Bird Road Art Walk: A Growing Scene

By C. Beguiristain and Miguel Rodez

Neatly tucked into a corner of Miami’s southwest neighborhoods is an industrial oasis known as the Bird Road Art District (BRAD), a warehouse section that houses dozens of artists’ studios, galleries, art schools, project spaces and other creative venues. In October, BRAD’s high-profile art walk celebrates its fourth anniversary, which is a triumph for a district that competes for the public eye with a myriad of other art communities in Miami’s ever evolving arts scene.

Workshop at Anhinga Clay Studio

BRAD is among the largest art districts in Florida, and it is second only to Wynwood in number of art venues, yet the two areas could not be further apart in their ambiance and approach.

Wynwood is located adjacent to Miami’s Midtown. The murals adorning its well-curated walls are beyond spectacular. It houses large galleries that lead throngs of people to compete for a limited number of parking spaces in a festival-like atmosphere that attracts many tourists, but, at times, can repel the very audience it seeks to attract. Nevertheless, the area continues to thrive.

Arte Venezolano en Miami, gallery view.

BRAD is different. It is located just east of the Palmetto Expressway and Tropical Park and south of S.W. 40th Street, also known as Bird Road. Its murals are a mix of edgy street art, unscripted graffiti and impeccable realism. The overall feel is not curated, but loose, down to earth and real. Parking is ample and still free. Usually, the people who go to the monthly Bird Road Art Walk are actually interested in viewing or buying art. Like Wynwood, it too draws its share of tourists from far afield, as the area is recommended as a place to visit in travel guides such as Frommer’s and Forbes.

Murals at Bird Road Art District.

What attracts visitors to the Bird Road Art Walk is its different vibe. There is no question that the focus is the art. Visitors interact with the artists that they buy from; those who attend regularly may actually get to see the artwork evolve from a mere stain on a canvas to masterfully executed artwork.

Installation view at Miguel Rodez Art Project Space

While the Bird Road Art Walk nears its fourth anniversary it is interesting to note that the cultural history of the neighborhood spans more than four decades. Various iterations of the area’s nexus with the arts have risen and fallen over the years, only to rise again stronger than ever now. From the late 1960s through the early 1980s, recording studios, underground bands and performance venues called the area home. The 1980s brought a wave of photographers, photo studios and photo labs that faded as digital technology took a foothold. As far as the visual arts are concerned, the Bird Road Art Walk is not the neighborhood’s first effort in this field. As photography labs closed, visual artists moved into the area and for a brief time hosted art walks making for some good memories in BRAD’s collective consciousness and long history with the arts.

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Opening reception at MANO Fine Art Project Space

But in 2010 a new group of artists united to form the Bird Road Art District, Inc., a volunteer-based organization that promotes building community through the arts. The group organizes, promotes and funds the monthly art walk with a limited budget, but four years and 48 art walks later, this art happening is still going strong.

Artist Jesse Paz at his studio.

On art walk nights, creative venues open their doors to the public and, while the Bird Road Art Walk does not present a unifying aesthetic, there is a relaxed, intimate and sincere culture that provides visitors with a different experience. One may find anything from conceptual contemporary pieces, some of which have found their way into European museums, to folk art. The artists run their spaces as they please. Some venues host group shows while others only present the work of its resident artist.

Bird Road Art Walk at Sandy Levy Studio.

The district is home to more than 30 independent art venues, though not all are open to the public during the art walk, as some of the resident artists, though internationally recognized, prefer to work in anonymity.

Opening reception at White’s Art Gallery.

Between art walks, the group arranges private tours of the artist-owned studios for interested groups of collectors, curators and corporate entities seeking additions to their collections.

Bird Road Art Walk at Valmar Framing Gallery

The neighborhood’s artists and galleries invite art enthusiasts to celebrate the fourth anniversary of this cultural initiative on Saturday, Oct. 18 from 7-10 p.m.  For a complete listing of participating artists, exhibits and events, visit www.thebirdroadartwalk.com / Facebook.com/BirdRoadArtDistrict / Twitter: @BirdRoadArts / 305 467 6819.