Being Held, 2021, Photographed by Zachary Balber
Being Held, 2021, Photographed by Zachary Balber
Being Held, 2021, Photographed by Zachary Balber
Being Held, 2021, Photographed by Zachary Balber
Being Held, 2021, Photographed by Zachary Balber
Being Held, 2021, Photographed by Zachary Balber
Being Held, 2021
Fringe Projects Miami
Acrylic paint on wall, The Carol Glassman Donaldson Child-Care Center
Courtesy of the artist
"Being Held" is a large-scale mural that shows tender scenes of caregivers and children embracing each other. Rendered in rich colors and patterns, the project explores the artist’s interest in illustrating the fleeting moments that shape one's character. Painted to resemble a tapestry, the work is a nod to Afro-Caribbean and Southern traditions of pattern-making like the Gee’s Bend quilt makers from Alabama.
Located across from the Miami-Dade Children’s Courthouse, Being Held’s primary audience are the passersby attending the juvenile and family cases held inside this civic building. The artist considers this work to be not only a memorial to the caregivers in our lives, but also intends for it to serve as a beacon of hope for the families confronting harsh realities within the court system.
Being Held is a part of a public exhibition named PUBLIC COLOR which is organized by María Elena Ortiz in partnership with Deborah Di Capua of Fringe Projects. The exhibition is made possible with the support from John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, Downtown Development Authority Miami, Miami Design District Miami, and The Ellies, Miami’s visual arts awards, presented by Oolite Arts.