LTC 163-2018 Art in Public Life Residency ProgramMIAMIBEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
NO. LTC #
163-2018
LETTER TO COMMISSION
TO: Mayor Dan Gelber and Members of the City Commission
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manag
DATE: March 19, 2018, 2018
SUBJECT: Art in Public Life Residency Program
I am pleased to provide you with an update on the Art in Public Life Residency Program that is being
proposed through the City of Miami Beach Office of Environment and Sustainability and Cultural
Affairs Program, in collaboration with ArtCenter South Florida.
Funded entirely through a grant opportunity from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation's
Knight Arts Challenge, with matching funds provided by the ArtCenter/South Florida, the program
provides a year-long artist residency within the City of Miami Beach. The residency allows a
contemporary artist the opportunity to offer fresh perspectives on policies and help the City of Miami
Beach address the challenges of sea level rise and improve its overall resiliency.
Visual Artist Misael Soto (b. Puerto Rico, 1986) , who will receive a master's in fine arts from the
School of the Art Institute of Chicago in May and has South Florida roots, has been recommended
to participate in a year-long residency. Soto has exhibited at Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago,
Open Engagement Pittsburgh 2015, the Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami, Material Art
Fair in Mexico City, David Castillo Gallery in Miami Beach and the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale,
among others. Soto has participated in the ACRE Residency Program in Steuben, Wisconsin and
HomeBase Project's HB Build Artist -in -Residence program in Berlin, Germany.
Misael Soto, Flood Relief, 2017, Museum Park, Miami
The ArtCenter/South Florida has
recommended Soto because of the artists'
approach to involving community in the
work, including the November 2017
exhibition "Flood Relief." The installation in
Miami's Museum Park used giant flood
mitigation pumps, and performance events
surrounding them, to create a spectacle
that urged people to explore flood
mitigation efforts.
During the residency, Soto will be
integrated into the City of Miami Beach,
working directly with the City's Environment
& Sustainability Department as the City
develops climate adaptation and mitigation programs and strategies. Miami Beach is looking at sea
level rise, its economic and social consequences, and other challenges faced by many cities in the
21st century. Soto plans to attend meetings, provide input, and, through art, bring the community
into the process.
Although the City is not a party to the grant agreement between the Knight Foundation and the
ArtCenter/South Florida, the City's participation in this grant- funded project will be presented to the
City Commission at the April 11, 2018 meeting for approval.
Please contact me should you have any questions.
C: Kathie G. Brooks, Assistant City Manager
Judy Hoanshelt, Grants Management Division Director
Brandi Reddick, Cultural Affairs Program Manager
Eva Silverstein, Director, Tourism, Culture and Economic Development
Susy Torriente, Assistant City Manager
Elizabeth Wheaton, Director, Environment and Sustainability