Other art forms relate to LGBT culture in Miami Beach. The tour highlights gay personalities and their relevant contributions to the city, such as Michael Tilson Thomas, founder and artistic director of the New World Symphony, located in a building adjacent to Lincoln Road. Not to be missed are the Wallcast concerts (outdoor projection, in the gardens, of the performances that take place in the auditorium, on certain Saturdays). People saw the photo and asked, “Where is it?” And they wanted to come to Miami Beach and check it out, “Howard says. The stop in front of the Breakwater Hotel, erected in 1936, is an example of an Art Deco building (note the symmetrical elements on the façade), highlighting the history of South Beach’s economic revitalization and somehow associated with references LGBTs in the city. In 1985, an advertising piece from the Calvin Klein campaign for the Obsession line of perfumes ran the world stamping nude models in a thought-provoking geometric setting. They were behind Breakwater’s dashboard. It was a shocking image for the time: There the idea is to subvert and transmute the narratives. It is also the “Welcome wall”, which welcomes visitors to the museum in the lobby with LED colored panels and the expression “Welcome” written in more than 70 languages, including Portuguese. The Bass Museum of Art was reopened in Miami Beach in October after two years of renovations. With an original collection of European art from the fifteenth century, it started to offer a program of contemporary exhibitions. As “Beautiful”, in which the artist Pascale Marthine Tayou of Cameroon interferes in the space dedicated to the permanent collection of the museum, almost resulting in a “recreation” of classic works of art. All in an environment-friendly installation.
There the experience of seeing shop windows is raised to another level, almost as if it were a museum, where boutiques are the object of contemplation. An outdoor area with sculptures and snack bars, live music venues, and ice cream parlor with alcoholic flavors and trendy restaurants complement leisure options. In the circuit of arts and cultural attractions, newly opened or renovated museums reinforce the city’s transformation process, including revitalization of regions such as Wynwood, Design District and Downtown. The Design District, for its part, is a great project still in progress. This is an open-air luxury shopping complex where each designer has built a store whose architectural design expresses the brand’s identity – think of the most famous and luxurious ones and they are there: Fendi, Christian Louboutin, Hermès, Gucci, Dior etc. Even the parking lot’s buildings have large, bold designs. This cultural cauldron that makes up Miami’s identity is expressed in the streets, in gastronomy, in art centers and museums, driven by investments in art and design education programs in Miami-Dade County schools (which encompasses the cities of Miami and Miami Beach). On the same weekend, the sunny edge of the historic Art Deco District is capable of hosting events as diverse as the 305 Half Marathon and the Winter Party, while opening its “Muscle Beach” (like Venice Beach, California), public outdoor exercise area at Lummus Park (9th St.) with state-of-the-art equipment next to a children’s playground. There is even a guided walk that shows how the civil rights history of the LGBTQ community and the struggle for gender freedom of expression intertwines with the development of Miami Beach. Even Calle Ocho, where it beats the heart of the Cuban neighborhood, has its gay pride party.īut the diversity of Miami is such that it is not defined in labels, since the city begins to become reference in production and exhibition of contemporary art. Moreover, because it is on the shores of the Atlantic, beach culture is also part of everyday life.
MIAMI – Miami, which has always welcomed minorities, and has exercised throughout its history tolerance of religions, genres, ethnicities and cultures, has made this blend its identity. Today, after the time when crime rates spoke loudly in his name, in the late 1980s, the city gives an example of overcoming.įrequently remembered among the most gay-friendly cities on the planet, Miami celebrates and receives diversity of genres with a calendar of events for this segment. Among them are the LGBT pride parade, and festivals such as the Winter Party – which has already reached its 25th edition and brings together about 10,000 participants each year – as well as attractions (but not only) aimed at this audience.