Bird Road Art Walk: It’s All about Art

In less than a year, the Bird Road Art Walk - which takes place every third Saturday of the month - has become one of the most exciting art walks in Miami. Artists-driven, it has created a foothold in an unlikely industrial area, which many thought time had forgotten.

The Bird Road Art Walk has attracted thousands of visitors and new artists to the district. The monthly cultural event is as vibrant and diverse as the city of Miami. Art enthusiasts, collectors and patrons have the opportunity to meet a wide range of artists working in an equally wide range of genres and mediums on a one to one basis.

As we approach the first anniversary of the Bird Road Art Walk, I met with a dozen of the forty plus artists who participate in the monthly event. All were equally passionate about the area and its energetic and collective spirit.

By Sophie-Annie Videment

What defines the Bird Road Art Walk as different from other art walks is that “for the most part it is completely organized by artists,” said Cuqui Beguiristain of MANO Fine Art Project Space,  “it is ‘real’, and we are all about the art and helping each other grow as artists. The artists have the freedom to experiment and create what they want. It is an extraordinary opportunity to exhibit and to represent yourself and run your studio/space as your own business.” For the visitor, it is an extraordinary opportunity to have a closer look at the creative process and meet the artists in their own spaces. “There is a real sense of community among the artists. We have a core of skills, competencies and talents that we share. Collectively, we have created a voice for the area” Ray Azcuy, conceptual artist, added.

MANO working at his studio

The Bird Road Art District (BRAD), originally a warehouse district by the railroad tracks in South Miami, began attracting artists in the 1980s. Artists, who were searching for unconventional spaces to fit their needs, found their way to the area. Slowly, rows of warehouses were converted into individual studios. By the year 2000, the area was a thriving community of artists and was officially designated as an Art District by Miami-Dade County. Today, the area is home to a full range of artists from young emerging talents to internationally established artists such as sculptor Rafael Consuegra, who have found their niche in the BRAD and enjoy the convenient location the area offers, easy parking, spacious warehouses and rents that are still affordable.

Over a year ago, the idea of organizing an Art Walk was rekindled by a core group of artists; the idea quickly gained momentum and the Bird Road Art Walk kicked off in October 2010 with fifteen artists. No one was sure what to expect, but in a very short time it was clear that the Bird Road Art Walk had a promising future in Miami’s expanding art scene. Since last fall, the art walk has continued to grow; visitors and artists have spread the word and today there are more than forty artists who participate monthly and more visitors come every third Saturday of the month.

Bird Road Art Walk night

“After our first walk, we realized that we had to get better organized quickly,” said MANO, multidisciplinary artist. They now meet at the beginning of every month to talk about the general management of the event. “We realized that in order to grow the event in today’s economic climate, we needed to come together and cooperate in a really big way,” said MANO.  “There is a lot of camaraderie; we really do help each other and that makes all the difference,” said Matthew Miller, glass artist. “We feed off each other’s ideas and it improves the creativity. It is an inspiring environment,” added photographer Sandy Levy, who has been in the area for more than fifteen years.

The artists share their different areas of expertise and organize workshops focused on issues that will help their businesses grow, such as marketing and social media. Committees, formed by artists, oversee everything pertaining to the walk. Last year, the artists also launched a logo contest through their Facebook page, where the general audience, artists and advertising professionals were asked to vote. The official unveiling of the logo took place last February. Artist Nestor Arenas is currently organizing a mural project for the area. The group is also exploring other projects that will serve the area’s future as a cultural destination.

Class at The Young Artists Academy

Luisa Mesa, one of the area’s newest artists, shared why she decided to move to the Bird Road Art District. “As much as I loved having a studio at the South Florida Art Center in Miami Beach, after four years at the art center, I felt the need to become independent from an organization.” “I was attracted to the BRAD after visiting friends who also have a studio in the area. When I saw the size of the studios and that most rents started at under $1000, I thought ‘This is it…sign me up!’ I am amazed by the extraordinary sense of community. Everyone is so helpful.”

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The Bird Road Art Walk offers visitors a wide array of visual artists working in various media such as: painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, video, installation art, and glass blowing, among others. Additionally, three art schools (The Young Artists Academy, Miami Art Club and Romero Hidalgo Artists’ Studios) are implanted in the area offering an excellent opportunity for students and teachers to engage with professional artists. The schools also participate in the walks, exhibiting their work and often times they have live demonstrations during the walk.

Artist Esteban Blanco

In addition to the individual studios where artists exhibit their work exclusively, BRAD also has several alternative spaces where artists curate and invite other artists for special projects/exhibitions, such as: MANO Fine Art Project Space, Accent Alternative Art Space, and Warehouse Alternative Space, where Andy Bilbao features some of Miami’s brightest new talents. 3rd Door Art Project merits special mention. This is a group of creators founded by artist Ismael Gomez-Peralta. They share a space and collectively choose a theme or media to work with. They develop their work independently of each other, go through a group critique process and collectively curate each show. The group also organizes community-involved art projects.

Aperture Studios, a pop-up gallery, presents new artists’ exhibits every third Saturday night. Some landlords, such as Robert Fernández, have been very supportive of the monthly event. Fernández routinely exhibits local artists in his vacant spaces. For his part, Norle Properties’ Javier Leal supports the artists’ efforts by underwriting a shuttle bus for the art walk. Leal wants to attract more artists to the area.

Glass Artist Matthew Miller

The Bird Road Art Walk is without question an amazing success but, apart from the third Saturday night, many other events also take place throughout the month in the area. For the past three years, Robert Lee has hosted SpeakFridays!, a stage for spoken word that takes place every Friday night. Members from Speak! also participate in the art walks by visiting the studios and performing. Akuara Teatro, a live theater group, maintains a full schedule of performances primarily in Spanish. There are classes every day in the three schools: workshops for artists, live model painting, drawing sessions and a wonderful array of businesses that provide art-related services such as framing, reproductions and art restoration.

For the first-year anniversary of the Bird Road Art Walk on October 15, there will be new exhibitions in every space and shows on both stages. Aperture Studios will present a charity event in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. “69 seconds” will include an exhibition organized by Yeni Blanco and Geraldine Szabo to benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Everyone is invited to celebrate Miami’s Art Scene at the Bird Road Art Walk!

Bird Road Art District (BRAD) is located just off of the Palmetto Expressway, from Bird Road (SW 40 Street) south to SW 48 Street and between SW 72 Ave & SW 75 Ave. The Bird Road Art Walk takes place every third Saturday of the month, 7:00 - 10:00 pm.

For a complete listing of participating artists, show times, exhibits and events visit www.thebirdroadartdistrict.com  Facebook:Bird Road Art District. Twitter:@BirdRoadArts.com

Sophie Annie Videment is an art critic based in Miami. She is an expert on and an art consultant for contemporary art, and is a member of the Paris-based European Chamber of Expert-Advisors in Fine Art.