Miami-Dade County

The 44 Percent: Miami Art Week Edition

Artist Reginald O’Neal completes his commissioned piece to be unveiled on Sunday, November 27th as part of the art initiative “Black Basel.” Miami MoCAAD commissioned Overtown native and muralist/artist Reginald O’Neal to create a mural on the side of the union hall building owned by the predominantly Black International Longshoremen’s Association Local 1416 in Historic Overtown on Thursday, November 17, 2022.
Artist Reginald O’Neal completes his commissioned piece to be unveiled on Sunday, November 27th as part of the art initiative “Black Basel.” Miami MoCAAD commissioned Overtown native and muralist/artist Reginald O’Neal to create a mural on the side of the union hall building owned by the predominantly Black International Longshoremen’s Association Local 1416 in Historic Overtown on Thursday, November 17, 2022. cjuste@miamiherald.com

Welcome to The 44 Percent: Miami Art Week Edition.

Instead of our regularly scheduled program, we gone do something a bit different today. Rather than summarize stories, I’m going to share a few guides to Basel, highlight a few things and end with a Miami staple.

So without further ado, let’s dive in.

C. Isaiah Smalls II author card
C. Isaiah Smalls II author card

INSIDE THE 305

Pharrell Williams, left, takes a selfie with a fan at the Art Basel VIP opening day in Miami Beach.
Pharrell Williams, left, takes a selfie with a fan at the Art Basel VIP opening day in Miami Beach. Jose A. Iglesias jiglesias@elnuevoherald.com

Strong sales, giant eggs and the world’s nosiest ATM: Miami Art Week is back:

Before making any decisions on where to go, check out this piece that will give you an overall taste of Miami Art Week. Feeling bougie? Go to the Miami Beach Convention Center and check out the real Art Basel. Rooting for everybody Black? Go check out Prizm Art Fair.

Artwork entitled ‘Quantum Field’ by artist Athlone Clarke is displayed at the Art Prizm Fair during Art Basel in the Design District neighborhood of Miami, Florida, on Tuesday, November 29, 2022.
Artwork entitled ‘Quantum Field’ by artist Athlone Clarke is displayed at the Art Prizm Fair during Art Basel in the Design District neighborhood of Miami, Florida, on Tuesday, November 29, 2022. D.A. Varela dvarela@miamiherald.com

Black and Basel: Here’s Sugarcane’s guide to Miami Art Week 2022:

Speaking of rooting for everybody Black, Sugarcane Magazine’s guide to Miami Art Week is the go-to guide for all things diaspora. In addition to Prizm, there’s Point Comfort Art Fair + Show in Overtown and AfriKin Art 2022 in Opa-locka.

Flowers and a photo of Virgil Abloh, the artistic director of Louis Vuitton men’s wear as well as the founder of his own brand, Off-Whitetributes are placed in honor of Abloh at the foot of a giant statue of a model wearing his clothing design as part of a tribute Friday, December 3, 2021 in the Design District.
Flowers and a photo of Virgil Abloh, the artistic director of Louis Vuitton men’s wear as well as the founder of his own brand, Off-Whitetributes are placed in honor of Abloh at the foot of a giant statue of a model wearing his clothing design as part of a tribute Friday, December 3, 2021 in the Design District. Emily MIchot emichot@miamiherald.com

Nike’s Virgil Abloh exhibit on display at the Rubell Museum:

Virgil Abloh was a creative genius.

At the heart of his genius, however, was a genuine love for creating. Nowhere is that more evident than his work with Nike, which curated an exhibition entitled “Virgil Abloh: The Codes c/o Architecture” now on display at the Rubell Museum.

The exhibit features all of Abloh’s Nike creations – from the Off-White Dunks to the Queen collection created specifically for Serena Williams – as well as an explanation of his creative process. This is definitely a must-see for sneakerheads.

OUTSIDE THE 305 (from South Africa to Miami)

Uncle Waffles is one of the hottest amapiano acts. A zulu word meaning “the pianos,” amapiano is a genre originating in South Africa that combines elements of house and jazz music.
Uncle Waffles is one of the hottest amapiano acts. A zulu word meaning “the pianos,” amapiano is a genre originating in South Africa that combines elements of house and jazz music. Facebook

Amapiano runs Miami Art Week:

If you’re out in Miami this week, odds are you’ll hear some amapiano. It’s quite literally the hottest sound coming out of South Africa. Loosely translated as “the pianos,” amapiano is essentially house music, a genre created by Black people in Chicago and Detroit in the late 70s.

Two of the genre’s hottest acts, Uncle Waffles and Major League DJz, have several sets this week including Thursday at 1-800-Lucky and Saturday at The Oasis.

HIGH CULTURE

Larry D Reaves, 53, owner of World’s Famous Souseman BBQ, serves a cup of his world famous pork souse in the backyard of his Opa-locka home in Florida on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022.
Larry D Reaves, 53, owner of World’s Famous Souseman BBQ, serves a cup of his world famous pork souse in the backyard of his Opa-locka home in Florida on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. SAM NAVARRO Special for the Miami Herald


‘It’s a staple of the culture.’ Meet Souseman, king of Miami’s signature stew:

But if you want a taste of the real Miami, go on down to Opa-locka and try Souseman Larry’s signature souse. What Larry can do with a chicken (and a pig for that matter) is nothing short of art. And if you stop by at the right time, you might just leave with a little sermon, too.

Where does “The 44 Percent” name come from? Click here to find out how Miami history influenced the newsletter’s title.

This story was originally published December 1, 2022 at 1:50 PM.

C. Isaiah Smalls II
Miami Herald
C. Isaiah Smalls II is a sports and culture writer who covers the Miami Dolphins. In his previous capacity at the Miami Herald, he was the race and culture reporter who created The 44 Percent, a newsletter dedicated to the Black men who voted to incorporate the city of Miami. A graduate of both Morehouse College and Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, Smalls previously worked for ESPN’s Andscape.
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