BY Michael R. Malone (Miami Magazine, Fall 2020) – Xavier Cortada, A.B. ’86, J.D. ’91, M.P.A. ’91, launched the Miami Corona Project, a three-pronged art initiative that aims to inspire, educate, and engage the public while providing a real-time record of the pandemic’s impact on Miami-Dade County.

Presented as part of the University of Miami COVID-19 Rapid Response, Cortada’s project is modeled on an inspiration he presented 20 years ago in South Africa to memorialize the victims of a different pandemic—AIDS.

“Our goal is to create a space for community engagement, just like we did with the ‘Breaking the Silence’ mural hanging in the Durban Art Gallery in Durban, South Africa,” he explains.

Adam Roberti, B.A.M.A ’18, director of Cortada Projects, helped to develop the project’s website (cortada.com/corona), where visitors can add their own stories about the pandemic.

“I hope this project serves as an artistic model for how to build community, amplify voices, and ultimately save lives,” Roberti says.

LINK TO ORIGINAL ARTICLE: https://magazine.miami.edu/_assets/pdf/miami-magazine-fall-2020.pdf