ABOUT THE PROJECT

Hands On Miami is coordinating a community-based art project designed to bring diverse communities together by creating a mural.  The Haitian American Foundation and the Little Havana Activities and Nutrition Center both serve an elderly immigrant population.  We will involve their members in a “Combit”/”Kombit”, preparatory sessions during which members of the participating agencies will get to know each other through a discussion of the visual images important to their culture and background.  Art/intergenerational students from Miami Coral Park Senior High School will be involved as translators.

The participants will also discuss ideas they want reflected in the mural.   They will be asked a series of questions (somewhat like an oral history), designed to learn more about each individual, focusing on similarities in the two cultures.  They will be encouraged to bring a small personal object, which exemplifies that person’s expression of his/her culture. 

The artist/facilitator, Xavier Cortada, will then incorporate those points and objects into a sketch of the proposed mural. All participants will then replicate these images on plywood panels, painting and collaging the hundreds of personal items.  The same process will take place in both communities following the completion of the murals.  Through this joint effort a dialogue will be encouraged and, hopefully, better understanding will result.

The visual elements in this project are panels created by people representing two cultures.  Through meetings, the oral history interviews and artwork, we will bring to life the experiences of people in our community who span two diverse cultures.   The project will capture the unique experiences of the current generation of Haitian and Hispanic immigrants, exploring and recording the impact of migration on their lives as well as their recent experiences in our community.

Miami is a city composed of diverse immigrant groups, living together.   Much has been written about the differences of these communities.  Our project will focus on similarities.