MDC’s 2018 Miami Book Fair, Nov. 11 -18
Presented and produced by Miami Dade College
Miami, Oct. 1, 2018 – The largest and most comprehensive community-rooted literary gathering in the country, Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Miami Book Fair (MBF), invites everyone to a community mural paint-in with nationally recognized, Miami-based mural artist and educator Luis Valle, aka El Chan Guri, Saturday, Oct. 13, 3-6 p.m. Local artists, and anyone who wants to join, will work side-by-side with Valle to complete the mural on-site. The original design created for the mural will be used as the official image for the poster celebrating the 35th edition of the Miami Book Fair.
The community-paint in will beautify a bus shelter on MDC’s Wolfson Campus in downtown Miami. The event will feature an array of activities that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, including: DJ Brian (Wood Tavern) on the turntables all afternoon; food trucks; free books for children and teens; break, pop and beatbox with Miami’s iconic b-boy dance crew Flipside Kings; Afro-Caribbean drumming with the soulful Inez Barlatier; hands-on arts and crafts activities with Arts 4 Learning (A4L); personalized poems on demand written on-site by members of the Miami Poetry Collective and much more.
Luis Valle is considered a staple in the Miami art scene and is a well-respected member of the community. He works closely with grass-roots organizations, creating murals and art pieces throughout South Florida and the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean. His style can be easily recognized, as it is a blend of influences from indigenous cultures, psychology, shamanism, religion, and spirituality.
The mural is being made possible with the support of the Miami Downtown Development Authority (DDA).
WHAT: MBF’s Community Mural Paint-in with Luis Valle (El Chan Guri)
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 13, 3-6 p.m.
WHERE: MDC’s Wolfson Campus, Bldg. 1 Plaza, Bus Shelter, NE. First Ave., between NE Third & Fourth Streets (East Side)
About Miami Book Fair
Founded in 1984 by Miami Dade College and partners, Miami Book Fair engages the community through inclusive, accessible programs that promote reading and support writers year-round. The annual eight-day festival has grown into the largest and most comprehensive community-rooted literary gathering in the United States. The Fair features readings and discussions with the world’s most renowned authors, generating discourse on contemporary literature and current issues of international importance. The Fair also include culinary presentations; live music and interdisciplinary performances; interactive, educational activities for children; and more than 200 booksellers and publishers during the Street Fair. Events take place in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole and French. In addition to the annual festival, the Miami Book Fair responds to community needs with a year-round schedule of activities, including The Little Haiti Book Festival, highlighting Haiti’s literary acumen; creative writing and publishing workshops; author presentations; reading campaigns; and Read to Learn Books for Free, a partnership with The Children’s Trust that distributes more than 150,000 free books a year to children in Miami-Dade County.
Miami Book Fair is made possible through the generous support of the State of Florida and the National Endowment for the Arts; the City of Miami; Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; Miami-Dade County Public Schools; the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau; the Miami Downtown Development Authority; and the Friends of the Fair; as well as many corporate partners. Miami Book Fair: Building community, one reader at a time.
Miami Book Fair media contact: Lisa Palley, 305-642-3132, lpalley@bellsouth.net