Events: July 30, 2026

This panel will examine their distinct cultural frameworks and consider how artist legacies shape and are shaped by archival practices in the city. In doing so, the discussion highlights how their perspectives illuminate different dimensions of Young's practice. The conversation will explore which aspects of Young's visual language, material choices, and thematic concerns informed their creative processes. It will also reflect on how his work offers a lens for understanding memory, place, and archives in Miami, as well as how his practice occupied and transformed space within South Florida art contexts.

Collectively, the panel situates Young's legacy within Miami's evolving art historical canon, foregrounding his continued relevance to the city's cultural and social landscape.

By engaging these voices, the program invites audiences to encounter Young's practice through layered perspectives, revealing the many ways his work speaks to Miami's histories of migration, resilience, spirituality, race, and urban change.

Event attendees may park for free in the MDC garage at 500 NE Second Avenue, between NE Fifth and NE Sixth Streets.

The Museum of Art and Design (MOAD) at MDC may document the event, including its attendees. By entering the area, and/or participating in the event, you consent to the recording and its use in any form.

Image: Purvis Young, Group of Figures. Paint on board and wood, ca. 1990. Donation of Mr. Richard Levine.

This exhibition is not meant to be exhaustive but intended to highlight the breadth of painterly abstraction in the United States. Following the 1950s, it became clear that the art world turned to the U.S. for ingenuity and boundary-breaking abstract art forms. From trends that arose in Havana and made it to the U.S. through exile to experiments developed in New York and Los Angeles, the legacy of American abstraction evolves as rich and varied. The featured artists include Young-Il Ahn, Sam Gilliam, Carmen Herrera, Hans Hofmann, Virginia Jaramillo, Lloyd Kiva New, William de Kooning, George Morrison, Noemi Ruiz, Zilia Sanchez, and Vaughn Spann.

On July 4, 2026, the U.S. commemorates and celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This historic milestone offers an opportunity to pause and reflect on this nation's past, honor the contributions of Americans, and to look ahead toward the future we aspire to create for the next generation and beyond. The legacy of painterly abstraction in the U.S. offers a distinctive way to celebrate the creativity and innovation that defines the American spirit.