Xavier Cortada and a participant of “We’re in the Same Boat” photographed for the Miami Herald.
Engaged Projects
- “ROCK Stars” – Providing a platform for children with cancer and their family members to bond and take comfort in the knowledge they are not alone in their battle with cancer (created with the participants of the Florida Chapter of the American Cancer Society’s Families ROCK Weekend, Orlando, FL).
- “Hershey’s Mural” – Benefitting the Children’s Miracle Network through a collaborative mural with patients from the Miami Children’s Hospital (commissioned by the Hershey Corporation for the Miami Children’s Hospital, Miami, FL).
- “Miami Riverside Garden” – Beautifying Miami’s neighborhoods with art beneath the Miami River Flagler Bridge (Miami, FL).
- “Front Porch Conversations” – Capturing the conversations people [would have had] about their community including the memories and aspirations of the people of Little Havana (Miami, FL).
- “I do hereby promise…” – Reaching out to underserved teens identified by the East Little Havana assembly to participate in the arts with South Florida cultural institutions (commissioned by the Miami Art Museum through a Miami-Dade Empowerment Zone grant for MAM in the Neighborhood, Miami, FL).
- “Hues of Love: Alzheimer’s Mural” – Remembering the beauty and joy that those afflicted with Alzheimers once gave to the world (sponsored by the Miami Law Firm of Steel, Hector and Davis under leadership of Roy Barquet, a partner of the firm and board member of the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Miami Chapter, and Discovery Networks, Weber Shandwick Worldwide and B-Line Apparel, Miami, FL).
- “Convictim” – Capturing the voices of juvenile offenders aged 14 – 18 incarcerated in adult jail waiting to be tried or sentenced as adults (created through ArtCare: Outreach to Juveniles Being Tried as Adults, a project in collaboration with Miami-Dade Art in Public Places and the Law Offices of Bennett H. Brummer and the Public Defender of the 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida, sponsored by the Miami-Dade Cultural Affairs Council, the Department of Juvenile Justice, Weed and Seed, BACARDI USA and the East Little Havana Community Development Corporation, Miami, FL).
- “History | Disability | Art” – Documenting the history of disabilities with the help of students from Riviera Middle School Riviera Middle, who pasted their words and drawings on a canvas answering the question, “What can I do to help a person with a disability?”
Public Art Commissions
- “Manatee Mural,” Miami Riverside Garden (Flagler Bridge), City of Miami, Miami, FL.
- ArtCare: “Convictim,” collaborative art mural with the participation of children in adult prisons, Office of the Public Defender, 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida, Miami-Dade Art in Public Places, Miami, FL
Solo Exhibitions
- No Tengan Miedo, Latin American Art Museum, Miami, FL
Group Exhibitions
- History | Disability | Art, Case Grande Cultural Center, Miami, FL
Artworks
- Agua bendita ~ 76,214 (watery graves)
- Alumbrón
- ArtCare
- Artículo XIII
- Asistencia con cuatro potencias
- Circuito Cerrado (`we are the only ones and there are no others’ –F.C.)
- Convictim
- Comiéndonos un cable (Feast)
- Deep Freeze
- Demonic Studies
- El Confesor (Residue)
- El Semillero: Liberty 53, Embargo 1
- El bicho malo unca muere
- En Cuba no hay serpientes venenosas
- Esto no tiene nombre (Untitled)
- Front Porch Conversations
- Flo
- Fury
- Hershey’s Mural
- Hues of Love
- I do hereby promise…
- Information Bouquet
- IV. Pioneros
- La zafra de los gusanos (a diet of worms)
- Leap of Fate
- Looking for Cuba
- Madonna Ladrona
- MAM in the Neighborhood
- Masa cárnica (meat map of Cuba)
- Miedo Ambiente (Fearscape)
- Reflect
- Revolution
- Riverside Garden
- ROCK Stars
- Sink
- The Feast
- The Intercession Game
- Unfurl
- Velando al Velorio (Coffins and Mitres, Cowboys and Indians, Dinosaurs and Popes, Candles and Rulers)
- Victor
- Voices
- We’re in the Same Boat
- X. Jinetera
Events, Lectures, Installations and Presentations
- Grand Opening Group Show, Gallery Yes!, 1436 NE 26th Street, Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
January 26, 2000 - No Tengan Miedo, Latin American Art Museum solo exhibit exploring the impact of Pope John Paul II’s visit to Cuba the third anniversary of the trip. 2206 SW 8th Street (Calle Ocho), Miami, FL
January 12, 2001 – January 26, 2001 - Cyprus Mural project slideshow presentation and initiation of Master-Peace International (MPI) at Coconut Grove Elementary School, Miami, Florida on February 5, 2001. MPI is an educational and outreach effort of Miami-Dade Art in Public Places.
- Northern Ireland Mural project slideshow presentation and initiation of Master-Peace International (MPI) at South Miami Middle School, South Miami, Florida. MPI is an educational and outreach effort of Miami-Dade Art in Public Places.
February 7, 2001 - Panelist, Building Community Through the Arts, Florida International University, Miami, Florida.
February 14, 2001 - Guest Speaker, Arts in Medicine Artist Reunion, University of Miami Children Cancer Clinic, University of Miami / Jackson Medical Center, 1611 NW 12th Avenue, ACC West, 5 A Clinic, Conference Room 503, Miami, Florida.
February 16, 2001 - Opening “Ulloa-Cortada: An Art Encounter”exhibit at Casa Grande Cultural Center, 104 SW 9th Street, Ground Level (across the avenue from the Brickell Metrorail Station), Miami, Florida. The two person show (featuring paintings by Dominican artist Ulloa and Xavier Cortada’s No Tengan Miedo exhibit) is sponsored by Office of the Mayor of Miami-Dade County, the Sister Cities Miami-Dade/Santo Domingo Commitee, and the East Little Havana Community Development Corporation.
February 21, 2001 @ 7 p.m. - South Africa AIDS Conference Mural project slideshow presentation and initiation of Master-Peace International (MPI) at Miami Jackson High School, Miami, Florida. MPI is an educational and outreach effort of Miami-Dade Art in Public Places.
February 21, 2001 - Guest Speaker, University of Miami Institute of Retired Professionals, Coral Gables, Florida.
February 22, 2001 - Completion of Miami’s VOICES mural during AIDS Walk 2001 (to benefit Care Resource, Inc.) at Bayfront Park, in downtown Miami, FL from 2 to 5 pm (dedication of mural at sunset during candlelight vigil). (Cortada began painting the mural’s five 8 x 4 wood panels during Fall of 1996 with members of the agencies Client Advisory Board, and then continued work on the 20-foot mural with input from participants of the 1997 AIDS Walk in South Beach, FL. The mural was never completed.)
February 24, 2001 - Unveiling of the PATH Millennium Mural for the Miami-Dade Housing Authority, Joseph P. Caleb Auditorium, Miami, Florida.
February 27, 2001 - The “IV. Pioneros“ painting will be unveiled at a Committee for the Human Rights of Children fundraiser in Little Havana’s newly renovated and historic Tower Theater, 1500 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL. The event will also feature the screening of Mari Rodriguez Ichaso’s new documentary, “Made in Cuba: Children of Paradise.” Tickets are $25, seating is limited.
March 23, 2001 @ 7:00 p.m. - Recognition ceremonies for students participating in the Art in Public Places-sponsored Master-Peace International program in the following Miami-Dade County Public Schools: Miami Jackson High School (on March 27th), Coconut Grove Elementary School (on March 28th), and South Miami Middle School (on March 29th, 2001).
March 27 – 29, 2001 - Fulbright Foreign Student Enrichment Seminar: Xavier Cortada will serve as Keynote speaker for the seminar sponsored by the U.S. State Department Institute of International Education at the Miami Radisson Deauville Resort, 6701 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida.
March 29, 2001 - Xavier Cortada will be a panelist on the “Community Building Through Arts and Culture” panel of the Miami Urban Renaissance Conference: Historic Preservation as a Catalyst for Community Development in the Tower Theater, 1500 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL. The conference is presented by the Miami River Neighborhood Restoration Corporation, the University of Miami Center for Urban and Community Design, and the Collins Center for Public Policy.
March 30, 2001 @ 4:30 p.m. - Little Havana Viernes Cultural (Cultural Fridays) reception at Casa Grande Cultural Center, 104 SW 9th Street, Ground Level (across/west of the avenue from the Brickell Metrorail Station), Miami, Florida. The exhibit will show recent drawings by Xavier Cortada, and feature his acclaimed exhibit, No Tengan Miedo.
March 30, 2001 @ 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. - Hands On Miami’s “We’re on the same boat” Mural Project, a community-based art project designed to bring diverse communities together by creating a mural. Xavier Cortada will facilate sessions for the creation of a collaborative mural with the elderly served by the Haitian American Foundation and the Little Havana Activities and Nutrition Center during April and May, 2001.
April 17th and 25th, 2001 - An “X” rated Evening — see new works by Miami artist Xavier “X” Cortada at a reception to benefit SAVE Dade.
April 27, 2001 @ 7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. - Continuation with the Hands On Miami’s “We’re in the Same Boat” Mural Project: Joint sessions May 7th and 8th; painting sessions May 21st and 22nd, 2001.
May 7 – 8, 2001 and May 21 – 22, 2001 - Dedication and installation of the 100 Anniversary of Juvenile Courts interior mural in the Miami-Dade Juvenile Courthouse (3300 SW 27th Avenue, Delinquency area waiting room)
May 11, 2001 @ 12:00 p.m. - Cultural Celebration featuring the Haitian Cultural Heritage Month’s Group Show of Haitian Artists and new works by Cuban-American artist Xavier Cortada at Casa Grande Cultural Center.
May 25, 2001 @ 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. - Unveiling of Hands On Miami’s “We’re in the Same Boat” Mural, of the bicultural mural created by senior citizens from the Haitian and Cuban communities, will take place at the Coconut Grove Sailing Club, 2990 South Bayshore Drive, Miami, Florida.
May 31, 2001 @ 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. - POSTPONED: The Front Porch Conversations Mural will be unveiled during the The Front Porch Florida Designation Announcement of the Community of Little Havana by Governor Jeb Bush at Little Havana’s San Juan Bosco Church, 1301 West Flagler Street, Miami, Florida. (Please check for future unveiling date.)
June 1, 2001 @ 11:30 a.m. - University of Miami School of Law Alumni Association Reception to benefit the Richard A. Hausler Memorial Bust and Scholarship Fund (featuring new works by UM alumnus/artist Xavier Cortada) at Casa Grande Cultural Center, 104 SW 9th Street, Ground Level.
June 29, 2001 @ 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. - MAM in the Neighborhood Mural Miami Art Museum commissions Cortada to create mural with Little Havana youth.
July 2001 - Presentation of “Miami Riverbank“, Xavier Cortada’s design for the beautification of the Flagler Bridge, during the groundbreaking of the East Little Havana Riverside Garden.
July 27, 2001 - The Alzheimer’s Mural — Miami, Florida. Miami artist Xavier Cortada will begin the creation of a 9-foot collaborative mural on Alzheimer’s disease.
August 6, 2001 @ 10:30 a.m. - Hershey’s Collaboraive Mural for Miami Children’s Hospital.
August 16, 2001 - History of Disabilities Project University of Miami Mailman Center Miami, Florida
August 18th, 2001 - MAM in the Neighborhood Mural — Unveiling and dedication of “I do hereby promise,”the mural created by Little Havana youth from a maquette they developed with Xavier Cortada. 555 NW South River Drive, Miami, Florida.
August 19, 2001 @ 12:00 p.m. - Installation celebration of the mixed media mural, “We’re on the Same Boat”, in the lobby of the Miami Herald Building, 1 Herald Plaza.
August 28, 2001 @ 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. - Reaching Out to Cancer Kids Mural — Sponsored by the Florida Chapter of the American Cancer Society, during the ROCK Family Weekend in Orlando, Florida.
September 28 – 30, 2001 - Xavier Cortada, appointed by Secretary of State Katherine Harris to serve on the Florida Artist’s Residency Panel for the Division of Cultural Affairs, will be be meeting in Tallahassee with fellow panelists.
September 27, 2001 - Join us for the Dedication of the Riverside Garden (Beautification of the Miami River Flagler Bridge) and for the signing of Xavier Cortada’s Manatee mural.
September 26, 2001 @ 11:00 a.m. - Unveiling of Hershey’s Collaborative Mural at Miami Children’s Hospital on October 15, 2001.
- Prime in Artist’s Studio (see map)
October 12, 2001@ 8:00 p.m. - Unveiling of “Hues of Love: The Alzheimer’s Mural“ — Miami, Florida
October 4, 2001 @ 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. - demons — Opening reception (pre-opening reception for SALAD at 6:30 p.m.) Exhibit is co-sponsored by The Show Works and www.artistamundo.com, and runs through December 7th.
November 9, 2001 @ 8:00 – 10:00 p.m. - HistoryDisabilityArt — Opening reception. (*This exhibit explores the History of Disabilities and is presented by the University of Miami Mailman Center for Child Development. It is co-sponsored by the Miami-Dade Department of Cultural Affairs. Exhibit runs through January 18, 2002.)
December 12, 2001 @ 7:30 – 10:00 p.m. - Unveiling of the Miami Northwestern AIDS Mural in the Miami Northwestern Senior High School’s Theatre of the Performing Arts 1100 NW 71st Street, Miami, FL 33150. RSVP: (305) 693-1045. Mural is sponsored by the John H. Peavy Adolescent Health Center (inside the High School) and the Public Health Trust.
December 7, 2001 @ 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Press
- Tribute
By Richard Patterson
The Miami Herald
December 29, 2001 - Painter exhibits latest work
By Al Diaz
The Miami Herald
October 7, 2001 - Tribute in Art
By Al Diaz
The Miami Herald
October 5, 2001 - Little Havana’s new face: Artists, performers, and promoters give a fresh spin to an old Miami neighborhood
By Emma Trelles
Street Miami
September 28, 2001 - Giant Kiss for Kids
The Miami Herald
August 29, 2001 - Art acts as treatment at children’s cancer clinic: Painting an outlet for expression
By Yohana de la Torre
The Miami Herald
August 23, 2001 - Empty lost to blossom with art, redesign
By Adriana Cordovi, photo by Richard Patterson
The Miami Herald
August 16, 2001 - Wall Painting in Little Havana
By Tim Chapman
The Miami Herald
July 29, 2001 - Wall Power: A guide to some of Miami’s best public art
By Emma Trelles
Street Miami
July 20, 2001 - Painting the Town: Children learn about art and beautify their Little Havana neighborhood
By Jason T. Smith
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
July 15, 2001 - Renaissance Man Xavier Cortada
Published in the
University of Miami College of Arts & Sciences
Spring 2001 - In the same boat
The Miami Herald
June 1, 2001 - Estamos en el mismo barco
El Nuevo Herald
June 1, 2001 - Mural unifies groups at odds
By Charles Forelle
The Miami Herald
May 22, 2001 - Masiva caminata contra el sida
By Ketty Rodriguez
El Nuevo Herald
February 25, 2001 - Marcha contra el sida
By Miguel A. Sirgado
El Nuevo Herald
February 24, 2001 - ‘It Changed the Paradigm’: Miami artist explores legacy of papal visit to Cuba three years ago
By Tom Tracy
Our Sunday Visitor (National circulation)
February 11, 2001 - Fights of Fancy: Fresh artists are popping up around town and trying to shake up the status quo
By Alfredo Triff
Miami New Times
January 25, 2001 - Xavier Cortada y el Latin American Art Museum
By Armando Alvarez Bravo
El Nuevo Herald
January 21, 2001 - Have No Fear: Miami artist explores papal visit to Cuba three years ago
By Tom Tracy
The Florida Catholic (Statewide circulation)
January 18, 2001 - Cuban visit changes artist’s soul, work
By Fabiola Santiago
The Miami Herald
January 13, 2001 - Abre sus sesiones el Centro Félix Varela de St. Thomas
By Olga Connor
El Nuevo Herald
January 10, 2001 - Xavier Cortada’s “IV. Pioneros” painting to be unveiled in Little Havana’s historic Tower Theater
Press Release
2001