For art lovers who aren’t equally as fanatical about high costs of entry to exhibitions in downtown Miami and Wynwood, there’s another Art Week option in a historic Miami-Dade County city: Opa-Locka.
Starting Wednesday, the City of Opa-Locka is hosting a four-day art event put on by the Ten North Group, a non-profit development firm that seeks to celebrate African American culture and the African Diaspora.
Ten North Group’s 13th annual “Art of Transformation” showcase will feature sculpture, painting, live performances and literature at sites throughout the century-old city, in historic and artistic landmarks like the Moorish Opa-Locka City Hall and Opa-Locka Train Station.
READ MORE: Historic city hall restoration sparks revival in Opa-locka
Willie Logan, president and CEO of Ten North Group and former mayor of Opa-Locka, told WLRN he hopes people will come to the showcase during Art Week in part because it is free for the public, but also because it shows the beauty and potential of a city with a rich history of art.
Founded in 1926 by aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss, the city has long been known for its “Arabian Nights” style of Moorish architecture meant to evoke the feeling of entering a storybook when driving into town.
The city recently completed a restoration of its historic City Hall with its Arabian-style minarets, making it a perfect venue for the Friday exhibition, “Loan Me Your Dreams: African and African Diaspora Art of the Ten North Collection.”
“We have nine artists from around the United States doing an African American contemporary art exhibition. These are emerging African American artists who explore identity resistance as well as renewal,” Logan said.
The showcase will include photography from Cameroonian artist Angèle Etoundi Essamba and art by Texas native Charisse Pearlina Weston.
The Art of Transformation hosts believe the showcase is a chance to show the rest of Miami that Opa-Locka is an up-and-coming center for art and commerce that respects its historical heritage.
IF YOU GO
What: Art of Transformation 2025
When: Wednesday, December 3 through Saturday, December 6
Where: Various locations in Opa-Locka
More info, including event schedule, is here
