ARt Connecting Communities

Kick off Miami Art Week and Soul Basel with ARt Connecting Communities, a dynamic evening of film, art and virtual reality, on Monday, December 2, 2024, at the Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater Cultural Arts Complex. Presented by Miami MoCAAD, this event celebrates the intersection of creativity and history, highlighting connections between Overtown and Coral Gables through innovative storytelling.

The evening begins with a mix-and-mingle session featuring live music, refreshments and previews of the interactive mural and virtual reality exhibitions. The main program includes a screening of ARt Connecting Communities: Overtown and Coral Gables, a documentary directed by five-time Regional Emmy Award winner Michael Anderson, which explores the historical ties between these two neighborhoods through the perspective of Dr. Dorothy Jenkins Fields, founder of the Black Archives.

Following the screening, a moderated conversation led by Miami MoCAAD co-founder Marilyn Holifield will feature Dr. Fields and artist Stefan Smith, the creative mind behind the mural Overtown Pitch: Game Changers, which celebrates the African Diaspora’s contributions to soccer and Miami’s role in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Attendees can also immerse themselves in the ARt Connecting Communities Virtual Reality Exhibition, showcasing works by French Caribbean artist Marielle Plaisir, and explore Miami MoCAAD’s Interactive Oral History Mural Exhibition. Enlarged mural replicas by Anthony Renelle "Mojo" Reed II, Reginald O’Neal and Stefan Smith include QR codes linking to oral histories that highlight Miami’s Black heritage.

Doors open at 6:45 p.m. for this complimentary event. Advance registration is required, and sponsorships are welcome.

Art of Black Miami