Miami Bridge Youth Crisis Shelter and Barry University students display masks, costumes, and other works of art now through April
Barry University students and teens from Miami Bridge Youth and Family Services will showcase their original works of art that include dozens of hand-made, traditional carnival masks and costumes, along with a carroza, or carnival float, at Miami International Airport (MIA). The exhibit will be on display now through April. Student photographs and videos along with traditional carnival dancing, drumming and singing kicked off the exhibit in February.
The ‘Carnival Arts’ exhibit will be held in the South Terminal Gallery and will serve as homage to countries such as Mexico, Peru, Columbia, and Trinidad and Tobago. Carnival is a way of celebrating life in a time of crisis. In the carnival tradition, young artists make masks and costumes that at once hide their identity and reveal how they feel about themselves and their world. The exhibit helps shares the youth’s work with thousands of travelers passing through the airport.
MIA, which boasts one of the richest arts programs in the country, is home to dozens of permanent works of public art. Through its five galleries, the airport hosts various artists from all around the world. Barry students and at risk youth from the Miami Bridge Crisis Shelter will be among them.
Since 2007, Barry professor Celeste Fraser Delgado has brought together various professional artists to teach elements of carnival traditions to hundreds of youth in crisis including making two short films taken from stories of Caribbean history and carnival lore.
Past event funders include The Children’s Trust, Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, and the National Endowments of the Arts.