The city of Miami Beach is in a full-on embrace of public art with several initiatives unveiled recently at the start of Miami Beach Art Week.

City officials including tourism and culture director Lissette García Arrogante, commissioner Laura Dominguez, and city manager Alina Hudak were on hand on December 5 for the unveiling of Adora Vanessa Athena Fantasia (2023). The newly-commissioned art installation by Brazilian collective Assume Vivid Astro Focus (AVAF) honors drag culture at a crucial time, given the recent efforts by Governor Ron DeSantis to ban drag performances in Florida.

“We must defend drag. Stop criminalizing drag,” artist and AVAF member Eli Sudbrack said at the unveiling. “Drag performers are goddesses of our contemporary world. Their performances provide inclusive, warm, positive, nonjudgmental, open, and energetic content for everyone, including people who are not in the queer community.”

“The core goal of our projects and this installation in general has always been to provide a sense of freedom, liberation, and self-expression to the viewers,” he added.

Miami Beach city manager Alina T. Hudak with Eli Sudbrack of Assume Vivid Astro Focus. Image courtesy of the City of Miami Beach.

The five double-sided banners on aluminum are suspended up high on Espanola Way at the intersection of Washington Avenue in South Beach. Thanks to the cooperation of respective nearby landlords, the public private initiative is now in its third iteration. The AVAF art honors and incorporates details from local drag icons—bedazzled glittery eyes, nails, lips, wigs, furs, and jewelry—including Adora, Athena Dion, Carla Croqueta, Fantasia Royale, Juice Love Dion, Lady Paraiso, Persephone Von Lips, Power Infiniti, the Regina Black, Tiffany Fantasia, and TP Lords.

Drag performer Tiffany Fantasia at the unveiling of Adora Vaness Athena Fantasia (2023) by Assume Vivid Astro Focus in Miami Beach. Image courtesy of the City of Miami Beach.

Tiffany Fantasia was also on hand to deliver thanks and remarks about the new work. “Please continue to support drag and support art. Without art, the world is boring,” said Fantasia as they discussed the importance of drag to the fabric of Miami nightlife.

During her remarks, Commissioner Dominguez noted that Española Way was initially an artist colony. Calling the overhead AVAF art installation “spectacular,” she added: “I’m an ally of the LGTBQ community and this work speaks wonders to our diversity that we have in Miami Beach.”

Espanola Way in South Beach. Image courtesy of the City of Miami Beach

Hudak thanked the AVAF collective, adding, “I want to take the opportunity to commend the artist for his message, for his joyful, for his heart, and for everything that this installation represents to us and a city that really speaks to the message behind this beautiful installation.”

Adora Vanessa Athena Fantasia will remain on view through February 29, 2024. 

Meanwhile, across the city, Miami Beach continued the latest iteration of its “No Vacancy” art initiative that places site-specific art projects and installation at 12 Miami Beach hotels through December 14.

The juried art competition, presented in collaboration with the city’s visitor and convention authority (MBVCA) supports mostly local artists by providing each with $10,000 to create their installation at the respective hotel. Artists are selected from a call for submissions issued by the city.

Among the participating hotels, Riviera Suites in South Beach hosted Carola Bravo’s projected titled Yield to Immigrants.

A complete listing of the “No Vacancy” projects and hotel locations can be found here.