HistoryMiami, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is committed to preserving & celebrating Miami’s history through exhibitions, education, research and collections. Our YouTube page highlights some of our exhibitions and programs.
Below you will find examples from our featured playlists. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel so that you can stay up to date with the latest videos we publish!
Exhibition openings
The Guayabera: A Shirt's Story - Opening Reception
Thursday 22nd June 2017
The Guayabera: A Shirt's Story explores the changing uses and significance of the guayabera, a traditional piece of menswear worn by Latin American and Caribbean populations. Opened on June 28, 2012 and on display until January 13, 2013, the exhibition is brought to you by HistoryMiami (101 West Flagler Street Miami, FL 33130). Thank you to our exhibition sponsors CUBAVERA, the National Endowment for the Arts and Miami-Dade County!
Operation Pedro Pan Extended Exhibition Preview
Thursday 22nd June 2017
As part of our 75th Anniversary Celebration, we would like to announce our next special exhibition coming to HistoryMiami. "Operation Pedro Pan" will be at HM this summer! Put yourself into the shoes of the thousands of children who left everything they knew in their home country to come to the United States, and hear the stories of the brave individuals who worked to reach the American Dream. Mark your calendar for this exhibition opening June 26th!
Heritage Spotlight Series
Heritage Spotlight Series: Flipside Kings
Thursday 20th November 2014
Founded in Miami, Florida in 1994, the Flipside Kings are an acclaimed B-Boy dance crew. Over the past 20 years, the group has grown into a collective of artists that includes dancers, graffiti/visual artists, musicians, and educators. A longstanding fixture in Miami’s cultural scene, the group competes in international dance events, creates contemporary dance and theater performances, and teaches workshops on various aspects of hip hop culture. The Flipside Kings were HistoryMiami's artists-in-residence from April through June 2014. For more information visit: http://www.historymiami.org/artist-in-residence/flipside-kings/
Heritage Spotlight Series: Bahamas Junkanoo Revue
Thursday 20th November 2014
Based in South Florida, Bahamas Junkanoo Revue practices junkanoo, a Bahamian parade tradition that occurs on Boxing Day (December 26) and New Year's Day. The group's year-round performances feature handmade costumes, dancing, and music made by drums, cowbells, whistles, and brass instruments. In 2009, ensemble leader Langston Longley received the Florida Folk Heritage Award, our state's most prestigious award for traditional artists. The Bahamas Junkanoo Revue was HistoryMiami's Heritage Spotlight Series artist-in-residence from January through March 2014. For more information visit: http://www.historymiami.org/artist-in-residence/bahamas-junkanoo-revue/
Heritage Spotlight Series: Clarita Filgueiras
Friday 21st August 2015
A performer and choreographer, Clarita Filgueiras has spent a lifetime mastering the art of flamenco dance. Her passion for this Spanish tradition originates with her father and grandmother (both flamenco singers) and her mother, an expert in flamenco costume design. A winner of multiple awards, including the 2012 Florida Folk Heritage Award, she performs across the United States, Latin America, and Europe, appearing in theaters, nightclubs, on radio, and on television. Clarita Filgueiras was HistoryMiami's Heritage Spotlight Series artist-in-residence from April through June 2015. For more information visit: http://www.historymiami.org/artist-in-residence/clarita-filgueiras/
Heritage Spotlight Series: Plena Es
Tuesday 8th September 2015
With a passion for celebrating Puerto Rican culture, Plena Es specializes in plena and bomba, percussion-driven musical traditions that reflect the island’s African heritage. Based in South Florida, the group performs across the region and serves as the Miami Marlins Pachanga Band. These pleneros have shared the stage with renowned musicians Willie Colón, Tito Puente, Victor Manuelle, and many others. Plena Es was HistoryMiami's Heritage Spotlight Series artist-in-residence from January through March 2015. For more information visit: http://www.historymiami.org/artist-in-residence/plena-es/
Heritage Spotlight Series: 21st Century Steel Band
Tuesday 8th September 2015
The 21st Century Steel Band performs Trinidadian steel pan (steel drum) music and is led by pan maker and player Michael Kernahan. Founded in 1978, this band performs at festivals, cultural programs, and Carnivals worldwide. The 21st Century Steel Band was HistoryMiami's Heritage Spotlight Series artist-in-residence from September through November 2014. For more information visit: http://www.historymiami.org/artist-in-residence/21st-century-steel-band/
Heritage Spotlight Series: Nancy Billings
Tuesday 20th September 2016
An expert textile artist, Nancy Billings specializes in art quilting and Jewish textile traditions, including chuppahs (wedding canopies), tallits (prayer shawls), and challah (bread) covers. Nancy grew up surrounded by fabric at her father’s Manhattan textile store and learned to sew from her grandparents. Over the last 30 years, she has mastered various traditional and experimental techniques in order to add a contemporary style to her pieces, which have been exhibited across the country. Nancy was HistoryMiami's artist-in-residence from October to December 2015. For more information visit: http://www.historymiami.org/artist-in-residence/nancy-billings/
Heritage Spotlight Series: Leandro Rojas
Tuesday 20th September 2016
From Holguín, Cuba, Leandro Rojas is a master musician and instrument builder who specializes in the tres, a guitar-like instrument with three pairs of strings, and the primary instrument in the Cuban son genre. Born into a family of popular musicians, Leandro learned to play and build this instrument from his uncle. Leandro also constructs guitars, lutes, requintos, and baby bass guitars. Leandro has performed throughout Cuba and Mexico and has lived and worked in Miami since 2006. He was HistoryMiami Museum's artist-in-residence from April - June 2016. For more information visit: http://www.historymiami.org/artist-in-residence/leandro-rojas-2/
Heritage Spotlight Series: Ranjana Warier
Tuesday 6th December 2016
Performer and choreographer Ranjana Warier began studying Indian Classical dance at the age of six. Trained by her gurus, Ranjana later founded the Rhythms School of Dance, a training center for the traditional art form. She has shared her passion for Indian culture at various festivals, universities, and museums. A two-time Knight Foundation Arts Challenge winner, Ranjana choreographs performances across South Florida, and has received wide recognition for her efforts to educate children about Indian traditions. She was HistoryMiami Museum's artist-in-residence from September to November 2016. For more information visit: http://www.historymiami.org/ranjana-warier/
Heritage Spotlight Series: Mannolie DiSantos
Friday 12th May 2017
Originally from Portugal, Mannolie DiSantos is an expert beadwork artist who specializes in creating ritual items used in the centuries-old Afro-Cuban religion known as Lukumi or Santeria. For three decades, Mannolie has created jewelry, garments, and tools that express spiritual devotion to deities called Orishas. Nationally regarded for her skill and originality, Mannolie creates custom pieces for practitioners across the country. She is a respected leader in Miami’s thriving Lukumi community, a religious group whose practices are often misunderstood by the general public. Through museum exhibitions and workshops, she has offered outsiders the opportunity to discover the strikingly vibrant art forms and fundamental beliefs of her religion. Mannolie was HistoryMiami Museum's Heritage Spotlight Series artist-in-residence from January to March 2017. For more information visit: http://www.historymiami.org/mannolie-disantos
Heritage Spotlight Series: Ameyal Mexican Cultural Organization
Monday 25th September 2017
Born in Veracruz, Mexico, Alfredo Martinez is a dancer and musician with a passion for showcasing Mexico’s lesser known but vibrant traditional art forms. Before settling in Miami, Alfredo graced the stage with the Mexican Folkloric Ballet of New York and the Mexico Beyond Mariachi project. An expert in the music styles of son jarocho and son tixtleco, as well as Pre-Columbian ritual traditions, he now serves as the founder and director of Ameyal Mexican Cultural Organization in Miami. Through inventive and immersive presentations, the organization cultivates an appreciation for Mexican traditional culture and brings their heritage to life. Ameyal was HistoryMiami Museum's artist-in-residence from September to December, 2017. For more information visit: http://www.historymiami.org/alfredo-martinez-with-ameyal-mexican-cultural-organization/
Heritage Spotlight Series: Liliane Nérette Louis
Friday 7th September 2018
Liliane Nérette Louis is a Haitian folk artist specializing in storytelling, cooking, and traditional medicine. She grew up in Port-au-Prince, Haiti where her mother told her stories in Haitian Creole. As she grew older, Liliane shared these stories with her younger siblings and later with her own children. After settling in Miami in 1977, she began a long career of storytelling presentations and cooking demonstrations at festivals, schools, and other events. Liliane is a former master artist in the Florida Folklife Apprenticeship Program, a two-time winner of the Florida Individual Artist Fellowship in Folk Arts, and a Florida Folk Heritage Award honoree. She is the author of various books written in English and Creole: When Night Falls, Kric! Krac!: Haitian Folktales (1999), Pumpkin Soup is for Sunday (2011), and The Magic of Zenga and the Pumpkin Soup (2014). Liliane was HistoryMiami Museum's artist-in-residence from January to April 2014. For more information visit: http://www.historymiami.org/liliane-nerette-louis/
Heritage Spotlight Series: Puerta de Oro de Colombia
Tuesday 22nd January 2019
Since 2008, music and dance ensemble Puerta de Oro de Colombia has showcased diverse folkloric traditions from Colombia’s distinct regions to audiences across South Florida. Composed of about 40 artists, the group offers interactive performances featuring vibrant traditional rhythms and dances such as cumbia, bambuco, currulao, and vallenato. Driven by their mission to break down cultural boundaries or “romper fronteras,” they preserve their cultural heritage and share their passion for Colombian folklore through television features, radio shows, and live performances. Puerta de Oro de Colombia was HistoryMiami Museum's artist-in-residence from September through December 2018. Learn more here: http://www.historymiami.org/puerta-de-oro-de-colombia/
Heritage Spotlight Series: Reza Filsoofi
Thursday 7th March 2019
Born in Tehran, Iran, Reza Filsoofi is an instrumentalist, singer, and composer specializing in Iranian music. Reza refined his musical talents under distinguished teachers and mastered multiple instruments, including santoor and setar (stringed instruments) and daf and tonbak (percussion instruments). Now a South Florida resident, he shares his music as a teacher, recording artist, and performer, collaborating extensively with various groups and musicians in Iran and across the United States. Reza directs Caravan Ensemble, the first Iranian traditional music ensemble in South Florida. He was HistoryMiami Museum's artist-in-residence from January through April 2019. For more information visit: http://www.historymiami.org/reza-filsoofi/
American Sabor
SalSabor Youth Salsa Dance Competition - PROMO
Friday 29th August 2014
Think you can Salsa? HistoryMiami invites amateur dancers ages 13 to 17 to compete at the museum. Show off your dance skills for a chance to win a scholarship. Winners will be selected by a jury of local dancers and instructors. Prizes include: $5,000 for first place, $3,000 for second place, and $2,000 for third place. All participants must register. Space is limited. This event is held in conjunction with the Smithsonian traveling exhibition made possible by Ford Motor Company Fund, American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music. *NEW DATE* The SalSabor Youth Salsa Dance Competition has been re-scheduled to Sunday, October 26. Registration closes on October 21. For more information, email: stravieso@historymiami.org, or call 305-375-1601.
I Shook Up the World: Cassius Clay vs. Sonny Liston
I Shook Up the World: Cassius Clay vs. Sonny Liston Fight
Thursday 22nd May 2014
Revisit one of the greatest upsets in boxing history!
Museum Forums
Museum Forum: Bay of Pigs Invasion
Thursday 17th October 2013
Museum Forum: Bay of Pigs Invasion was presented by HistoryMiami in partnership Miami-Dade Public Library System and the MCM-Munilla Family Foundation. This video was taken at the Hispanic Branch Library on September 25, 2013. Moderator: Enrique Encinosa Panelists: Humberto J. Cortina and Captain Amado Cantillo
Highlights: Civil Rights in Miami Museum Forum, 2/5/14
Friday 28th February 2014
The Museum Forum is presented by HistoryMiami in partnership with the Miami-Dade Public Library System with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners. Take part in a fascinating panel discussion with pioneers from this important period. Panelists include: H.T. Smith, Civil Rights attorney, professor and founding Director of the Trial Advocacy Program at FIU College of Law Enid Pinkney, founder of the African American Committee of Dade Heritage Trust and Historic Hampton House Community Trust Garth Reeves, Civil Rights activist and publisher emeritus of The Miami Times Thelma Gibson, Civil Rights advocate and founder of the Women's Chamber of Commerce of Dade County Moderator: Bea Hines, columnist, Miami Herald
