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Bird Road Art Walk… Three Years Strong
Chris Riggs’ mural. Photo: Néstor Arenas.
By C. Beguiristain
The Miami neighborhood known as the Bird Road Art District is suddenly popular again; a haven to artists since the 1980s, this industrial area near Tropical Park is just minutes from upscale Coral Gables and trendy South Miami. The Bird Road Art District, or BRAD as coined by the organizers of the Bird Road Art Walk, is dotted with warehouses that serve as artist studios, performance spaces and other creative endeavors. Since the beginning of the Bird Road Art Walk in 2010, many in Miami’s art community have taken notice of this growing movement and have settled in the area, finding the perfect combination of affordable rent, big work spaces and a definite artistic vibe.
Julietta Crespo at Skye Blue Photography Studio.
On the third Saturday of every month artists open their doors for the Bird Road Art Walk, from 7-10 p.m. While there isn’t a unifying aesthetic, there is a general culture that is relaxed and feels intimate and sincere. Visitors are invited to take a complimentary shuttle bus that will take them to all the participating spaces, where they can experience diverse genres and witness artists working, such as third-generation stained glass artist Federico Scipioni (Stained Glass of Miami); Cuban pop artist Luis Fuentes in Miami’s first Rollin Art Gallery; metal sculptor Armando Perez Aleman (bajareke studios); mixed-media artists Jane Harris and Joan Futscher (HARRISART), and 25-five year resident of the area Sandy Levy (Visual Impact Photography). Artists such as Matthew Miller (Nickel Glass Studio) and Julietta Crespo (Skye Blu Photography) often schedule demonstrations during the art walk and popular exhibit venues, such as Arte Venezolano en Miami, MANO Fine Art Project Space, Miguel Rodez Art Projects and Valmar Art, always host exciting new exhibits. To cap the art walk, the Cuban Soul Foundation invites everyone to end the evening with a live concert at La Madrigera de Miami.
bajareke art studio
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Now the art happenings are spilling over to the rest of the month, when on most weekends it’s possible to attend an exhibit or Open Studio; enjoy spoken word and music at SpeakFridays, or late night ceramics at Anhinga Clay Studios. Workshops and art classes are offered throughout the week year-round at the venerable Miami Art Club and Romero-Hidalgo Artists’ Studios.
Humberto Benítez Fine Art Gallery
The confluence of events has drawn the attention of Frommer’s Travel Guide, local museums and corporate firms, some of which have arranged for private tours of the artists’ studios. The Bird Road Art Walk has also begun to attract a more permanent mainstream presence. In the past year, the not-for-profit group Cuban Soul Foundation moved from the Wynwood area to the Bird Road Art District; Coral Gables’ H. Benitez Fine Art Gallery opened its second location on SW 75th Avenue; gallery owner Irma Garcia opened Arte Venezolano en Miami along SW 42nd Street; Miguel Rodez Art Projects opened its doors off of SW 75th Avenue; and just last month, White’s Art Gallery hosted its debut exhibition in what used to be an upholstery outlet on SW 42nd Street, claiming that one of the primary reasons for the decision to move to the area was because the gallery liked what was happening with the Bird Road Art Walk. Most of the spaces are still artist-owned and the Bird Road Art Walk continues to be organized and funded by the artists, greatly adding to the overall feel and direction of the event.
Glass artist Federico Scipioni working at Stained Glass of Miami
The Bird Road Art Walk has also inspired the sprouting of murals throughout the district, primarily along SW 74th and 75th avenues. Artist Nestor Arenas (Nestor Arenas ART Studio) heads up the effort, coordinating with area businesses and landlords to bring in local mural and graffiti artists such as Abdon Romero, Chris Riggs and Cle Ver, among others; and the popular Parade of Animals mural along SW 74th Avenue was coordinated by guest artist Diana Contreras and painted by all-female artists.
As the Bird Road Art Walk celebrates its third anniversary on October 19, the artists revel in how this cultural event has grown and vow to remain steadfast in their focus on art.
Bird Road Art Walk-Anniversary edition, Saturday, October 19 (every third Saturday) | 7-10 p.m. Phone: 305 467 6819 | Facebook: Bird Road Art District | www.thebirdroadartdistrict.com | Twitter: @BirdRoadArts | Email: brad@thebirdroadartdistict.com
