Premier artists from Africa and Haiti shine at exhibits in Opa-Locka for Miami Art Week

While artwork by top Haitian and African artists can be found in various venues in Miami and Miami Beach for this year’s Art Week, there is one place that has them on full display: the city of Opa-Locka.

Amid the Moorish architecture past Ali Baba and Sinbad Avenues, Opa-Locka is showcasing names like Franck Etienne and Philippe Dodard, two of Haiti’s best known contemporary artists still living in the country; locals like Turgo Bastien and Carl Craig, and African artists direct from the continent such as Barthelemy Toguo of Cameron via Paris; Viyé Diba of Senegal, whose work incorporates elements of raw and recycled material; and Abdoulaye Konaté’s of Mali, whose textile hangings draw on his country’s craft traditions.

Photo gallery: Opening night for Art of Transformation in Opa-locka

The African exhibit also features U.S. born Florine Démosthène who grew up in Port-au-Prince and has become known for the floating and translucent figures in her work; Mickalene Thomas of New Jersey who works with rhinestones and Jamaican-born artist Phillip Thomas, who uses oil paint, bauxite and other material in his work and Dawoud Bey, a photographer who since the 1970s has been chronicles underrepresented communities and their histories with his visual gift.

Tumelo Mosaka, who is South African, curated the exhibit of African artists. In choosing which pieces he wanted to exhibit, Mosaka said his intention was to launch a larger conversation “about what was happening between Africa and the diaspora.”

“We tried to create a link as well as understand the experiences across the board,” he said, as he prepared for one such conversation Friday morning. “Since we are part of an African diaspora community, what we were trying to do is bring the finest work on the continent to Opa-Locka so that people could actually experience that Africa is not the past, but it is also the present.”

While Mosaka has worked with the city before during Miami Art Week, this is the first time that Opa-Locka is officially part of the annual event, which for 20 years has been bringing the world’s best artists, curators and art aficionados to Miami and Miami Beach.

“We are excited to be able to bring the Art of Transformation to our diverse community,” said Willie Logan, president and CEO of Opa-Locka Community Development Corporation Inc., which is staging the exhibits. “Our audiences deserve this type of high quality, world class programming.”

Logan, a former lawmaker who has been collecting art for some time, envisions turning Opa-Locka into a hub for those interested in art. “We strongly believe that the arts can serve as a cornerstone for economic development and they are the embodiment of a community’s structure of value, the basis of a people’s worldview and how they see themselves and their place in the universe.”

Veronica Williams, the city’s mayor, said Opa-Locka is thrilled to partner with OLCDC, which will soon be known as the Ten North Group, to celebrate contemporary art from Africa and the African Diaspora during Miami Art Week in the heart of the Moorish designed city.

“This opportunity to view the best the art world has to offer will enthrall our residents and visitors, and inspire and educate our youth, as we partner with schools to share our collective love of art with them,” said Mayor-elect John Taylor.

Art of Transformation is a four day, three-block event, which will end on Sunday with a grand finale block party with live music and performances. The exhibition features three art shows: This Here Place: Africa and the Global Diaspora, A Beautiful Human Love and The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born.

The Haitian exhibit was curated by Jean Jacques Alexis, the son of the renown Haitian writer Jacques Stephen Alexis, whose 100th birthday was celebrated this year. In fact, A Beautiful Human Love is built on Alexis’ letter to humankind titled, “La Belle Amour Humaine,” written in 1957 and inspired the novel by Haitian writer Lyonel Trouillot by the same name.

Also serving as curator for the Haitian art is JANJAKII, while the exhibit is managed by Jimmy J. Moise of Le P’ti Club. Other Haitian artists featured are Elie Lescot, Claudine Exume, Carl Craig, Philippe Attie, Fred Thomas, and Jean-Jacques Stephen Alexis.

With free admission to the public, the exhibits are intended to connect Africa and Europe to the Americas through re-imagined, re-purposed and transformed spaces, pop-up street parties and concerts. At the historic train station, visitors can get a taste of the continent through a culinary trip with Haitian chefs.

Nakia Bowling, who works with young people, said in addition to showcasing the artists, the exhibits are also focusing on children, who will get a chance to show their artistic talents and have their work displayed in a tent. Bowling said while all of the art is breathtaking, she was particularly struck by the exhibit featuring artists from Haiti and Haitian Americans. Prices ranged from $5,500 to more than $18,000, and they run from traditional Haitian paintings to acrylics and oils on canvas to mixed-media to paintings inspired by the Vodou religion and culture.

“Our culture has deep roots and it’s valued,” said Bowling, who is African American. “And you can see it in the pieces that are here. You can see it in the people who are investing their time, talents and treasures, that our people have a strong culture. Black people have a strong culture.”

The Art of Transformation

Through Dec. 4

675 Ali Baba Ave. and 490 Opa-locka Blvd., Opa-locka

For a schedule of events go to: www.artinopalocka.com