Caribbean people are everywhere, right? In Miami, a brand new exhibit currently on public display at the Miami Museum of Contemporary Art has been curated by Donnamarie Baptiste, a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago. Baptiste provides arts and culture management consulting to national and international creative clients and is currently based in Miami.
new project, “See, I see, I see, I see, I see,” combines visual art, storytelling and technology. It celebrates the heroic civil rights work and bravery of Judge Lawson E. Thomas, encouraging the community to explore the rich history of Historic Overtown. The project aims to tell the untold stories of individuals and places important to Miami’s hidden Black history.
The mural project began at 1021 NW 2nd Avenue, Miami, FL, the office building of the late Judge Lawson E. Thomas. Thomas was the first black judge of Miami-Dade County, who presided over the only purely racially segregated court system in the United States known as the “Negro Municipal Court.” The mural was created by artist Anthony Reed II, known as “Mojo,” and pays homage to this important site and its history.
“We are excited to tell some of these little-known stories of individuals and locations important to Miami’s hidden Black history. Additionally, site-specific murals embedded with unique QR codes engage the public and showcase the works of talented black artists,” said Miami MoCAAD Co-Founder Marilyn Holifield.
Oral histories share untold stories of the people and places of this proud Black community that thrived before “urban renewal” freeways destroyed homes and businesses in Overtown and Black communities across the country. By scanning QR codes, viewers will be immersed in Overtown-related interactive treasure hunt games, an interactive 3-D model of the artist that provides biographical information, and an interactive museum experience map that invites engagement to map MiamiMoCAAD’s next.
The murals and oral histories will become part of the Miami MoCAAD archive, documenting the museum’s journey toward a hybrid digital/physical museum space. This is not the first major project curated by the Trinidad and Tobago national team. Baptiste organizes exhibitions in traditional and non-traditional spaces. She has held roles in programming, sponsorship, marketing and communications, operations and production with organizations including Photo Miami, Art Basel, The Armory Show and Creative Time. Its clients include a mix of technology, art, design, luxury brands and spirits.
The exhibition of “See, I see, I see, I see, I see,” was made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade Mayor and Board of County Commissioners and the Knight Foundation, and private donations.
