Downtown Arts + Science Salon.
& Downtown News.
Welcome
125 YEARS OF MIAMI HISTORY
July 27, 7-8:30 pm. Miami Dade College Auditorium, the Wolfson Campus.
To commemorate the 125th Anniversary of the incorporation of the City of Miami, the Downtown Arts + Science Salon (DASS), in partnership with Miami Dade College, is presenting the Salon 125 Years of Miami History.
Participants
Panelists are Timothy Barber, director of the Black Archives at the Lyric Theater, Historian Paul George, Christine Rupp, director of the South Florida Heritage Foundation, and Allan Shulman, author of Miami Modern Metropolis, and professor of architecture at the University of Miami.
Moderators: Noreen Timoney, former director of the Women's Club and incoming president of the Rotary Club of Miami, and Christina Vazquez, Local News, Channel 10.
Welcoming remarks by Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins and Dr. Beatriz Gonzalez, president of the Miami Dade Colle, the Wolfson Campus.
The Salon revolves around four topics
1. Women who have made a difference.
2. The evolution of institutions (the judiciary, media, hospitality, healthcare, real estate, and fintech).
3. Preservation and repurposing of historic buildings.
4. Business, culture and the arts as catalysts of economic development.
A Film Montage
A ten-minute montage of Miami history through film from 1915 to the 21st Century will be shown, produced by the Wolfson Archives.
Musical Interpretation
The Salon will close with a ten-minute musical interpretation of 125 years of Miami History.
Book launching reception
ABOUT THE BOOK
A commemorative book chronicling the story of Miami from 1896 to 2021.
125 YEARS OF MIAMI HISTORY is not an academic book, but a lively compilation of essays, articles, adapted book chapters, interviews, vignettes, and case studies to whet the appetite for the cultural history of our Magic City. The illustrated book interweaves the four stated topics in a long journalistic chronicle of Miami from its origins to becoming the epicenter for finance, tech and culture that it is today. Collaborators include distinguished historians, cultural critics, professors and journalists.
The illustrated printed edition is complemented by a multimedia eBook to be distributed to high school and college students free of charge.
RSVP for Salon 125 Years of Miami History and Book Launching Reception
May: Fencing.
The Art and Science of Fencing
An introductory lesson with an Olympic fencing champ.
Fencing boils down to touching and not being touched, as Moliere defined it.
Sword fighting goes back to the dawn of time, samurais, Romans, and, of course, the sword made it to America along with the cross, the Spanish language, and germs for which natives had no immunity.
Zorro, the California noblemen we all know used the sword in duel after duel to soften the morality of nice Catholic women. “The ultimate immorality for women was sex,” from Curiosities, “even thinking about it was sinful, but Zorro undressed women with two or three swift movements of the wrist, yes, fencing is all in the wrist.” An unforgettable night of improvised duels.
May 15. 7 pm.
More information at DASS Blog
April 13, 7 pm. Community Salon.
What is a Community?
What role do citizens play in building a community? And government, higher education, the arts, urbanism? The Salon features Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins, the only Downtowner elected official, the President of Miami Dade College, the Wolfson Campus, Beatriz Gonzalez, and the distinguished architect and urbanist Juan Mullaret. Moderator: Raul Guerrero, Academic Curator DASS, and Editor Downtown News.
The Salon is divided in four sections, plus a musical bonus at intermission.
1. Urbanism. Integrating society through urban design, making downtown more pedestrian and transit oriented. Neighborhoods more connected. Mix-use urban centers as opposed to shopping malls, and emphasis on street-level shops. Also address parks and streets as community centers and venues.
2. Government and community participation. Community feedback to draft policies. Conducting needs assessment surveys. Covid-19 and the Vaccine, community mechanisms for dissemination of information.
3. Musical Bonus. An exclusive jazzy arrangement of John Lennon’s song Imagine for piano and voice, performed by soprano Ria Iparraguirre.)
Check video of performance @ Magazine DASS.
4. Urban colleges. Their increasing importance, from civic participation and democracy (citizenship) to creating qualified labor force. Downtown is experiencing an influx of high-tech and finance companies, what role does MDC play in reskilling and career enhancement for the changing work market? What areas of training are available beyond the traditional hospitality, health and technical skills?
5. Art and culture as catalysts of community cohesiveness. Developing a sense of local identity, fostering a shared vision—essential for building community, and nurturing health and well-being. Bring together different demographic groups. Young and old, poor and affluent. The role libraries, arts facilities, museums, and entertainment venues play.
About Downtown Arts + Science Salon (DASS)
The motto is simple: Rediscover the art of conversation over a glass of wine, or two. Salons take place in downtown’s iconic venues. For now, however, the safety of Zoom must do, and the comfort of one’s home.
No politics. No private agendas. Just intelligent conversation.