City of Miami Beach to Present Monumental Mural at Miami Beach Senior High School in Partnership With Boa Mistura and O, Miami Inbox
Boa Mistura and O, Miami Partner with Students to Create Permanent Monumental Mural at Miami Beach Senior High School
2231 Prairie Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Miami Beach, FL (May 1, 2023) — The City of Miami Beach is pleased is to present My Home, Mi Hogar, a public art project developed in collaboration between multidisciplinary Madrid-based artist collective Boa Mistura and poetry nonprofit O, Miami at Miami Beach Senior High School, located at the corner of Prairie Avenue and Dade Boulevard. Unveiling on May 5, 2023, the project will feature murals and poetry permanently installed on the water tanks adjacent to Miami Beach Senior High. Out of the 200+ poems written by the students, Boa Mistura chose a line by sophomore Valentina, “Finding my home in every voice that I hear.” Boa then presented two different designs to the student body, who chose their favorite direction for the work.
My Home, Mi Hogar uses Valentina’s poem to transform the water tanks, which are part of the daily landscape of attendees, into a colorful message about pride of place. The water tanks are understood as the representation of two close but separate locations which emphasize the proximity of what unites us and the nuances of what makes us unique. Valentina’s featured poetry speaks of how our identity travels within us like a seed we plant in the place where we live, creating new stories, new ties, and new coexistence environments. One tank will be painted with the English line, and one will be painted to display the same line, translated into Valentina’s native Spanish: “Hay un hogar en cada voz que escucho”.
“The My Home, Mi Hogar mural project transforms our water tanks into a vibrant display of collaboration between Boa Mistura, Miami Beach Senior High School, and the City of Miami Beach,” said Miami Beach Vice Mayor Ricky Arriola. “Valentina’s captivating poem emphasizes the richness of our diverse community and the significance of inclusivity. This striking initiative not only elevates the visual appeal of the tanks, but also celebrates the voices of our young people and the shared human experience that transcends languages and borders.”
Known for their development of works in public spaces, Boa Mistura is dedicated to using artwork to transform cities and create links between people. O, Miami builds community around poetry in Miami, using language to invest in a new shared narrative for the city. Mi Home, Mi Hogar brings these missions together using color and language to cover two adjoining three-million-gallon water storage spaces. Keeping in mind the circular surface of the structures, the murals take on a repetition-based design that connects the beginning and the end, causing an infinite loop. In the spirit of Boa Mistura’s highly collaborative practice, sections of the mural will be painted by Miami Beach Senior High students themselves.
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About the City of Miami Beach Art in Public Places Program
Art in Public Places is a city board responsible for the commission and purchase of artwork by contemporary artists in all media. The program allocates funds totaling 2% of hard costs for city projects and joint private/public projects. Funds from construction projects may be aggregated into the Art in Public Places Fund and allocated for artwork at public sites and for collection maintenance. The fund is administered by a City Commission-appointed citizen’s board of seven members, the Art in Public Places Committee.
About Boa Mistura
Boa Mistura are a multidisciplinary team with roots in graffiti born at the end of 2001 in Madrid. Their work is mainly developed in public space. They understand their work as a tool to transform the city and create links between people and feel a responsibility towards the city and the time in which they live.
About O, Miami
O, Miami builds community around the power of poetry. Through collaborations, projects, events, and publications, we create a platform for amplifying Miamians, investing in a new shared narrative of our city and a more equitable picture of its future. Since the Fall of 2022, O,Miami has been teaching poetry at Miami Beach Senior High School.
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