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Deepening Community, Honoring Legacy & Expanding the Vision |
In February, Miami MoCAAD continued the year with intention and forward momentum. Building on January’s reflection and the lasting impact of our 10th anniversary, the month centered on collective care, cultural remembrance, and the ongoing amplification of African diasporic voices. It was a time to honor legacy while continuing to shape the future.
Throughout the month, Miami MoCAAD strengthened community connections through sustained digital engagement and meaningful dialogue. We uplifted artists, thinkers, and histories that inform our present moment, reaffirming our role as a living archive and cultural steward. As we move further into 2026, we remain committed to storytelling, innovation, and cultivating spaces where Black creativity and memory continue to thrive.
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Happenings |
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Miami MoCAAD’s Interactive Mobile Mural Exhibition transforms public spaces into living archives—where art educates, culture is preserved, and communities are energized.
Now on view through March 2026, “Telling Overtown Stories, Saying Their Names” brings three mobile, interactive murals into the lobby of North Dade Regional Library (2455 Northwest 183rd Street, Miami Gardens, FL 33056). The library lobby has been transformed into a living archive of Black Miami’s history, featuring three interactive mobile murals that bring Overtown’s stories to life through art, oral histories, and augmented reality.
The exhibition presents replicas of permanent murals from Historic Overtown, with QR codes that allow visitors to hear directly from community members, historians, artists, and cultural leaders. Together, these immersive experiences honor Overtown—often called the “Harlem of the South”—while acknowledging both its cultural contributions and the lasting impacts of displacement and development.
FEATURED WORKS:
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%FIRST NAME%, click here to get your free ticket →
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Since the start of the year, our digital platforms have achieved a total reach of 69,645 impressions across all channels. Our email marketing program has continued to expand, now reaching over 7,000 subscribers while maintaining a strong 45–50% open rate, well above industry averages. Through improved calls-to-action and ongoing A/B testing, weekly raw clicks increased from fewer than 30 to consistently over 100.
On the website, we recorded over 14,000+ total views year-to-date, with organic search traffic increasing following technical SEO improvements. Visitor engagement also strengthened, with our Google Search click-through rate (CTR) reaching 7.45%, significantly outperforming the typical search average of about 3%. This growth has been supported by enhancements to the homepage hero section and improved interlinking between artist profiles.
Our YouTube channel also continued to grow, surpassing 313 subscribers as we work toward the next milestone of 500 subscribers to unlock monetization features. While watch hours remain a key focus area, the current strategy centers on connecting YouTube Shorts to long-form content to increase viewing time and accelerate progress toward monetization goals.
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Miami MoCAAD’s Weekly Artist Feature is a central point of connection between our audience and the vibrant practices of artists across the African diaspora. Through consistent, thoughtfully curated spotlights, we amplify a wide range of artistic voices, offering deeper insight into the work, histories, and creative approaches shaping contemporary art today. Each feature invites audiences into an ongoing process of discovery, encouraging them to engage more closely with the artists and ideas that define our mission.
The Weekly Artist Feature also strengthens our growing digital community by encouraging audiences to subscribe to our weekly newsletter, where featured artists are shared alongside programming updates, critical reflections, and cultural resources.
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This February, in observance of Black History Month, Miami MoCAAD honors pivotal histories of liberation, sovereignty, and collective struggle across the African diaspora and the Global South. Black history is global history — shaped by revolutions, independence movements, and the enduring pursuit of self-determination.
We recognize The Gambia 🇬🇲 (February 18), commemorating its independence from British colonial rule, and Saint Lucia 🇱🇨 (February 22), marking its emergence as an independent Caribbean nation. We also honor Guyana 🇬🇾 (February 23), celebrating Mashramani and the 1970 declaration of the Cooperative Republic — a moment deeply rooted in Afro-Caribbean cultural pride and nation-building.
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February Birthdays |
At Miami MoCAAD, celebrating artists means honoring the moments that shape their lives and legacies. We recognize Black artists whose creativity and influence continue to inspire communities across generations and geographies
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Portrait of Nick Cave | Photo by Renée Cox
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Nick Cave (b. February 4, 1959) is an American interdisciplinary artist and educator best known for his Soundsuits—elaborate, sculptural garments made from found materials that conceal identity. Blending sculpture, performance, and fashion, his work explores race, violence, and transformation. First created in response to the 1991 Rodney King beating, the Soundsuits have evolved into immersive installations celebrating Black creativity and resilience. His work is held in major institutions, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Museum of Modern Art.
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Portrait of Deborah Willis | Photo by Alice Proujansky
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Deborah Willis (b. February 5, 1948) is an American photographer, curator, historian, and scholar whose work centers on Black photographic history and representation. Through both her artistic practice and extensive scholarship, she has examined how photography shapes Black identity, beauty, and cultural memory. Willis has authored and edited numerous foundational texts on African American photography and serves as a leading voice in visual culture studies. Her photographs and research have been exhibited and collected by major institutions, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
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Portrait of Harmonia Rosales | Photo by Hrag Vartanian
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Harmonia Rosales (b. February 6, 1984) is an Afro-Cuban American painter best known for reimagining Western religious and Renaissance iconography through the lens of Black womanhood and diasporic spirituality. By inserting Black female figures into compositions historically dominated by white male subjects, she challenges exclusionary art histories and expands sacred visual narratives. Her paintings merge classical European technique with Afro-diasporic cosmology, reframing divinity, power, and myth. Rosales’s work has been exhibited internationally and is included in prominent private and institutional collections.
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Portrait of Isaac Julien | Photo by Duncan McGlynn
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Isaac Julien (b. February 21, 1960) is a British filmmaker and installation artist whose work explores diaspora, migration, race, sexuality, and global modernity. Known for immersive multi-screen video installations, Julien combines cinematic language with poetic narrative to construct richly layered visual environments. His practice moves between documentary and fiction, interrogating historical memory while foregrounding Black queer subjectivity within transnational contexts. His work has been exhibited at major museums and biennials worldwide, including the Venice Biennale and Tate Modern.
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Portrait of Luce Turnier | Photo by Selden Rodman
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Luce Turnier (b. February 28, 1924 – d. April 18, 1994) was a Haitian painter and printmaker associated with the Centre d’Art in Port-au-Prince.v A key figure in Haitian modernism, her work evolved from figurative depictions of daily life to increasingly abstract compositions characterized by bold color and expressive form. Turnier’s practice bridged Caribbean modernism and international abstraction, contributing to the global recognition of Haitian art in the mid-20th century. Her work has been exhibited internationally and remains influential within Caribbean art history.
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Portrait of Augusta Savage | Courtesy of the National Archives
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Augusta Savage (b. February 29, 1892 – d. March 26, 1962) was an American sculptor, educator, and central figure of the Harlem Renaissance. Known for her naturalistic sculptures that dignified Black subjects, Savage challenged racial barriers within the American art world. In addition to her artistic production, she founded the Savage Studio of Arts and Crafts and played a critical role in mentoring emerging Black artists. Her legacy extends beyond her sculpture to her foundational contributions to Black artistic infrastructure and arts education in the early 20th century.
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Brain Teaser |
A major exhibition at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University features works by artists such as Firelei Báez, Barkley L. Hendricks, Isaac Julien CBE RA, Glenn Ligon, Wangechi Mutu, Amy Sherald, Xaviera Simmons, Mickalene Thomas, and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye — drawing from two decades of contemporary acquisitions. What is the name of this landmark survey exhibition?
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Barkley Hendricks, “Bahsir”, 1975
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Can you identify the exhibition?
A) New Visions: Contemporary Collection Highlights
B) Across Time and Space
C) Global Black Futures
D) Everything Now All At Once
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Women’s History Month 2026!
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As a museum dedicated to preserving and advancing Black art and culture, Miami MoCAAD celebrates Women’s History Month by honoring the powerful contributions of women artists, cultural leaders, and storytellers who continue to shape our communities and creative landscapes.
Throughout March, we recognize the voices, visions, and legacies of Black women whose work challenges, inspires, and expands the narrative of contemporary art and culture. Their creativity and leadership play a vital role in documenting history, uplifting community stories, and imagining new possibilities for the future.
As we reflect and look ahead to the months to come, we remain committed to highlighting the artists, educators, and changemakers whose work strengthens the cultural fabric of Overtown and beyond.
More is coming your way! Stay updated by subscribing and following us on our social media channels.
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We’d love to hear from you.
💬 Which women artists have inspired you the most?
Is there a story, artwork, or creative voice that has shaped the way you see the world? Share with us in the comments—we’d love to learn from your recommendations.
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Brain Teaser Answer |
If you identified D) Everything All At Once, you are correct!
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Amy Sherald, “Light Is Easy To Love”, 2017
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Everything All At Once is a landmark exhibition at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, celebrating the museum’s 20th anniversary through a sweeping presentation of contemporary works from its collection. Bringing together artists such as Firelei Báez, Barkley L. Hendricks, Isaac Julien, Glenn Ligon, Wangechi Mutu, Amy Sherald, Xaviera Simmons, Mickalene Thomas, and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, the exhibition reflects the urgency, multiplicity, and interconnectedness that define contemporary art today.
Spanning painting, sculpture, photography, video, and installation, the exhibition foregrounds artists who engage identity, history, abstraction, migration, and the politics of representation. Rather than presenting a single narrative, Everything All At Once embraces simultaneity—highlighting how contemporary artists navigate layered temporalities, global conversations, and evolving cultural landscapes.
💡 Did you know? The exhibition features work by several artists previously highlighted by Miami MoCAAD through our Black Art Near+Far and Weekly Artist Feature platforms.👀✨✨
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Thanks for looking back with us.
Stay tuned for more!
Onward!
The Miami MoCAAD Team
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