Miami, Jan. 10, 2025 – Museum of Art and Design (MOAD) at Miami Dade College (MDC) has been awarded a $10,000 Florida Humanities Community Projects Grant from the Florida Humanities through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in support of Kabuya Pamela Bowens-Saffo: From the Heights.
From the Heights marks South Florida native Kabuya Pamela Bowens-Saffo’s first solo art exhibition in Miami. Featuring works from 1977 to present day, the exhibition celebrates the artist’s practice as a printmaker and honors her legacy as an active member of the South Florida art community.
While based in Miami, Bowens-Saffo was engaged with the Miami Black Arts Workshop (MBAW) and an influential educator at the Barnyard Community Center in the historical West Coconut Grove neighborhood. Impactful experiences in Richmond Heights and Coconut Grove nurtured her consciousness and propelled her decades-long commitment to art for and about people. Specializing in printmaking and mixed media constructions, Bowens-Saffo’s art delves into social and political human relations, emphasizing the African American experience.
Born in Richmond Heights and currently living and working in Tallahassee, Bowens-Saffo earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Howard University and her MFA from the Tyler School of Art at Temple University. She is the recipient of awards from both the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York Foundation for the Arts.
From the Heights contemplates the role played by art collectives, explores the importance of archiving an artist’s oeuvre, and enlightens issues of race, gender, and class as it relates to history writing.
“MOAD is incredibly honored and excited to be hosting Kabuya’s first solo show in Miami,” says MOAD’s Executive Director and Chief Curator, Dr. Amy Galpin “She is such a talented artist, compassionate human being, and such a force in the community. We are thrilled that the Florida Humanities and the NEH have recognized her in helping to support this exhibition.”
From the Heights was developed in collaboration with the Women Artists Archive Miami (WAAM). Additional programming in support of the exhibition includes two panel discussions on Wednesday, Feb. 19, and Thursday, March 6, at MDC Padron Campus, 627 S.W. 27th Ave., Room 201.
About MOAD: The Museum of Art and Design (MOAD) at Miami Dade College offers groundbreaking exhibitions and programs that aim to explore the challenges and opportunities we face locally. MOAD convenes artists, designers, and thinkers to address the urgent questions of our time. As the flagship museum of Miami Dade College, MOAD strives to be a catalyst for action and a place that empowers people to remake their city. MOAD follows the College’s lead in operating across Miami with its Museum Without Boundaries initiative, which takes place in city neighborhoods and invites everyone to be a part of the conversation. The Museum, located inside the National Historic Landmark Freedom Tower, will reopen this year to mark the Tower’s centennial anniversary.
For updates and a full schedule of events, please visit http://www.moadmdc.org/ and check our Facebook and Instagram channels for regular updates.
Press Contacts: Jennifer Weinberg, MOAD Marketing and Membership Manager, 305-237-7710, jweinbe1@mdc.edu; or JWI PR—Jessica Wade Pfeffer, 305-804-8424, jessica@jwipr.com.
MOAD’s programs are made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners. They are sponsored in part by the State of Florida through the Division of Arts and Culture and the National Endowment for the Arts, and with generous support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The Miami Herald is a media sponsor of MOAD’s programming.
Funding for this program was provided through a grant from the Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this exhibition do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Florida International University’s Women’s and Gender Studies Center is a proud funder through the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
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. To obtain more information about the College’s equal access and equal opportunity policies, procedures, and practices, please contact the College’s Equity Officer: Cindy Lau Evans, Director, Office of Equal Opportunity Programs, and ADA Coordinator, 11011 SW 104 Street, Room 1102-01, Miami, FL 33176, (305) 237-2577 (Voice) or 711 (Relay Service), EquityOff@mdc.edu.
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About Women Artist Archives Miami (WAAM):
WAAM is a community-based archive dedicated to preserving the creative legacies of women and non-binary artists in Miami by bringing their stories and studio archives to the forefront. We believe that archives are a vital part of community heritage, and we invite you to discover the work and histories of these artists whose contributions have shaped the cultural landscape of Miami.