The newest work of public art in Miami Beach, Florida, is an ode to drag. The city officials have unveiled “Adora Vanessa Athena Fantasia,” a vibrant series of aluminum panels suspended over a block of the bustling Española Way shopping district. Each panel features a kaleidoscopic portrait inspired by local drag queens, including the four who inspired its title: Adora, Athena Dion, Fantasia Royale, and Tiffany Fantasia, and is accompanied by a 30-foot-tall mural of dramatic manicures, doll-like eyelashes and full, pouty lips. “Adora Vanessa Athena Fantasia” is a work by Assume Vivid Astro Focus, or AVAF, an artist collective known for its multidisciplinary installations and psychedelic explosions of color. The City of Miami Beach commissioned the piece as the latest installment of Elevate Española, a semi-annual public art project launched in 2021. Eli Sudbrack, the Brazilian artist who founded AVAF in New York some 20 years ago, wanted to pay tribute to Miami Beach’s bustling drag scene, especially after the Florida governor signed in April to limit drag performances in the state. Across the US, where at least a dozen other states have attempted to pass similar laws, drag remains a central topic in a larger culture war targeting LGBTQ+ rights.
Miami Beach Celebrates Drag History With New Street Art
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- Tags: Drag
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The founder of the Smart Ride, an annual 2-day, 165-mile bicycle ride from Miami to Key West. The SMART Ride is celebrating its 20th consecutive year providing funding for AIDS service organizations throughout Florida. Last year alone over 10,000 individuals and organizations made donations to fight HIV/aids. In the past 19 years, more than $14.9 million dollars has been raised and returned to help individuals at risk for or infected by HIV live healthier Moore fulfilled lives. Glen also owns Bona Italian Restaurant in the heart of Wilton Manors, Bona Italian holds weekly Give Back Mondays. In the past 6 years, Bona has raised and returned over $60,000 to help local organizations meet their mission. If that’s not enough Glen Is a travel director and has crisscrossed the globe helping corporations hold their business meetings.
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