November 30, 1999
CommunityActivist/Artist Collaborates with Dependent and Delinquent Children to Create Permanent Mural at Juvenile Justice Center
In recognition of the 100th Anniversary of the first Juvenile Court in America and to provide a voice to those who have walked the halls of Miami-Dade’s Juvenile Justice Center, acclaimed artist Xavier Cortada will unveil his stunning acrylic and canvas mural – “Commemorating 100 Years of Juvenile Justice” — that will permanently adorn the walls of the entrance to the Center.
Inspired by artistic creations of 500 children in the juvenile justice system, Cortada painted a central theme which was then transformed into a 24 x 16 foot mosaic comprised of close to 100,000 glass tiles. The mosaic, reproduced by Bisazza, will be permanently mounted on the facade of the Juvenile Justice Center (3300 NW 27th Avenue) on Dec. 10.
The unveiling of the impressive mosaic is the culmination of week-long activities themed “Building A World Safe For The Dreams of Children. All events from Dec. 6 – 10 commemorating the court’s anniversary are open to the public.
For months, Cortada visited detention centers and foster care homes where he learned first hand from kids what messages they would give to others passing through the intimidating halls of the Juvenile Court.
“The mural is their way of anonymously helping other delinquent youth who are about to follow in their foot steps,” Cortada said. “It is their way of re-connecting with their community, and showing they care.” Under his vision and with some assistance from the Miami Art Museum, Cortada encouraged close to 500 foster children to create drawings and
original hand-written messages that were integrated into a 15- foot long mural to be permanently displayed in the waiting area of the Juvenile Court. These inspired Cortada’s vision for the mosaic.
Both creations represent the passion of those kids currently in the system, which cares for children from infancy to age 18 who have been abused, neglected or abandoned or have committed crimes.
“These children are not my children or your children, they are our children. We must make them a priority in this community and accept our responsibility to help them,” said Administrative Judge Cindy Lederman. “From the art, we have given these children a voice and it’s time to listen. There are myriad ways for the community to make a difference, to prevent juvenile crime, abuse and neglect, and help rehabilitate our children.”
Because Cortada received an outcry of messages from the children, he, along, with youth from Regis House, also will be on-site in the atrium of the Juvenile Justice Center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec. 6 – 9 to paint a second mural that also will find a permanent home inside the court.
“I made a promise to every single kid I visited that their message would not be left out and to show how we can work together to make difference,” said Cortada, known for works representative of social issues. “The response was overwhelming and I am going to keep my promise to the children. Their voices will be heard in a permanent and meaningful way.”
Cortada, who received his law degree from the University of Miami before becoming a full-time artist, is no stranger to the system. From 1990-92, he was the executive director of Regis House, an adolescent drug and alcohol abuse center in Miami. He served two terms as the Chair of the Dade County Bar Association Juvenile Courts Committee. He also is the past director of the Juvenile Violence and Delinquency Prevention Programs at the University of Miami.
A Cuban-American artist who lives and works in Miami, Cortada, 35, works primarily in acrylic and oils on canvas, although he has created numerous murals and drawings. He has exhibited his paintings across the United States, Latin America, Europe and Africa and was the first foreign artist to exhibit in Soweto after the end of apartheid in South Africa.
Major sponsors include Holland & Knight LLP and the Leigh Foundation. For more information on the mosaic or the week-long activities, contact Paul Indelicato at (305) 638-6102 or Judge Scott Bernstein at (305) 638-6238
CONTACT:
Steven Schwadron
O’Connell & Goldberg, Inc.
450 North Park Road, Suite 600
Hollywood, FL 33021
(954) 964-9098