Opa Locka Shines: Witnessing the Art of Transformation
- Tony Lesesne
- Dec 10, 2025
- 5 min read
By Tony Lesesne
Our mission: to deliver to you inspiring content and activation that elevate your cultural tasts buds. Miami. We're dedicated explorers of cultural renaissance, to know that the city’s true pulse beats in places often overlooked; places where history is not just preserved, but actively transformed.
Our years-long mission has been to be a powerful accelerator of insight, information, and the truly exciting experiences surrounding the Art of Transformation in the historic, Moorish-inspired city of Opa-locka.
Our most recent visit was a vivid chapter in that unfolding story,
a journey we were eager to share with thousands.
The Arabian Nights Meet the American Dream
Stepping into Opa-locka is like stepping through a portal. Suddenly, the typical South Florida sprawl gives way to the dreamscape conceived by Glenn Curtiss in 1926—a city straight out of One Thousand and One Nights. As a young child visiting my uncle, who was a teacher at the time residing in the city, I was forever fascinated by the allure of teh buildings. I still am.
The signature architecture—the ornate minarets, the majestic domes, the latticework facades—tells a fantastical tale of history. Yet, for decades, this historical marvel grappled with pressing social and economic challenges. The buildings stood, but the spark of community vitality had dimmed. Bummer.
This is where the magic of transformation begins. We have watched with deep admiration as organizations, chiefly the Opa-locka Community Development Corporation (OLCDC), refused to let this incredible heritage fade. They didn’t just restore buildings; they saw the city itself as the ultimate canvas. Their tool? Art. Not art as decoration, but art as a disruptive, galvanizing force for comprehensive community revitalization.
The Pulse of the Patio: Gallery and Groove
Our journey began, as it often does, with the electric energy emanating from the main gallery space. We came ready to marvel and learn, and the space never disappoints. Inside, the gallery works spoke volumes.
We studied pieces by Black Miami artists whose creations were sharp, poignant, and totally bursting with resilience.
This wasn’t passive viewing; it was engagement. We asked curious questions of the curators and artists, digging into the narratives behind the strokes and the forms, understanding how the pieces reflected the community’s past and illuminated its future.
One of my favorites was the truckcargo container that was tranformed into an amazing artistic time machine; delivering a visual timeline in art of the history of African people across the globe. (as in the group shot above and the interior below). I'll have more for you on that.
The learning didn't stop at the steel, wood, glass and canvas. Moving out to the patio, the atmosphere shifted to pure, vibrant celebration. The great music—often live jazz, soul, or Afrobeats, oh and the reggae, provided the perfect sonic backdrop to the intellectual nourishment of the gallery.
It’s a sensory experience that defines the Art of Transformation Festival and the regular cultural programming: a place where serious dialogue about community development flows seamlessly into joyous, communal gathering. It is an experience of culture fully alive and fully integrated into daily life.
The Garden of Humanity: A Sanctuary of Story
But the true revelation of this recent trip, the one we gleefully filmed for our episodes, lay just across the street: the Garden of Humanity. This extraordinary outdoor display is more than just a sculpture park; it’s a meditative sanctuary and a powerful public statement. As we walked among the monumental, evocative sculptures, we realized this was ground zero for the movement’s philosophical core. Each piece of art and landscape design here is a deliberate commitment to addressing issues of social justice, environmental sustainability, and human dignity.
We spent hours studying the forms and textures, asking ourselves and the community members we met, "What story is this sculpture telling? How does it anchor the idea of transformation into the physical space of Opa-locka?" It was a profound, hands-on opportunity to see art being used not to escape reality, but to confront it and elevate it. We filmed the episodes right there, surrounded by the incredible display, ensuring our viewers could take it—the feeling, the insight, the sheer visual impact—directly from our screen to theirs. Thanks once again to the team at 10 North Group for their down home hospitality.
Sharing the Light: Accelerating the Insight
Again, our mission is to accelerate, and in Opa-locka, there is so much to share. Every discovery fueled our weekly shows, daily social media posts, and live streams.We didn't just attend; we documented, interpreted, and broadcast the essence of the experience. The feedback from our thousands of followers confirmed the power of this movement: people are hungry for stories of true, grounded transformation, and Opa-locka provides that narrative in spades. We showed the world how the Moorish architecture, once a setting for fantasy, is now the backdrop for genuine, impactful change, fueled by the creativity and tenacity of its residents and the cultural champions committed to its success.
This journey to Opa-locka is essential for any cultural tourist looking beyond the surface of Miami. It is an invitation to witness the most meaningful art being created today: the art of a community rebuilding, redefining, and transforming itself. It’s an immersion in a living, breathing testament to the fact that creativity is the most powerful catalyst for change.
This year's "Art of Black Miami" highlights represent a powerful sense of community and an incredible breadth of artistic expression. From the Peter London Global Dance Company: The Oneness celebrating connection and cultural vibrancy on stage, to the diverse international voices featured in Voices of Resilience, this festival has underscored the strength and transformative power of art. Whether you had a chance to explore Miami-born Woody De Othello’s personal work in coming forth by day at PAMM or experience The Last Word: Overtown Stories transforming community memories into living art, as well as the sheer variety of the remarkable, dynamic exhibitions, including the must-see Poetic Botanic and Suns & Shadows—ensures there is a piece of this cultural moment for everyone to take with them. The dedication to showcasing local, emerging, and international talent, particularly from underserved communities through events like The ArtBeat and Everyday People Exhibit, reminds us that the heart of Miami’s art scene beats strongest when it is inclusive.
While some of these featured events, like The ArtBeat and The Last Word, wrap up this month (Dec) , many more continue well into the new year, offering ample time to dive deeper into the narratives they present. Be sure to check out Sepia Venacular: Overtown’s Photographic Journey, 1920-1950 for a historical look at the community, or catch the Everyday People Exhibit before March 2026. The enduring nature of exhibitions like Woody De Othello: coming forth by day and The Container Project offers a continuous opportunity to connect with these vital stories and creative works. So, don't let the festival buzz fade—use this list as your guide to keep the celebration of art, culture, and heritage going throughout the coming months.
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