Kilombo: Celebrating Black History Month
Feb 07, 2025
From: 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM
Celebrate Black History Month at the Betsy Hotel on Miami Beach, with an exploration of the African legacy in Brazil through the lens of documentary photography. The Kilombo exhibition, running from February through May 2025 at The Betsy Hotel's Carlton Room Gallery, showcases large-scale photographs by acclaimed visual anthropologist Maria Daniel Balcazar.
The opening reception on Friday, February 7, features an engaging dialogue with Balcazar alongside Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Carl Juste, founder and curator of iWitness. Adding to the evening's cultural richness, Brooklyn-based poet and performer Tai Allen will present original works accompanied by pianist Brian Murphy.
This exhibition marks the launch of iWitness @ The Betsy, a new collaboration between The Betsy Hotel and the iWitness: IPC Institute of Visual Journalism—a joint initiative of the Iris Photo Collective and Florida International University's Wolfsonian Public Humanities Lab. Through Balcazar's lens, visitors witness the resilience and vibrancy of Brazilian communities as they navigate and reshape their cultural identity.
Both featured artists will join The Betsy Writers Room residency program, contributing to its rich legacy of over 1,000 creative voices. This free event is part of Miami Beach's month-long Black History Month programming.