Avenues of Expression: Street Traditions in Miami

From 2016 to 2018, HistoryMiami Museum’s South Florida Folklife Center conducted the Miami Street Culture Project, an initiative to document and present cultural traditions practiced in the streets of Miami. The project included field research, artifact collection, an exhibition, cultural programming, and other educational products. The purpose of the project was to research and highlight street traditions that give the city its unique character and identity. Field research, interviews, photo documentation, and artifacts collected during the research phase informed the final product, the exhibition Avenues of Expression: Street Traditions in Miami, on display from March 16, 2018 – January 13, 2019. The following includes project documentation as well as photos of the exhibition.

Avenues of Expression: Street Traditions in Miami

Our street traditions reflect our city and its people. The roads within and between Miami’s distinct pockets and neighborhoods are the public spaces we all share—where the city’s diverse communities converge and interact. More than just a means of navigation, the streets provide a space for self-expression and for meaningful community gatherings. The ways that we celebrate, worship, play, work, remember, and create on Miami’s avenues are the street traditions that give the city its unique mix of characteristics and identities.

Miami can be dizzying at times with its vibrant sights, sounds, and surprises. Avenues of Expression is an experience that allows you to put the city on pause, uncover the meaning behind Miami’s street traditions, and meet the individuals who bring these practices to life. Look, listen, explore, and get street smart about the street traditions around you that are hiding in plain sight.