Grass, to Wheat, to Sand: The Dust Bowl Disaster

Step back into a pivotal era of American history with Grass, to Wheat, to Sand: The Dust Bowl Disaster, an exhibition at The Wolfsonian-FIU on Miami Beach, on display from March 12 to June 29, 2025. Curated by FIU students, this exhibition delves into the environmental and human devastation that struck the Great Plains in the 1930s. Once vibrant grasslands were converted to large-scale wheat farms, but unsustainable land management practices, coupled with severe drought, led to one of the most catastrophic ecological disasters in U.S. history - the Dust Bowl.

Through a compelling display of photographs, illustrations, film clips and historical ephemera, the exhibition captures the plight of the hundreds of thousands who lost their livelihoods and homes, becoming migrant laborers during the Great Depression. Visitors can explore the creative documentation of the crisis by photographers, artists and filmmakers of the time, alongside insights into the Roosevelt Administration’s relief efforts to aid displaced families and restore the damaged land. Originally presented in The Wolfsonian Library, this extended installation provides a powerful look at resilience and recovery amidst an environmental and economic disaster that reshaped the American landscape and spirit.