The Art Deco Weekend Festival was started in 1976 by the Miami Design Preservation League, long before Art Basel attracted visitors to Miami Beach. Through a series of events, performances, and tours, Miami’s Design Preservation League’s draws thousands of visitors each year, raising awareness and appreciation of the arts and culture of the Art Deco era.

The festival has grown to feature more than 85 events including, guided tours, a film series, lectures, antiques, art and collectibles vendors, food vendors, musical attractions, theatrical and dance performances, classic automobiles and more.

Visual Memoirs Project

The Visual Memoirs Project is a compilation of stories about the evolution of Miami Beach. A sneak preview of the interviews will be on shown during Art Deco Weekend 2012 on a continuous loop in the Art Deco Welcome Center.

So far, topics covered include how Jim Crow laws impacted life on the beach, the emergence of the Latin music scene, what it was like to live here during World War II, childhood on Miami Beach in the 1950s, and the seedy side of Miami Beach nightlife.

These stories are important to capture now, before those who witnessed the early growth of Miami Beach that are no longer around including regret over the loss of the Senator by one person who pushed for demolition at the time.

The project is partly funded by the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority. Funding has already been secured for the completion of 30 interviews and the accompanying editing. With additional funding 10 more interviews could be added to the program. A new campaign called power2give.org just launched to start the fundraising drive.

Miami Noir Films

The Miami Noir Film Series is a collaboration between the Miami Design Preservation League and Miami Beach Cinematheque. Complimentary Admission to all Miami Noir Films screening at the Miami Beach Cinematheque at Historic City Hall. Kicking off the presentations with Slattery’s Hurricane on Friday, January 13th and wrapping up with Lenny on Sunday, January 15th. Full Schedule

The series run in conjunction with Betty Page: Miami Noir Photography Exhibit by Bunny Yeager presented for Art Basel 2011. From the moment she took her name from Lana Turner’s character in Weekend at the Waldorf, Bunny Yeager’s life and work has been inspired by film. Originally set on a career in movies, Bunny happily chose modeling and photography after relocating to Miami from Pennsylvania in high school. She loved Miami and her images helped define our city for the rest of the world.

The exhibition focuses on photos of her favorite model, Bettie Page. Many of the images have never been exhibited or published before, which is the case for much of the work in Bunny’s vast archive.

Most were shot in a private home in Coral Gables (left). As Bunny enjoys renewed interest in her work from the international art market, we can celebrate with one of the icons of 1950’s glamour. Check it out before the film screenings.

Friday, January 13, 5:00 PM | Slattery’s Hurricane

A little known gem from the film noir genre, Slattery’s Hurricane concerns the psychological and complicated romantic adventures of a Miami weather plane pilot, starring legendary noir actors Richard Widmark, Veronica Lake, and Linda Darnell. Guilt sets in as the pilot flies, setting off a string of intensities told in flashbacks, enhanced by the South Florida storms.

Sunday, January 15, 5:00 PM | LENNY

Stand-up comic Lenny Bruce is as noir as the profession gets, with a career-long struggle for freedom of speech, involving an underdog versus the establishment, a femme fatale type girlfriend, and phenomenal black and white photography (including nightclub scenes filmed at Miami’s Club Bora Bora). Dustin Hoffman is a method actor who “becomes” Lenny Bruce, and that is not an easy task.

Fashion Show

The Miami Design Preservation League has partnered with the Miami International University of Art & Design, Next Model Management, The Clevelander to present the 2nd Annual Art Deco Weekend Fashion Show on Friday, January 13, 2012, 7pm at The Clevelander, Miami Beach.

Fourth year fashion students from Miami University of Art & Design produced a collection of formal evening gowns inspired by Miami Beach’s Art Deco Hotels. The students’ pieces incorporat color, details, patterns and lines, and unique composition stylings of Art Deco architecture as reflection of the influence the era had on fashion trends. The fashion show will have a panel of celebrity judges giving out prizes to the top designs of the evening.

Annual Parade

On Saturday, January 14th at 11am gather along Ocean Drive for the Annual Art Deco Parade. This year promises musical acts, entertainers, classic cars, the art deco dog parade, and more.

Music Showcase

The 2012 Art Deco Weekend music line-up features, a bit of soul, some blues, a tad of jazz plus more. The musical gatherings will take place at The Betsey Hotel, The Cleavelender, and The Park Central Hotel. Kicking off the music series at The Betsey on Wednesday, January 11th is BIG POPPA E, get a taste of his old school blues.

Furniture Exposition

A proud highlight of the 35th annual Art Deco Weekend is the expansion of our Furniture Showroom in the Welcome Center’s Exhibit and Lecture Halls. The showroom improves upon last year’s exhibit the importance of art-object design through Art Deco and MiMo style furniture.

Guided Tours

Tours: include, the Ocean Drive Tour, Gay & Lesbian Tour, Underworld Tour, Collins Park Tour, Lincoln Road Tour, Coach Tour, & Cocktails with a Twist Tour. Tour tickets available at tour booth over the 3 day festival and depart hourly, between Noon – 5pm throughout the weekend.

Lecture Series

In the 35 years since Art Deco Weekend debuted, a constellation of foresighted business people, artistic geniuses and community-minded citizens have worked together to give us the South Beach of today – a rich landscape full of culture, creativity, and trendsetting style. This year’s lecture series includes four panel discussions made up of some of the revolutionaries that created the South Beach we know today. The free lecture series takes place at the Wolfsonian Museum. Full schedule

Miami Beach Design Guide

Mediterranean Revival

Mediterranean Revival combines elements from differing Mediterranean styles resulting in a “fantasy” architecture that was widely adopted by early 1920s Miami Beach developers.

What to look for: Bell towers, archways, awnings, porches, balconies, carved stonework, rough stucco walls, clay tiles roofs, wrought iron fixtures.

Art Deco

Art Deco was a product of new ideas and movements and found its inspirations in many distinct early 20th Century European design styles such as Cubism, French Art Deco, German Bauhaus and Expressionism, Dutch de Stijl and Amsterdam School, Vienna Secession and others.

What to look for: Symmetry, ziggurat (stepped) rooflines, glass block, decorative sculptural panels, eyebrows, round porthole windows, terrazzo floors, curved edges and corners, elements in groups of three, neon lighting (used in both exteriors as well as interior spaces).

MiMo

MiMo Style of design became popular the 1950s when architects in Miami Beach carried on the tropical tradition of using new materials and forms. A Miami Beach variant, theGarden Style, features apartments that are accessed through open-air walkways built around a central garden.

What to look for: Asymmetry and rakish angles; cheese hole cutouts; kidney andamoeba shapes; futuristic jet and space age forms; mosaic murals; anodized aluminum in gold and copper.