Creative Exchange: HICCUP creates positive disruption in Hialeah (12/7/2014)
FABIOLA SANTIAGO: Our Art Scene Transcends Art Basel (Miami Herald, December 2014)
Taking art to the streets in the form of murals and the showing of open-air movie projections to promote local artists in Hialeah is part of Ariana Hernandez-Reguant’s dream.
“Many local artists have expressed the same frustration: there aren’t many spaces to create art in Hialeah, few meeting places or nighttime hang outs for the city’s youth,” said Hernandez-Reguant, originally from Spain.
Her effort is backed by many local artists including Cuban Ernesto Oroza, a researcher who began investigating pop culture in Cuba two decades ago and migrated to South Florida in 2007.
“Hialeah is largely populated by Cubans and now I’ve been able to extrapolate my studies to this new context,” said Oroza. “It’s exciting being able to document the way that businesses are promoted in Hialeah, the decoration of public gardens and private homes, the crafting of souvenirs…that’s why we’re trying to map all the art produced in the city.”
Hernandez-Reguant’s plight has garnered attention from Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez, who has expressed his support of Hialeah’s Contemporary Culture Project. Councilman Paul “Pablito” Hernandez has been pushing the ordinance forward as far back as last December and is responsible for creating Hialeah’s Art District, an area which is fundamentally industrial.
The project has also obtained the public’s support and backing from businessmen such as Ernesto Tarre, owner of Los Tres Conejitos bakery in West Hialeah.
“All that’s cultural is welcome in Hialeah,” said Tarre, who added that he’d give two free guava pastelitos to anyone who voted #2 in the contest.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article3984431.html
