Miami Midtown Midway
The Miami Midtown Midway was an installation / event / happening that coincided with the arrival of Art Basel Miami Beach in 2003 on the site of where Midtown Miami is now located, previously a location for shipping containers, The Buena Vista yard. Midtown Miami Midway helped brand the Wynwood Arts District by sponsoring the first maps and placing banners throughout the neighborhood (with the assistance of David Lombardi and Nina Arias). The arrival of Art Basel Miami Beach changed the global perception of Miami as a burgeoning cultural metropolis defining the Design District, Midtown Miami and Wywood as models for cultural development.
Traveling carnivals and art fairs have similarities being both influence economies in concentrated periods of time while also embracing festive attitudes towards commerce.
SANTA BARBARA
The Miami Midway coincided with the Feast day of Saint Barbara, which is celebrated December 4th. St. Barbara is known as the patron saint of builders, architects, fireworks, and lightning. The colors red and white are associated with St. Barbara, who in the Afro-Cuban tradition is recognized as “Chango”.
In the legend of Saint Barbara, it is said that her father the King kept the young princess locked away in a tower to keep her from both prospective suitors and from consistently helping the poor which he found abhorrent. So inspired was Princess Barbara in her Faith that she converted to Catholicism which only further antagonized the King so he had his daughter beheaded. Ironically the King was struck by lightning shortly after taking his daughter's life.
Miami Midtown Midway hosted stages for Poets, Actors, Dancers, an Afro-Cuban band and Classical musicians while Reverend Ethan Acres was preaching out of the central tent. Carnival Banners depicting local art collectors framed the Miami Midtown Midway as well as a Ferris Wheel at the far south end. The project ended with an awe-inspiring firework display that lasted over 15 minutes while D.J. Le Spam performed until the wee hours of the evening. The site was left bare and open until the fair left town.
MIDWAY COLLECTOR BANNERS
The Midway was literally framed in fourteen Carney-style banners depicting the most prominent art collectors of South Florida, circa 2003.
All banners are 120” x 180” the Art Collectors depicted are:
Marvin R. Freidman, The Shack Collection, Martin Z. Margulies, Carlos & Rosa de la Cruz, The Mora’s Collection, The Mosquera Cuban Collection, George Lindeman, Dennis & Debra Scholl, The Sackner Archive, The Taplin Collection, The Berg’s, Ella Cisneros, Rubell Family Collection, Craig Robbins, Mickey Wolfson, The Oren’s, Jorge Perez inc., & The Brahman Collection.
MIDTOWN / WYNWOOD / DESIGN DISTRICT
The development of the FEC corridor (the Buena Vista yard) that originally served the purpose of storing the shipping containers for the Port of Miami, became a catalyst for defining the three distinct neighborhoods known today: Wynwood, Midtown Miami and the Design District.
This exhibit, the “Miami Midtown Midway” served as a marker for this point in time when a community changed and the “Arts” inspired this.
