Miami, FL Oct. 10, 2018 – Miami Dade College’s (MDC) National Historic Landmark Freedom Tower will host an Open House on Saturday, Oct. 20, from 1 to 8 p.m. to rally the community to vote for the Freedom Tower in the national 2018 Partners in Preservation: Celebrating Diversity on Main Street competition. Free and open to the public.
It will be an exciting day full of culture, music and art. Visitors can tour the Freedom Tower, learn about its history, explore the exhibitions in its Special Collection Galleries and the Museum of Art and Design (MOAD MDC), and enjoy complimentary bites and live music.
Activities begin at 1:30 p.m., with a guided tour by Miami’s favorite historian and retired MDC professor, Dr. Paul George. At 4 p.m., Miami artist César Trasobares will treat visitors to Cuban Streams: 1885-1965, a captivating video installation that highlight historical photographs of the island nation from the collection of Ramiro A. Fernández. Attendees will also be able to visit two outstanding exhibitions: Most Sweetly Play the Dance by William Kentridge, one of the most significant contemporary artists of our time, and Culture and Change in the Americas, a collection of extraordinary objects, books, maps, Pre-Columbian artifacts and other historical materials at the Kislak Center.
At 5 p.m., the celebration begins with exquisite Latin-flavor bites, refreshments and music by one of Miami’s best Cuban ensembles, The Cuban Trio.
Miami’s most iconic building is competing with other 20 historic sites across the country for a chance to win up to $150,000. The funds will be used to renovate the Cuban Exile Exhibit and transform the education room at the Museum of Art and Design located inside the Freedom Tower.
The campaign allows individuals to vote up to five times per day. Cast your votes by Oct. 26 at 11:59 p.m., at www.VoteYourMainStreet.org, hosted by media partner National Geographic.
Partners in Preservation is a community-based partnership, created by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express, to raise awareness of the importance of preserving historic places and their role in sustaining local communities. This year’s campaign is focused on sites that celebrate diversity and the fight for equality.
Throughout its history, the Freedom Tower has embraced and served the communities that have made Miami home. Constructed in 1925 as a home for The Miami News, the Freedom Tower was modeled after the Giralda Cathedral Bell Tower in Seville, Spain. Striking in its architectural detail with its octagonal tower and richly ornamented facade, it remains one of South Florida’s most distinctive historic buildings.
MDC’s Freedom Tower, also known as the “Ellis Island of the South,” served as a reception center for Cuban refugees from 1962 to 1974. Though it operated in that capacity for only 12 years, the building has become an icon representing the faith that democracy brought to troubled lives, the generosity of the American people and a hopeful beginning that assured thousands a new life in a new land.
Today, the Freedom Tower continues its legacy of serving the community through the Museum of Art and Design and the MDC’s Special Collections Galleries, while also serving as the operational site for the Miami Book Fair, the Miami Film Festival and MDC Live Arts.
WHAT: Freedom Tower Open House
WHEN: Saturday, October 20th from 1:30 to 8 p.m.
WHERE: MDC’s Freedom Tower, 600 Biscayne Blvd.
VIDEO:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/paxbbr6nyrcnbek/FOT%2060%20sec%20Rough%20Cut%201.mp4?dl=0
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