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featuring works from the miami-dade public library system’s permanent art collection.

october 11, 2024 - january 9, 2025

OPENING RECEPTION: NOVEMBER 7th, 2024 6:00-7:30pm

miami-dade public library system - westchester regional

9445 coral way, miami, fl

This exhibition brings together a powerful mix of distinct voices from the vast collection of artworks by immigrant artists from the Americas, housed within the Miami-Dade Public Library System. These artists embarked on the long and arduous journey to make the United States their home. Each of the works presented carry not only the rich cultural heritage of their makers' homelands but also hold deep personal stories of what it means to leave everything behind in search of a better life.

The experience of moving to the United States is marked by both excitement and hardship for artists from Latin America and the Caribbean. There is an assumed promise of new and better opportunities, yet the weight of displacement—the struggle to find oneself in a foreign land, where the language, customs and even the art world can feel completely alien—can be overwhelmingly difficult.

A question that often looms in the back of these artists' minds is, "Have I taken this journey just to end up shipwrecked?"

The journey is more than just a physical migration; it is a transformation of identity. Artists wrestle with the challenges of being seen and heard in this new environment, while trying to maintain a connection to their homeland. They exist in a liminal space between the familiar and the unknown; a space that becomes fertile ground for their visionary output. It is precisely this tension between worlds that drives their creative energy.

Many of the works on display reflect the duality these artists face - a longing for home while navigating a new and often harsh reality. Some pieces explore the pain of leaving family behind, while others reflect on the challenge of trying to stay true to one's cultural roots in a country that sometimes expects complete assimilation. This expectation of assimilation is not only unrealistic but is tainted by ambiguity that becomes impossible to fathom.

Through their art, these artists create a bridge between their native countries and their newly adopted homes. They explore the nuanced perspectives of what it means to live between two worlds, weaving together their personal histories with the experience of American life. The result is a dynamic interaction of artistic expression that challenges the boundaries of nationality and ethnicity with the desire of belonging.

-curated by homework