Joe Iurato
Forty-eight hours of spray paint floated like a cloud over the historic Miami Marine Stadium on June 28th and 29th.
A “Day of Art and Action” included the Art History Miami Marine Stadium Mural Project and ensuing Instagram contest; a day of fun, fun, fun, with energy running high, jumpstarting with a program that had Gloria Estefan and the Gloria Estefan Foundation pledging $500,000 toward the campaign to save the icon of Miami’s past and future.
On board for the morning festivities were Stephanie Meeks, President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Miami City Commissioner Wilfredo Gort, and of course, fans and former stadium entertainers Gloria and Emilio Estefan. Estefan was in the breakout Miami Sound Machine band that played on this watery stage setting all those years ago. The stadium’s Cuban born architect, Hilario Candela, was on hand to join in the renewed excitement of the edifice he constructed back in 1963 as a young man of 27.
Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium have been impressively dogged in their relentless quest to save the closed MMS, sure to follow in success aka NYC’s Highline megahit of urban renewal projects. Until then the Friends of MMS are continuing to ramp up interest (and now some bucks) to kick our World Monuments Fund 2010 Watch List honoree back into business. In 2009, the Marine Stadium was added to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Mr RISK
MMS
Craig O’Neill was the go-to guy organizing the June weekend’s graffitti-palooza, if you will, wrangling a coterie of international street artists who exuberantly joined the spray of new wall art layered onto the already well-adorned walls, floors and ceiling.
Missing the official Saturday morning program, I stumbled onto the old grounds bathed in our gorgeous late afternoon light in time to witness the Art History Mural Project in full tilt. Urban artists well into the work were happy to show off their latest addition to the stadiums spray-laden walls groaning with layers liberally applied since the stadiums closing after Hurricane Andrew.
New York DFC
These latest murals will be photographed and prints sold to aide in raising money to reopen the stadium. The MMS group has until next January to pony up the needed $30 million restoration sum.
The event was curated by Logan Hicks, co-curator MANA Museum of Urban Art in Jersey City and features national and international artists Doze Green, Rone, RISK, Joe Iurato, Abstrak, Luis Berros, Elbow Toe, Ian Kuali’i and Evoca1. (I think I gotta rebrand myself). Six other noted artists have painted at the stadium of late along with June 28/29th’s nine additional bigwigs of the urban art universe.
Artist Abstrak
Miami Marine Stadium entry ramp
Evoc1
Ian Kuali’i
Jesus
Rone
DOZE Green
Luis Berros
Purchase a mural print and help the restoration effort. Go to Art History Mural Project: arthistory2014.com
Become a Friend......Miami Marine Stadium: www.marinestadium.org
See what can come of proper urban renewal projects......NYC’s Highline: www.thehighline.org
