ESCARDA-I-LOVE-YOU

Public Art with an Hispanic Touch

Broward County's public art collection goes back 45 years. The Public Art & Design Program was launched with the vision of beautifying a rapidly-developing County, and administers an average of 80 art activities annually, including conservation…

Broward County’s public art collection goes back 45 years. The Public Art & Design Program was launched with the vision of beautifying a rapidly-developing County, and administers an average of 80 art activities annually, including conservation projects.

The purpose of Broward County’s Public Art & Design Program is to contribute to the enhancement of urban design through the creation of commissioned works of art that create a sense of place, that improve the visual environment for the citizens of Broward County and that advance the missions of the County departments where the projects reside. To date, more than 260 artworks are installed at 90 locations.

Project funding is distributed as follows; 70 percent to the artwork, 15 percent to project support and 15 percent to conservation. Artists and concepts are selected and guided by a three-tiered selection process including volunteer panels consisting of client representatives, community stakeholders and art professionals.

For Hispanic Heritage Month we have selected a range of key public art pieces, designed and created by artists from the Latin-American diaspora. Meet some of the great Latinx artists that have shaped our County’s art and culture, and if you’re in the neighborhood, take a visit to the art in person!

Linaje

Linaje

Giannina Dwin & Patricia Baez

Main Library, 100 S. Andrews Ave 3rd Floor, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

Lineaje’s artists, Giannina Coppiano Dwin and Patricia Baez, were inspired by genomes, as well as the culture of the Hispanic community. The artwork is shrouded in light – accentuating lines and colors, intersecting in a sail-shaped glass sculpture, standing tall from a stainless steel base sailboat.

Patricia Baez was born in Chihuahua, Mexico. She studied painting, sculpture, and engraving in Mexico City at La Esmeralda Art School, a branch of the National Institute or Fine Arts, and the San carlos Academy. In 1980 she was awarded first prize at the III International Glass Show held in Mexico City. One of her most complex and significant works is a six layer crystal mural, depicting the oil industry.

Giannina Coppiano Dwin is a contemporary artist who lives and works in South Florida. She has been the recipient of grants and awards such as the prestigious South Florida Cultural Consortium Fellowship for Visua l and Media Artists funded in part by the Ncitional Endowment for the Art, the Women in the Visual Arts Award; as well as, several sponsorships and grants including research in Spain and Brazil. Some of her past public works include an outdoor sculpture for the Cultural Loop at Pineapple Grove in Delray Beach and an Office Depot commission to design and execute their Visionary Women Award in bronze.

Instagram Page (Giannina) >
Instagram Page (Patricia) >

Linaje at Broward Cultural Directory >

I Love You – photograph by Eileen Escarda

I Love You

Rosario Marquardt & Roberto Behar

West Davie Branch Library – 751 SW 121st Avenue, Davie, FL 33325

Artists Roberto Behar & Rosario Marquardt created an outdoor, open-air room; a unique multi-purpose area where children and their families can read, create art, picnic and enjoy the library’s popular storytelling program. This outdoor studio can be used for landscape drawing, inspired by art, artists and nature. In addition to the 10 ft. tall alphabet letters that spell the phrase “I LOVE YOU,” five brightly-colored, flower-shaped benches provide seating to create an area of nature, love and story.

“We have often thought of our work in terms of a kind of utopian realism. Perhaps, our work can be seen as providing “imaginary solutions” in the tradition of Alfred Jarry’s idea of Pataphysics ‘the science of imaginary solutions.’”

Roberto Behar & Rosario Marquardt

Roberto Behar & Rosario Marquardt, who collaborate under the name R&R Studios, are known for their large-scale permanent public installations. Originally from Argentina, they both have degrees in Architecture from the Universidad Nacional de Rosario. They have exhibited their work at the Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami, the Fondation pour l’Architecture in Brussels and the Museo Nacional d’Arte in La Paz. Their work has been featured in numerous publications including The New York Times, Aula, Art in America, and Metropolis.

Instagram Page >

Dancing Oceans

Dancing Oceans (composite)

Carlos Alves & JC Carroll

Port Everglades, CT26, 1850 Eller Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316

Two different projects by Carlos Alves and JC Carroll function to assist with way-finding at Port Everglades Cruise Terminal by providing visual cues to passengers to lead them towards the ships. 

Individually handcrafted ceramic wave sculptures mounted to a long overhead wall lead passengers from the ticketing area towards the Fish Tank Wall mural which covers both levels of the elevator core walls on all four sides. The hand-glazed turquoise blue and green mosaic tiles arranged in gentle wavelike patterns suggest calm seas ahead on the upcoming cruise which will refresh and soothe the perspective of cruisers and invite them to head upstairs for the rest of the embarkation process. Schools of aluminum fish, mounted on short brackets, swim in front of the mosaic tiles. Iridescent hand glazed sea life medallions such as starfish and bubbles complete the mural.

We created the “Dancing Oceans’ piece to represent the wonderful movement of the oceans. We want the viewer to once again look forward to their journey at sea, and to be reminded of a wonderful time ahead.

Carlos Alves / JC Carroll

Drawing from his Cuban roots and his Miami, Florida upbringing, Carlos Alves’ themes encompass love, hope, history, culture, politics, nature, animals and a kinship with the sea. He graduated with an MFA from Illinois State, a BFA from the University of Miami, and a scholarship to Scuola Lorenzo Di Medici in Italy. Alves is now applying his artistry to large public and private artwork projects throughout the US and abroad. He has been working closely with wife and partner JC Carroll for over fifteen years, collaborating in all aspects of public art from concept, design to installation.

Instagram Page >

Dancing Oceans at the Broward Cultural Directory >

Pelican Path

Pelican Path

Xavier Cortada

Port Everglades Terminal 4, 1850 Eller Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316

When a pelican takes flight, it skips across the surface of the water gently tapping the waves. It leaves a trail of ripples and eddies behind, a path that quickly disappears as the pelican flies across the waves and over the sea. Likewise, cruise passengers about to embark on their vacations will soon be taking off across the water themselves with their ship leaving disappearing ripples in its wake.

Xavier Cortada has worked with groups globally to produce numerous collaborative art projects, including peace murals in Cyprus and Northern Ireland, child welfare murals in Bolivia and Panama, AIDS murals in Switzerland and South Africa, and eco-art projects in Taiwan, Hawaii, Holland and Latvia. Cortada has also been commissioned to create art for the White House, the World Bank, the Florida Supreme Court, the Florida Governor’s Mansion, Florida Botanical Gardens, Miami City Hall, Miami-Dade County Hall, the Miami Art Museum, the Miami Science Museum, Museum of Florida History, and the Frost Art Museum.

Instagram Page >

Pelican Path at the Broward Cultural Directory >

Beneath the Surface

Beneath The Surface

Eduardo Mendieta

Hallandale Beach Boulevard & A1A

With one mural located in each of the nine Broward County Commission Districts and one at Port Everglades, the Broward County Centennial ‘VisualEYES’ project enlisted the talent of local artists, as well as community involvement and city initiatives. This mural is now part of the City of Hallandale Beach public art inventory.  

The artwork, painted on the Hallandale Beach Boulevard Bridge crossing Highway AIA, is one of several public art projects sponsored by the County in celebration of Broward’s 100th Anniversary.

Renowned West Palm Beach muralist Eduardo Mendieta was selected to design the artwork, but was required to first solicit citizen input. Following a series of community gatherings, Mendieta submitted designs to the City Commission. They chose “Beneath the Surface,” featuring images of a 1,400-foot manatee and baby calf swimming amid blue and green water.

Of Ecuadorian descent, Eduardo Mendieta grew up in Union City, New Jersey and moved to West Palm Beach with his family in 1991 as a teenager. Starting at a young age he was interested in graffiti and the fine arts. Now in his 40s he is showing in various locations throughout South Florida, including Palm Beach International Airport as part of the Palm Beach County Arts in Public Places Program.

Instagram Page >

Beneath The Surface at the Broward Cultural Directory >

Glory and Defeat
Ruben Ubiera

Glory and Defeat

Ruben Ubiera

Lauderhill Library, 4257 NW 12th St, Lauderhill, FL 33313

Glory and Defeat enhances and supports the Lauderhill Library unique sports theme and sports-related programming. This functionally integrated mural welcomes patrons to the library located within the Central Broward Regional Park.

“My work it’s an evolution from the urban art that we have accustomed to see on an everyday basis. Not graffiti. Postgraffism. Postgraffism is – if I may describe it, a new kind of urban art.”

Ruben Ubiera

Ruben Gerardo Ubiera Gonzalez, born in the Dominican Republic, is a neo-figurative artist, known for his strong use of the line, graffiti inspired technique/esthetic, urban murals, mixed-media pieces and installations, all created with reclaimed-objects and found artifacts. He paints and draws in a style considered as Postgraffism, but he prefers to call it urban-pop, since he has lived most of his life in urban, populated areas and most of his inspiration is derived from the inter activity between man and his urban environment. Ubiera believes that his work has no frames, much like the everyday art that is developing on the streets.

Instagram Page >

Glory and Defeat at the Broward Cultural Directory >

Run…

Run…

Luis Valle

Bamford Sports Complex, 3801 S Pine Island Rd, Davie, FL 33328

With one mural located in each of the nine Broward County Commission Districts and one at Port Everglades, the Broward County Centennial ‘VisualEYES’ project enlisted the talent of local artists, as well as community involvement and city initiatives. This mural is now part of the Town of Davie public art inventory.

“Luis found a way to capture the essence of Davie,” says Anita Reid, spokesperson for the Town of Davie.  “The mural salutes the Town’s growth and increasingly diverse communities.”

The design, a 1,000 sq. ft. mural on the side of the Robert H. Bamford Sports Complex on Pine Island Rd., depicts four 20-ft. tall horses, representing the Town’s equestrian heritage, galloping straight off the wall toward the viewer.
The image of the horses in motion symbolizes the equestrian traditions of the town and the progress the Town has made, according to Valle.

Luis Valle aka El Chan Guri, is a Nicaraguan artist born in Managua, Nicaragua.  At an early age his family exiled to the United States due to war and political instability in his homeland.  Valle’s family re-located to Miami, Florida where he was raised and gained his primary education. 

Luis is very active in the Miami art scene creating commissioned murals, as well street art pieces on businesses and neighborhoods throughout South Florida.  His style can be easily recognized, as it is a blend of influences from indigenous cultures, psychology, shamanism, religion, spirituality, frequency, vibration and energy. Luis is considered a staple in the Miami art scene and is a well respected member of the Miami of the community.

Instagram >

Run…at the Broward Cultural Directory >

Boys and Girls Club Mural (detail).

Untitled

Elio Mercado

Boys and Girls Club, 3025 W Broward Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312

Elio Mercado is an extremely talented and widely recognized Dominican-born figurative painter, street artist, designer and activist who is motivated by the agenda to merge art and humanity into a single creation.

The mural encompasses the ideology of the community and youth that visit the Boys and Girls Club. Seeing the opportunities and experiences that the club provides was eye opening and so I wanted to make sure the design really embraced all these aspects and that the mural continues to inspire those visiting or just passing by … inspires people to be more than they can dream up. Being that I live locally it means a lot to contribute to the community that I live in. It’s great when as an artist I can be a part of the evolving positive changes that happen in my community.

Evoca1

Working under an artistic pseudonym of Evoca1, this Miami-based artist brings vivid imagery to urban spaces that often speaks about the experiences of his youth in the Dominican Republic.

Instagram Page >

Boys and Girls Club Mural at the Broward Cultural Directory >

Visionary – with the artist.

Visionary

Cecilia Lueza

Bailey Contemporary Arts (Mural Alley), 41 NE 1st Street, Pompano Beach, FL 33360

As part of the Broward 100 program, the County and the City partnered together for the VisualEYES project which features a select group of renown South Florida Artists who created murals around the County.

Artist Cecilia Lueza was selected to create and install a mural on the exterior wall of the Bailey Contemporary Arts. This alley is in the process of being transformed into a Mural Alley. Her mural, entitled Visionary, is the third mural to be installed in this Mural Alley thus far. Visionary is an evocative mural that celebrates Pompano Beach’s pioneer women whose important contribution and dedication to the community helped define the City’s history and identity.

“My purpose was to create a meaningful yet beautiful mural that engages the public while providing a focal point and a sense of place for the building.”

Cecilia Lueza

Argentine-born, American-based artist and sculptor Cecilia Lueza, studied visual arts at the University of La Plata in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Today, she is well known for creating vibrant public art pieces in a range of mixed media. Throughout her career, the artist has intensely explored a wide range of artistic media, from traditional ones like painting and sculpture- in wood, metal, acrylic and polyurethane- to monumental projects like street murals and public art installations.

Instagram Page >

Visionary at the Broward Cultural Directory >

Harbormaster’s Tower at Port Everglades

Avian Odyssey

Ernesto Maranje

Port Everglades Harbormaster Tower, 1850 Eller Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316

Commissioned to celebrate the 90th Anniversary of the establishment of Port Everglades, artist Ernesto Maranje  transformed the exterior walls of a structure located on top of a 6-story parking garage.

The structure houses the Harbormaster Tower and Operations Center. The surface area available for the artwork is located approximately 64 feet above ground level. Cruise ship passengers can view the artwork while their ship is docked and as they sail away from the Port; bold and discernable from a distance and other places in the Port.

I am constantly reminded of nature in my daily life. I am a part and product of nature and that will forever be mind-blowing to me. I like to explore how my mind could enter a state of trance and intuitive painting while still considering basic fundamentals of art and design. This application process is really what I’m after. Natural shapes and patterns found in nature allow themselves to take part of my work. Organic brush strokes always look like flowers to me, so I just follow that intuition.

Ernesto Maranje

Ernesto Maranje is a Miami-based Cuban-American painter and muralist. He has painted murals at home and abroad, including countries like Ukraine, Iraq, the Kingdom of Jordan, Lebanon, Greece and Spain.Ernesto discovered his passion for art while in the Coast Guard. He uses his vivid imagination to portray the unity of animals and plants by pulling different segments from each and making it a cohesive whole. Not only is the result pleasing to the eye, it reminds the viewer of our connection with nature.

Instagram Page >

Avian Odyssey at the Broward Cultural Directory >

Please browse the full collection here, and explore the Public Art of Broward County.