Miami MoCAAD Celebrates African Diaspora Heritage with the opening of its exhibition, curated by Donnamarie Baptiste.
Miami MoCAAD is pleased to announce its summer celebration of African Diaspora Heritage with its exhibition, Reconstructing Identity: An Exploration of Identity and Diaspora Through Artistic Practice.” The exhibit brings together painting, photography, sculpture, and drawings by contemporary artists of American, Haitian, Cuban, Dominican and Jamaican descent exploring issues around identity and sense of place.
The exhibition will take place Thursday, June 6-27, 2019 at the Historic Ward Rooming House, 249 NW 9th St, Miami, FL 33136. The opening night reception will be held on June 6, 2019, from 6pm-9pm.
Miami MoCAAD’s series of pop up exhibitions and events with a vibrant showing of artists of the African diaspora is made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners.
“I am delighted that the Miami Museum of Contemporary Art of the African Diaspora (Miami MoCAAD), will celebrate the African Diaspora with the opening of its pop up exhibition. We as a community honor our diversity by recognizing and supporting the arts, including those which tell the stories of the people whose ancestors have ties to the African Diaspora. I am proud to highlight the importance and relevance of this upcoming summer celebration and encourage everyone to attend the pop-up exhibition,” said Miami-Dade County Commissioner, Jean Monestime-District 2.
“This is another example of how the Miami Museum of Contemporary Art of the African Diaspora, Miami MoCAAD, continues to bring relevant, impactful exhibitions to Miami-Dade County that explore life and identity through the unique cultural perspective of black artists,” said Miami-Dade County Commission Chairwoman Audrey M. Edmonson-District 3.
“Miami MoCAAD is proud to showcase the creative talent of the African Diaspora on its journey to establish a premier contemporary art museum of global reach with local flavor,” said Hans Ottinot, Miami MoCAAD.
“Reconstructing Identity: An Exploration of Identity and Diaspora Through Artistic Practice” encompasses the work of artists connected by a shared interest in the interrogation of identity when the sense of place is ever changing.
Utilizing varying materials and techniques, the work tells multiple stories. Some may observe cultural differences in the experiences of those within the black & brown diasporas. Others may explore aesthetic, social, cultural, and political subjects that examine where identity and sense of place., thus allowing for a better understanding of the communities we inhabit.
Featured artists
The featured local artists include Christopher Carter, Kandy Lopez-Moreno, Duwane Coates, Sharon Norwood, Onajide Shabaka, Rhea Leonard, Adler Guerrier, Asser Saint Val, Morel Doucet, Franciso Maso, and T.Elliot Mansa.
As part of the growing conversation around art from artists of Africa and its diaspora, Reconstructing Identity examines different cultural identities, significant similarities, and important differences that make up varying definitions of blackness. Influenced heavily by environment, community, and history, identity is explored, deconstructed, and reconstructed.
About The Miami Museum of Contemporary Art of the African Diaspora (Miami MoCAAD)
A preeminent contemporary fine art museum in Greater Miami dedicated to the art and artists of the Global African Diaspora. Miami MoCAAD will discover, commission, collect and preserve the work of the most advanced contemporary artists of the Global African Diaspora and exhibit this art at the highest level both at home and abroad.
About Donnamarie Baptiste-Curator, Cultural and Creative Producer
She has worked internationally with artists, creatives, and brands across disciplines and genres to bring large-scale exhibitions, special artist projects and events to life. With nearly 20 years of experience, Donnamarie has held roles with organizations that include Art Basel, The Armory Show, Creative Time and Gen Art and produced high-profile live performances and projects for Performa, Absolut, Lexus, and Armani.
