The Legacy of the Mangrove -- by Xavier Cortada, 2003



	art gallery
	paintings
	drawings
	murals
	mosaics
	digital art
	prints
	virtual exhibits
	projects
	profile
	media
	webstudio
	writings
	home

see calendar
sign guestbook
send email
view sitemap
en español

The Legacy of the Mangrove

Since Ponce de Leon discovered it in 1513, Hispanics have been making significant contributions to this state. To me, immigrants are like mangrove seeds that wash up and take root on a Florida sandbar and build a stable land mass for other life to take hold. The mangroves’ walking feet serve as a metaphor for the growth and evolution of the state. Miami, my home, is the perfect example of a community enhanced by the contribution of Hispanic immigrants.
For Hispanic Heritage Month, I chose to create two murals:
	The first, Florida Mangrove, portrays the first encounter between Ponce de Leon and Florida’s indigenous residents against the backdrop of a beach and mangroves.
	The second mural, The Journey, depicts immigrants in a sea of floating mangrove seeds. They're on the journey many others have made since Ponce de Leon named the state La Florida.

The murals are to be unveiled by Governor Jeb Bush on September 25th, 2003 in the state's Capitol during Hispanic Heritage Month 2003. Click here to see Governor's Florida Hispanic Leaders. Please click here to read press release about the murals

Xavier Cortada has exhibited his works in museums, galleries, and cultural venues around the world and has pioneered the use of the Internet in collaborative art-making. The Miami-based Cuban-American artist, attorney, and activist has worked collaboratively with diverse groups across the United States, Latin America, Europe and Africa to create pro-social community murals and participant-driven art projects.

Cortada has created murals for:

The White House
HBO
Hershey's
Nike
Global Health Council
World AIDS Conferences
Miami-Dade County Juvenile Courthouse
Miami-Dade Art in Public Places
Miami Art Museum

Email:
xavier@cortada.com