The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) is continuing its Women’s History Month recognition of influential Black- and woman-owned businesses by highlighting Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator (DVCAI), founded by curator and Jamaican-born cultural leader Rosie Gordon-Wallace.
DVCAI has emerged as a global platform for diaspora artists, offering space to explore and challenge traditional interpretations of Caribbean and Latin American art. The incubator functions as both a local and international hub, supporting emerging artists from the Caribbean diaspora, artists of color and immigrant creatives through mentorship, experimentation and professional development.
Since its founding, DVCAI has supported more than 3,500 artists. Under Gordon-Wallace’s leadership, the organization has provided opportunities such as artist residencies, gallery exhibitions and cultural exchange programmes across more than a dozen Caribbean countries. Participating artists have engaged with creative communities in destinations including France, Barbados, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Antigua, Suriname, Panama and Guadeloupe. This spring, DVCAI representatives are expected to travel to Belize with support from the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs.
“My work with artists over these 30 years has been purposeful, strategic and meaningful,” said Gordon-Wallace. “DVCAI works with artists to promote, nurture and cultivate the vision and diverse talents of emerging artists in the community and beyond. This is our mission and purpose. We strive to be the most strategic and creative incubator network in a data and performance-driven world.”
Gordon-Wallace’s work also aligns with the GMCVB’s Art of Black Miami initiative, where she serves as a consultant. The year-round programme highlights a wide spectrum of visual arts across Miami’s heritage communities, including painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography, animation, film and printmaking.
The initiative has become a key component of the bureau’s Tourism Business Enhancement efforts, linking the region’s creative sector with economic opportunities for local businesses. Through exhibitions and events, Art of Black Miami continues to drive visitor engagement and sustain economic activity beyond peak tourism periods.
In 2021, the programme expanded with the launch of the Art of Black Miami Podcast Series, featuring conversations with Miami-based artists on how the region’s diverse cultural landscape shapes their work.
A recognized curator, Gordon-Wallace has played a significant role in advancing contemporary Caribbean diaspora art. Her recent and ongoing curatorial projects include “What’s in Your Container?” at Barry University’s Monsignor William Barry Library, extended through April 30, as well as exhibitions such as “Across Ebb and Flow,” “The Whole World is Churning: Then and Now | Now and Beyond,” “The Depth of Identity 11” at Green Space Miami, “Brushes with Cancer” at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, and “Order My Steps,” a solo exhibition by Roscoé B. Thické III at Oolite Arts in Miami Beach.
Beyond DVCAI, Gordon-Wallace is active in arts advocacy and development, supporting initiatives that expand funding and opportunities for artists. She is a member of the Pérez Art Museum Miami’s Fund for African-American Art and frequently serves as a panelist for organizations including the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the National YoungArts Foundation and the Florida Department of Cultural Affairs. She also serves on several boards, including the YoungArts Foundation Board, the National Performance Network, Art2Action, the Wattle and Red Earth Board and the Taha Thinks Culture Board of Directors.
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