HONORED THAT MY AWARD WINNING STREET PHOTOGRAPHY WILL HELP ILLUSTRATE

URBANIST AUTHOR THOMAS WILSON’S UPCOMING BOOK: EXCEPTIONAL PLACES

Thomas Wilson is a planner, author and scholar who is completing "Exceptional Places" about iconic historic districts.

My photo above illustrates this excerpt:

Ocean Drive art deco hotels in Miami Beach.

The city’s preservation movement of the 1970s and 1980s succeeded in saving its historic resources and creating one of the nation’s most iconic historic districts.

Following its heyday in the 1940s and 1950s, South Beach went into decline as newer, larger hotels were built elsewhere on the island.

In the mid-1980s new investment on Ocean Drive led to a resurgence of interest in South Beach (and Miami Beach in general), eventually positioning it as an international destination.

The historic core is the Miami Beach Architectural District, which includes much of the southern third of the city and encompasses the Art Deco District of mostly smaller hotels, commercial strips, and residential areas.

The latter elements are progressively more prevalent towards the Biscayne Bay side of the island.

According to the nomination form the district “contains the largest concentration of 1920s and 1930s era resort architecture in the United States.” 

Visit Thomas Wilson’s Substack at:

https://thomasdwilson.substack.com/p/exceptional-places

 

SAUDADES FEATURED ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: STEVE WRIGHT

PROUD TO HAVE BEEN PART OF THE BOOK LAUNCH 

AT BOOKS AND BOOKS THIS MONTH

Steve Wright is a visual and verbal storyteller.

His street photography is inspired by Ara Güler, the Eye of Istanbul. He learned from and edited a book about the great Turkish photographer.

Wright is a Pulitzer-nominated, award-winning writer and has published more than 5,000 professional articles.

His Save My Little Havana, a one-man show photo exhibit opened in August 2023 at the Art Deco Welcome Center in Miami Beach and ran through Thanksgiving.

Several photos by Steve are published in the book, and will exhibited at the Books & Books Gallery Space.

Steve and other artists were present at the Book Launch on October 4, when they signed books.

PROUD TO BE PART OF THE ARTISTIC EVENT OF THE YEAR IN MIAMI

SAUDADES BOOK SIGNING AT BOOKS & BOOKS CORAL GABLES

Book signing, poetry reading, art gallery and live performance for world premiere book release party.

The major artistic book featuring me as a visual artist has published its first run: 8.5 x 11, Full Color, 215 pages!

The book signing event and evening of art happing this coming Friday (Oct. 4) at Books & Books Coral Gables.

The book features 28 artists from 12 countries.

It from the untranslatable words series.

Thanks to the brilliant project leader Amy Serrano (pictured with the book).

SOME SAY THAT THE EMOTION OF SAUDADE IS ABOUT THE LOVE THAT REMAINS AFTER SOMEONE OR SOMETHING YOU LOVE DEEPLY HAS GONE

BUT FEELING OR HAVING SAUDADE IS ABOUT SO MUCH MORE

Check out the trailer for the Saudades book.

https://vimeo.com/1005984497?share=copy

I'm honored to be among the elite artists in this wondrous anthology.

Book launch in Miami Oct. 4 at Books and Books.

Saudades -- a global collaboration -- features the work of 28 multimedia artists representing 12 countries.

Through poetry, short stories, song lyrics, art, and fine art photography, they join lead author/artist Amy Serrano to undertake the exploration of the beautiful complexity of this word that may be for an ardent desire, a deep seated longing, a bittersweet nostalgia, a haunting melancholy, a mysterious incompleteness, a desperate yearning, a poignant sadness, an elusive wish, an irreplaceable loss, a pervasive sense of missingness, and other nuances unraveled in the book.

Though the word saudade is untranslatable into English, the experience of this emotion is universal.

SAUDADES: ANTHOLOGICAL CONTEMPLATIONS ON PERSON, PLACES, IDENTITY AND TIME

 HOT OFF THE PRESS

The major artistic book featuring me as a visual artist has published its first run: 8.5 x 11, Full Color, 215 pages!

Book signing event in Miami Oct. 4.

Thanks to the brilliant project leader Amy Serrano (pictured with the book). 

A great step forward in my growth as a street photographer that exhibits. 

Wonderful to be in the company of Carlos Navarro and Diego Quiros.

CELEBRATING MORE THAN 550,000 READERS

MORE THAN HALF A MILLION UNIQUE VISITS TO THIS BLOG

Thanks to readers around the world who have followed this blog for more than a decade.

Cumulatively, its content could fill the pages of five full-length books.

Topics focus on urban design, planning, architecture and transportation – most often in the context of creating a better built environment for people with disabilities.

Sometimes my fine art photography, which is earning places in respected galleries, is featured. Or there might just be a travel pic, cat foto or joke shared.

In the past 12 months, I have posted news of my work (and excerpts of my published work), including:

1 School of architecture guest lecture

2 Acclaimed photography exhibits

3 PBS documentaries on camera

4 TV appearances as an expert

5 Keynote speeches

6 Photos from the road during international consulting

7 Global radio broadcasts

8 Universal design workshops

9  New design inclusion clients

10 Daily social media posts on design and DEI

11 Podcasts on planning

12 Published cover articles

SAVE MY LITTLE HAVANA:

STEVE WRIGHT PHOTO EXHIBIT AT THE ART DECO MUSEUM

For Steve Wright, this is also a full circle moment, as he is now having his work displayed at one of the institutions that inspired him to fully relocate to the Magic City.

“I can’t tell you what a dream it is… it’s wonderful coming back to where it all began for my journey in Miami,” he says.   

“You cannot stop progress, but you can protect history and authenticity. 

This exhibit is in Miami Beach, which has done a world-renowned exemplary job of balancing growth with protecting its famous, incomparable Art Deco District.”

SAVE MY LITTLE HAVANA:

STEVE WRIGHT PHOTO EXHIBIT AT THE ART DECO MUSEUM

“There is a humanity and a human scale to these 3 story buildings.

I don’t want to see these little charming buildings become faceless towers.”

Steve Wright hopes to inspire visitors to become more involved in the historic preservation and adaptive reuse of Little Havana’s unique architecture, as many of the buildings are in need of intensive care.

 

 

SAVE MY LITTLE HAVANA:

STEVE WRIGHT PHOTO EXHIBIT AT THE ART DECO MUSEUM

Steve Wright is passionate about helping to preserve what makes Little Havana special. 

As the city continues to grow and expand, and neighborhoods like Brickell continue to urbanize the city, he hopes to raise awareness of the hidden gems of the edifices that have graced his neighborhood for the past century.

“There’s been so much explosive growth in Miami.

I fear that these gorgeous buildings will be torn down because it’s not as photogenic as Ocean Drive… 

I feel a strong sense of community from that authenticity and heritage,” he adds.

SAVE MY LITTLE HAVANA:

STEVE WRIGHT PHOTO EXHIBIT AT THE ART DECO MUSEUM

For the exhibition, Steve Wright was inspired by the rehabilitation of his own home in Little Havana. 

He is the owner of a 1920s Spanish Mission-style home in the Shenandoah section of Little Havana.

“When it was time to find a house and put down roots here, I settled for Little Havana because it has great architecture and great culture.”

With this series of photographs, Wright aimed to capture Little Havana’s hidden historic gems, saying

“There are several Art Deco buildings in Little Havana that are on par with the Art Deco district in Miami Beach.”

SAVE MY LITTLE HAVANA:

STEVE WRIGHT PHOTO EXHIBIT AT THE ART DECO MUSEUM

An Ohio native who first came to Miami Beach while working on a story on a local cruise ship, Steve Wright says a guided MDPL tour he took in the late 1990s inspired him to relocate to the Magic City.

I went to the gift shop and went on a tour and was kind of sold for life, and moved out here by 2000,” he says.

Wright, who previously worked for former City Commissioner Joe Sanchez, is an advocate for disability rights.

SHARING A YEAR OF SUCCESS

IN STORYTELLING, PLANNING, KEYNOTE SPEAKING, EDUCATING, INFLUENCING AND EXHIBITING AS A VISUAL ARTIST AND ACTIVIST

I’d like to reflect on a year of unprecedented travel, workshops, projects, publishing and appearing in the media – all aimed at making the world a better place for all.

So, appropriating the 12 Days of Christmas into the 12 months of Activism, here goes:

On the first month of creating a better built environment for people with disabilities, my passionate hard work gave to me:

1 School of architecture guest lecture

2 Proclamations praising

3 Acclaimed photography exhibits

4 TV appearances as an expert

5 Keynote speeches

6 Passport stamps from international consulting

7 Global radio broadcasts

8 Universal design workshops

9  New design inclusion clients

10 Daily social media posts on design and DEI

11 Podcasts on planning

12 Published cover articles

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL 

WHO HAVE SUPPORTED MY PASSIONATE WORK

SAVE MY LITTLE HAVANA:

STEVE WRIGHT PHOTO EXHIBIT AT THE ART DECO MUSEUM

A vibrant new photography exhibit headlined the Art Deco Museum at the Art Deco Welcome Center, as part of its revamped Featured Local Artist Program.

“Save My Little Havana” by writer and photographer Steve Wright tells the story of his neighborhood’s many historic residential and commercial buildings.

JUST IN TIME FOR ART BASEL MIAMI

 A POP UP ART SHOW IN THE HEART OF LITTLE HAVANA

--WHEN THE ART WORLD IS FOCUSED ON THE MAGIC CITY

I’m honored to be one of the featured artists at Art & Design Gallery’s event during Art Basel Miami.

It takes place 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday December 8 and Saturday December 9 at 2380 SW 9 Street Miami – footsteps from my historic Little Havana home and just a block south of wonderful Calle Ocho.

The free event will feature art displays and sales, live music, food and more at Art by Hurley.

RSVP at:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/miami-art-exhibit-tickets-764844840507

GRATIFIED TO HAVE MY PHOTOGRAPHY AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION ACTIVISM RECOGNIZED WITH A PROCLAMATION

BY THE HONORABLE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY COMMISSIONER EILEEN HIGGINS

Thrilled to give a special tour of my Little Havana photography exhibit to the Honorable Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins.

I was honored to received an official Miami-Dade County Commendation recognizing my art and activism.

Commissioner Higgins has proudly represented Little Havana by ensuring there is funding to preserve great buildings with affordable housing.

I’m am thankful, proud and gratified to receive recognition of my tireless work to make Miami a better place.

There are so many stories to tell about Little Havana.

It is a rich tapestry of historic buildings, trailblazing immigrants, world class artists, renowned musicians, mom and pop restaurants and growing nightlife scene.

I have happily called Little Havana home for more than two decades.

I bought an old house in very bad shape and lovingly restored what is now a lovely Spanish Mission Style century old abode that fronts historic William Jennings Bryan Park.

I told Little Havana’s stories when I worked from Miami City Commissioner Joe Sanchez.

Thanks to our efforts, more than three million people visit the famous Calle Ocho corridor each year.

But as Little Havana becomes popular, it also is under threat.

The high rise Brickell district has somewhat jumped west of I-95.

The buildings are not skyscrapers, but dozens of bland, faceless buildings – with expensive rents – have replaced quaint, small, beautiful 3-story Mediterranean and Art Deco buildings that have supplied affordable housing in Little Havana for decades.

When I went on a journey that resulted in losing far more than 100 pounds, I started walking my neighborhood.

I photographed the backstreets.

I documented the lovely apartments, houses, churches and commercial buildings.

“SAVE MY LITTLE HAVANA” EXHIBIT OPENING

EXHIBIT OPENING

A vibrant new photography exhibit is headed to the Art Deco Museum at the Art Deco Welcome Center, as part of its revamped Featured Local Artist program.

“Save My Little Havana” by writer and photographer Steve Wright tells the story of his neighborhood’s many historic residential and commercial buildings.

Join us for the exhibit opening at 6 p.m. Thursday, August 24th at the Art Deco Museum.

The exhibition will be on display until mid-November. As part of the featured local artist program, photographs will be available for sale with 1/2 of proceeds benefitting the Miami Design Preservation League.

https://mdpl.org/event/save-my-little-havana-exhibit-opening/

SAUDADES: EDITED AND CONCEPTUALIZED BY AMY SERRANO

Proud to be a part of this artistic endeavor

Here is the book cover and the artists whose gorgeous and haunting works will be featured in the upcoming book.