsay, Haitian artist Asser Saint-Val and Cuban artist Rosa Naday Garmendia are the members of the team. Trinidadian artist Izia Lindsay, curator Rosie Gordon-Wallace and Haitian artist Asser Saint-Val stand in front of their mural at HistoryMiami Museum.(Johania Charles for The Miami Times) "If I'm going to define Miami, I'm going to define it through the ethnic lens that I know," said Gordon-Wallace, explaining why it was important to have Caribbean artists work on the project. "'What makes Miami, Miami?' is a particularly pertinent question to me because I am an immigrant. I came here in 1978 and Miami is my home. I absolutely love living here, it's a crossroads to the global South and the Black hemisphere itself." Gordon-Wallace has supported HistoryMiami on several occasions through her role at Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator. Her organization, founded 25 years ago, pioneers the advancement of contemporary diaspora art by creating a space where emerging Caribbean artists can showcase their work. Fittingly so, she was tasked with bringing some Caribbean flair into the halls of the museum. Last month, the team met to brainstorm and discuss what symbols should be incorporated into the mural before getting started on the project. With a May 31 deadline set by the museum, the artists worked overnight to complete the piece in between juggling full-time jobs. Materials were provided by the museum. Lindsay, a mixed-media artist and longtime friend of Gordon-Wallace, said the group wanted to be intentional about the colors used and the message that came across. "Our goal for the mural is to allow people to see a piece of themselves when they look at [it] and create a bigger narrative of what makes Miami beautiful," he added. Signature aesthetics used in his artwork typically include bright colors such as pink, yellow and green. Those same vibrant hues were used to reflect Miami. Saint-Val's contribution to the project was an ode to the city's naming after a member of a North American Indian tribe. "I wanted to pay tribute to the Indigenous people of the land, and I did it through the use of colors and images," he said. The sun is one of the many prominent symbols in the mural that represent Miami, but it also alludes also to a belief among Indigenous people that it is the source of life, making it a focal point of the piece. "We use symbolism to communicate language and we want people to decipher what some of this means," said Gordon-Wallace, who made it clear that the mural is meant to be thought-provoking. Her favorite aspect of the work is the set of colorful hands in a cradling gesture meant to evoke a strong feeling of comfort and peace as Miami's inhabitants are embraced. WALL'N hopes the mural can promote growth, community and happiness as the world moves past COVID-19. A hashtag was even added to the mural to accommodate Miami's ever-present selfie and art culture. "I think people in the community will receive it well at a time like this," said Petra Brennan, director of tourism business enhancement at the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB). "There's a saying that art brings people together, and when I walked in, as a Jamaican descendant I saw a representation of the Caribbean. Miami is such a melting pot with a strong Caribbean heritage presence and you can certainly identify with the mural." The symbols that primarily captured Brennan's attention at the unveiling were flamingos, an airplane and multilingual greetings. "There is a lot of very iconic symbolism [in the mural] that resonates with Miami," said Brennan. "A unique part of the mural that I identified with was the plane taking off, because it speaks to how we are a hub for the world." "I think [the mural] is a great opportunity for the public and community to see that they can engage with the museum, and that their voices are here too," said Zamanillo. WALL'N's work may soon make another appearance, as Gordon-Wallace consults with the GMCVB to create more murals, for the latter's Art of Black Miami initiative. The group is also planning on embarking on an artistic journey in Belize in 2022. "This is Miami" will remain at HistoryMiami through the year. The Miami Times is the largest Black-owned newspaper in the south serving Miami's Black community since 1923. The award-winning weekly is frequently recognized as the best Black newspaper in the country by the National Newspaper Publishers Association.