Aspects of the Magic City Make for Art. Paint Me Miami Juried Art Competition Returns For Sixth Year To Little Haiti

This preview piece was written for miamiartzine.com 

Cities have inspired the greatest art spanning all genres since they have existed. Just think of the most well-known masterpieces–Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night,” Hopper’s “Nighthawks,” Seurat’s “Sunday In The Park.” They all capture a landscape or cityscape or a moment in time in a city or country. What is it that inspires people so much about a location? Could it be that we are so intertwined with our environment that it reflects our very essence.

Some even say that a town has a soul. “At least I have her love, the city she loves me / lonely as I am / together we cry,” mentioned The Red Hot Chili Peppers in their greatest hit “Under The Bridge.” And Tony Bennett left ”his heart in San Francisco.” Does a place have a soul or do we imprint our own spirits onto the outside world to reflect our emotions?

In keeping with the tradition of cityscapes and landscapes, The City of Miami Arts & Entertainment Council is sponsoring its sixth annual juried art competition with the subject: “Miami Urban Scenes or Landscapes.”

The organizer of the event, Mercedes Cisneros explained that she wanted to provide emerging local artists with a venue, get artists to come together, and celebrate the beauty of the city through positive images. About 55 to 60 artists participate in the competition.

The inspiration for the painting must be a location within the boundaries of Miami.

Three jurors are nominated to select the finalists. They include prominent local figures in the local art world such as FIU professors David Chang and Ceasar Santos. This year the deadline to apply is Aug. 15, 2017.

The event culminates with a final exhibition where all the participating artists get together to celebrate the works of the 15 finalists before jurors award prices to the winners. The first prize is $1,500 and the second is $1000. This year it will take place at the Haitian Cultural Center on Saturday, Sept. 2.

Here are some of the winners from past years:

Nothing like aspects of your town to get you inspired. They say home is where the heart is. These images will live on forever in our hearts even after the places are gone.

The sixth annual Paint Me Miami is at 5 p.m., Saturday Sept. 2 at The Haitian Cultural Center. For more information, visit http://www.paintmemiami.com.