Last Friday, Miami Dade College’s Department of Cultural Affairs celebrated its launch as MDCulture by showing off their cultural organizations for DWNTWN Art Days.

Patrons gathered for the highly anticipated unveiling of the Miami Book Fair International 2013 official poster, theatrical performances by Teatro Prometeo, film screenings via Miami International Film Festival, and two new exhibits at MDC Museum of Art + Design plus, the inauguration of swing/SPACE/miami.

swing/SPACE/miami | Leandro Vasquez

swing/SPACE/miami series was created to exhibit the work of select distinguished Miami Dade College & New World School of the Arts alumni. There program will feature five solo or group exhibits per year providing a platform that honors former alumni who have excelled in their respective artistic careers. Ultimately, swing/SPACE/miami aims to foster opportunities for  the next generations of  young and emerging artists.

Inaugural artist, Leandro Vasquez, studied graphic design and earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the New World School of the Arts in 2007. Like myself, Vasquez is an Argentinean residing in Miami.

Vazquez has exhibited his work extensively throughout Miami, including exhibitions at Fredric Snitzer Gallery and Diaspora Vibe Arts Incubator. As you can see in the images above, his artwork strives to challenge traditional notions associated with everyday materials, while exploring and questioning their use and impact. Yeah, I know, my photos aren’t great! No worries, there’s plenty of time to plan a visit and see for yourself. Exhibiting through November 2, 2013.

Antonia Eiriz: A Painter & Her Audience

A Painter & Her Audience, curated by one of my personal favorite artist,  Michelle Weinberg, will also be  exhibiting through November.

The exhibition showcases “the painter” Antonia Eiriz, addressing themes such as the machinations of power, propaganda and human suffering in a manner suffused with wry metaphors, irony and dark humor.

The exhibition also includes artworks by “the audience” of contemporary Cuban and Cuban-American artists whose remembrances and influences of Eiriz testify to the relevance of her work.

Artist: Luisa Basnuevo, Jose Adriano Buergo, Ana Albertina Delgado, Nereida Garcia-Ferraz, Glexis Novoa, Ana Mendieta, Sandra Ramos, Gladys Triana, and Tomas Sanchez.

Elaborate Webs/Striking Exploits | Anne Austin & Sara Stites

An exhibition highlighting the contemporary shift in the execution of traditional drawing and painting. This exhibit will also run through November. Both aritst, Anne Austin and Sara Stites,  use nature, decay, personal landscapes and the ironies of contemporary society as a vehicle to inspire and inform their process-driven work. Read More