“Umbrella Man”
Hampton Art Lovers and the Historic Ward Rooming House Gallery support local African American artists and their personal narratives of reflection. “To Miami With Love beginning April 8 through May 8.
Pandemic Life and Protest” by Rahsaan Alexander is a photographic art exhibition that provides a moment of reflection about life in Miami during a historic moment. This unique installation is an interactive multimedia series of programs featuring photography, literature, music, food, and dance that commemorates the one-year anniversary of the first lives lost to the pandemic in Miami. The Event is sponsored by S.E. Overtown/Park West CRA, Reef Technology, and Ottinot Law P.A. Spirits are sponsored by Duke & Dame Whiskey.
Throughout his distinguished career curating musical events as “DJ Fly Guy,” Rahsaan Alexander has always had some affinity for the visual arts. When the world began to undergo changes as the pandemic ensued, he picked up a camera. Within the purity of his monochrome photos, he vividly captured Miami throughout an unprecedented time of civil protest and life during a pandemic. “To Miami, with Love” highlights the story and emotion of Miami’s new “normal” quarantine and pandemic life that can only be captured by someone who has an organic connection to their surroundings.
Miami changed drastically on March 15th, 2020. The cities of Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale announced sweeping measures to shut down their most popular public beaches indefinitely and to close all “non-essential” businesses by 10 pm. This was a delicate balancing act designed to mitigate the spread of the deadliest pandemic in a century without decimating the region’s tourism-based economies. The pandemic moment shocked the tourism, nightlife, and entertainment industries, impacting everyone from the low-wage hotel-room cleaners to the well-paid event promoters.
This is where “To Miami With Love” enters. Rahsaan amassed a 10-year career as the high-energy persona “DJ Fly Guy” in the South Florida entertainment industry. With the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, his career took a devastating blow. A new reality began to set in, but along with it – a moment of solitude and deep reflection. Rahsaan made a decision that would ultimately change the course of the remainder of his year.
He charged himself with the task of reigniting the zest and enthusiasm he once had for an old love of his, photography. With an eye for design, he published a book of photography, which is the basis of the artwork curated by Hampton Art Lovers.
“To Miami With Love” is a pop-up experience that includes several curated events to provide a panoramic experience of art, music, and culture:
- “To Miami With Love: By Rahsaan Alexander”: photographic art exhibition at the Historic Ward Rooming House Gallery from April 8 to March 8th
- “To Miami With Love: Groove Theory”: Grooves curated by DJ Fly Guy for Tuesday night dinner patrons at Marcus Samuelson’s recently opened Red Rooster in Overtown.
- “Friday Gallery Night: Dedication”: every Friday in April at the Historic Ward Rooming House Gallery we present an experience of vibes, art, and sounds. DJ Fly Guy will curate music inspired by a specific piece of his artwork weekly.
- “Movies in the Ward Garden”: every Saturday in April we feature films in our garden that promote thought and conversation about art and.
- “PIVOT: A 2020 Story”, a short film that chronicles the journey of Rahsaan “Fly Guy” Alexander through his formative years as a young entrepreneur up to his evolution into becoming one of Miami’s top entertainers drastically impacted by the on-set of the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic. |
- “Light Found in the Dark: The Life Story of Dr. Steve Gallon III,” showcases how
the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Vice-Chairman rose from the streets of 1980s Liberty City to a lifelong educator. Gallon’s life frames the struggle of young Black males decades ago and their continued struggle today, regardless of their place in society, in order to avoid pitfalls that lead to prison, poverty, or early death.
- “The Art of The Steal” is a documentary about the controversial move of the Barnes Foundation collection of the world’s best collection of post-Impressionist art, valued in 2009 to be worth at least $25 billion.
Hampton Art Lovers
We inspire the appreciation of African American Fine Art. We honor the heart and soul of Fine Artists and make their work accessible to anyone who loves art. Hampton Art Lovers believes that understanding culture through experiencing the arts is becoming increasingly vital in the modern world. We live in an information economy, a world in which technology can provide access to products and services that have been previously inaccessible. Intense, experiential learning is the currency of the knowledge economy, and lovers of art do this naturally. Hampton Art Lovers believes that through culture and arts education we can improve our communities and communities all over the world.
Historic Ward Rooming House
The Ward Rooming House is owned by the City of Miami SE Overtown/Park West CRA and operated by Hampton Art Lovers. The Historic Ward Rooming House Gallery has a rich socially significant history. It is an honor to bring this exhibition to this space. Built in the 1900s by an African American family with Bahamian roots (Shaddrack and Victoria Ward), the Ward Rooming House served as a home for both African American and Native Americans who needed a safe place to sleep at night. In the 1940s and 50s it was known for hosting various civic groups and became the “Club House”. Built in the era of Overtown’s historic heyday, when it was known as “Colored Town,” the Ward Rooming House stands as a tribute to the history of one of the oldest historic Black communities in the City of Miami. As one of the few remaining buildings of its time, a seemingly ordinary rooming house becomes significant for the larger role it serves in preserving the history and architecture of Miami’s Black community. It was designated a historic site by the City of Miami in 2006 and fully restored in 2010. Now it serves as a gallery and event space.
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