“We need to document the existence of living traditions, both past and present, that can heal the wounds and offer us a space of opportunity where our lives can be transformed” – bell hooks, Art on My Mind (1995)
Penumbras: a narrative of Art Center/South Florida • Oolite Arts (1984-2014)
Presented in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Oolite Arts (formerly known as Art Center/South Florida)
Penumbras is a commemorative exhibition co-curated by cultural practitioner william cordova (Art Center/South Florida alum, 1998–2000) and Marie Vickles, Senior Director of Education at Pérez Art Museum Miami and Curator-in-Residence at the Little Haiti Cultural Center. The exhibition honors the foundational decades of Art Center/South Florida —now known as Oolite Arts—and the alumni artists who shaped its early legacy.
Spanning the years 1984 to 2014, Penumbras brings together work by a cross-generational group of alumni, including artists who participated in the Career Artists in the Visual Arts (CAVA) residency, originally supported by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. The exhibition features original artwork, archival materials, posters, slides, and ephemera drawn from the Oolite Arts archive and cordova’s personal collection.
A memorial section honors the alumni who have passed over the past four decades. In addition, a video installation presents rarely seen interviews, artist films, home videos, and news footage, offering a time capsule of cultural and creative life during the institution’s early years.
The exhibition also highlights the essential presence and contributions of artists from the African diaspora, including Fenol Marcelin, Vickie Pierre, Michael Richards, Jodie Lyn-Kee Chow, Manuel Acevedo, Charo Oquet, and Edouard Duval-Carrié.
At its core, Penumbras celebrates the alumni community as custodians of a legacy that continues to shape South Florida’s cultural landscape. As the curator’s share: “We see the alumni as the lifeblood of this institution—a living archive of artistic experimentation, cultural resistance, and creative exchange.”
Special thanks to artist and archivist Kevin Arrow, whose contributions helped recover pivotal early moments in the institution’s history and enrich this collective narrative.
Opening Reception + Open Studios
Join us on for an Opening Reception + Open Studios on Aug 6—celebrating 40 years of Oolite Arts!
Date: Aug 6, 2025
Time: 6-9 p.m.
Location: Oolite Arts, 924 Lincoln Road
RSVP Here
Artist Talk
Join us for a special Artist Talk led by curators william cordova and Marie Vickles.
Date: Aug 6, 2025
Time: 6:15 p.m.
Location: Oolite Arts, 924 Lincoln Road, Room 201
Spots are limited.
Location
Oolite Arts
Gallery + Vitrine
924 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach FL 33139
Opening Reception + Open Studios
Date: Aug. 6, 2025
Time: 6-9 p.m.
Artist Talk
Date: Aug. 6, 2025
Time: 6:15 p.m.
Location: 924 Lincoln Road, Room 201
