MIAMI, FL — The Hold the Line Coalition and Miami Dade County District 7 Commissioner Raquel Regalado invite the community to attend Art and Mimosas, featuring the opening of the Art of Diatoms exhibition by Xavier Cortada. Cortada, recently appointed by Mayor Levine Cava as Miami-Dade County’s inaugural artist-in-residence, will co-host the socially engaged art event on Sunday, September 11, 2022 at 11 a.m. at Hibiscus Gallery at Pinecrest Gardens, 11000 SW 57 Avenue, Pinecrest, FL 33156. 

The Art of Diatoms exhibit features Cortada’s depiction of the incredibly important microalgae that are used by Florida Coastal Everglades scientists today to see see into the past as they research the environmental issues that will shape our tomorrow. Each diatom species has a different salinity preference, so changes in the mixture of fresh and sea water (driven by changes in sea level and water management) can be inferred from past diatom remains. 

This work builds on themes the artist presented in The Underwater, Cortada’s socially engaged art project highlighting the current and future impacts of sea level rise on County residents. The Cortada Foundation will use the interactive art project to engage visitors and help them discover their property’s elevation above sea level. Event co-hosts Commissioner Raquel Regalado and the Hold The Line Coalition will be present to discuss County efforts to mitigate and prepare for climate change and how to become effective advocates to build support for solutions. 

“I want to use art to help my neighbors understand our vulnerability to rising seas and give them the tools to take action,” said Cortada. “Learning together and working together today, we can build a more equitable tomorrow.“

Cortada’s environmentally focused work challenges viewers to consider their impact on the world’s natural resources, as well as their personal role to play in environmental protection. His work is featured in the permanent collections of the Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), the NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, the Whatcom Museum, the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum and the MDC Museum of Art + Design. From 2007-08, Cortada created installations at the North and South Poles to draw attention to environmental destruction around the world. 

www.holdthelinecoalition.org/