MIAMI, Feb. 18, 2022 – The Koubek Center at Miami Dade College (MDC) announced today it will begin accepting applications for the second cycle of En Residencia, the artist residency program open to local creators working on a broad range of disciplines, including dance, visual arts, music, literature, theater, and photography.
En Residencia is a membership-based program. It offers local artists, regardless of their discipline or the stage in which they find themselves in their careers, the opportunity to use classrooms and rehearsal studio at the Koubek Center to create new work. As part of the program, resident artists are also invited to participate in one of the Koubek Center’s programs and activities.
The goal of En Residencia is to nurture a cultural ecosystem in Miami by engaging local artists and facilitating the dialogue between creators and the local community.
“The En Residencia program is a pillar of the Koubek Center’s mission of building community through the arts,” said Melissa Messulam, the Center’s manager. “Through this program, we hope to provide a space that inspires artists to be creative, helps them sustain their practice, generate new possibilities, and build connections with each other and the community.”
The En Residencia program began in July 2021 and included Caribbean-American singer/songwriter Keba Williams; writer Luz Agudelo; tango dancers and instructors Paloma y Maximiliano; hip-hop dancer and choreographer Pablo Malco from Developing Dreams Foundation, the Mexican cultural and traditional dance group Ballet Folklórico Azteca Florida, the contemporary dance group Miami Movement Collective and tap dancer Ico Manzanero.
“It was awesome to have a space to create,” Williams said. “I used it to rehearse, explore, create and prepare my music video. I still have some more time in the residency, and hopefully, something magical comes out of it with one of the other artists in residence because I love collaborating,” she said. “It’s great to know that other people around you are working on their art as well.”
Paco Huerta, founder and director of the Ballet Folklórico Azteca Florida, noted that “in the 12 years we’ve been working on this project, we’ve always had the challenge of not having a place where to practice, develop our dances, and rehearse. We are very grateful to the Koubek Center and the En Residencia program because it gave us a home in which all of us who are part of this ballet could take refuge, dream, and grow.”
Colombian children book author Luz Agudelo called her participation in the program. “A marvelous experience. I want to encourage other writers and artists to apply. You are going to meet other creators and engage in the artistic and creative world of Miami.”
The membership fee for En Residencia is $200 and is valid for a year. During that time, artists can access the classrooms and limited studio space that range from approx. 400 -750 square feet. The areas will be available Monday through Friday, from 9 am to 8 pm. Artists may block spaces for up to 2 months per project, with a maximum of two projects per year. The Koubek Center will consider flexibility regarding the length of individual residencies on a case-by-case basis.
The deadline to submit applications for the next En Residencia is April 29. Selected artists will be notified ted artists by mid-May, at which time they can begin their residencies.
For more information and to apply, please visit www.koubekcenter.org.
About The Koubek Center
A South Florida landmark with a long and rich history as a cultural hub, The Koubek Center is dedicated to building community through the arts. Over the past several decades, the Center has offered various activities, including workshops, art exhibitions, theater performances, literary readings, and concerts. It is a place for artists and local arts organizations to explore and experiment, engage in collaborations and share their work with the community. The Koubek Center includes a 200-seat theater, an expansive garden, classrooms, and rehearsal and multi-use spaces. Built-in 1929 by Austrian trader John J. Koubek as a gift to his wife, it was later donated to the University of Miami and acquired by Miami Dade College in 2011. www.koubekcenter.org.
Miami Dade College is an equal access/equal opportunity institution which does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, marital status, age, religion, national origin, disability, veteran’s status, ethnicity, pregnancy, sexual orientation or genetic information. Additional information may be obtained by contacting the College’s Equity Officer: Dr. Joy C. Ruff, at (305) 237-2577 (Voice) or 711 (Relay Service). jruff@mdc.edu
MDC Koubek Center contact: Beatriz Urgelles bea@beaumanagement.net, 305.318.2521.