Lectures

The Shrine of the Little Flower, a Catholic church built in the Art Deco style outside Detroit, was the center of a radio empire started by Father Charles Coughlin that reached up to 30 million Americans each week in the 1930s. Originally an advocate of President Roosevelt's New Deal and critic of the Ku Klux […]

The Fontainebleau Hotel is a Miami Beach icon appearing in more than a dozen Hollywood films, representing  both the city’s splendid glory and sordid historical past. Utilizing  movie clips and other archival material, Joel will explore the meaning of architecture in American cinema and then reconstruct the history of the Fontainebleau while exploring the themes […]

In the 1930s art and national symbolism converged within the Federal Arts Projects, or the WPA Projects, that supported the values of the American Public. The great Depression and these Arts Projects changed the relationship between art and the public and are the harbinger of the relationships of art in the public realm today. Federal […]

This is a VIRTUAL, pre-recorded event. RSVP to receive a link to the on-demand recording when it becomes available. Glistening dance floors, star-lit skies, sequined gowns, white tie and tails—and the sleek, witty, romantic  songs of the age. We have the hard edges of tapping yet the dances and singing are also open and airy. […]

During the height of the Art Deco era, a wave of Chinese artists came to Paris to learn from Western culture. Among them was architect Liu Jipiao, the organizer and designer of China's section at the famous 1925 Paris Exposition (which introduced the world to Art Deco), and a key figure in bringing modernist art […]

In the early 20th century, maps played a central role in the development of modern Florida—going beyond the logistics of guiding tourists, investors, and other northerners on their routes to the Sunshine State. Wolfsonian curator Lea Nickless will show how maps were crucial for the promotion of Florida as a premier destination for sunshine and […]

Alan Raynor had a career in the business world but has always had a hand in the Arts. He wrote a musical comedy - the book and music - and wrote four scripts for full-length films. In his senior years he developed the skill of sculpting in glass. In a thirty-year span he has actively supported […]

Nancy Liebman presents her personal scrapbook chronicling her experiences and memories of the bitter-sweet ups and downs of Miami Beach Preservation. She will tell the tales of her years as a preservation activist from the earliest days of the Miami Beach movement to today. Come share in this rare opportunity to hear the stories told […]

In 1962, property owners incorporated The City of Islandia into Dade County. Encompassing 33 islands in Biscayne Bay, Islandia had a population in the single digits. Property owners lobbied for multiple different causeways from Mainland South Florida to their island community. They platted subdivisions. Everything seemed to be on track for major development of these […]

Melissa Wyllie, CEO & President of the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, and Mike Cosden, Board President of the Florida Trust, will discuss the organization’s advocacy priorities and strategies for the 2024 legislative session, which will be kicking off just days before the Art Deco Weekend begins (January 9). The Florida Trust is Florida’s statewide […]

Historic places change over time. We can't stop change, but we sure can manage and direct it! This lecture will detail Florida Historic Places and provide 10 rules\/guidelines to follow in order to protect and preserve their uniqueness and historical context. these 10 rules were developed by the presenter Rick Gonzalez and will provide the […]

For more than half a century, Florida has relied on growth and sprawling development to fuel its economy. Sadly, we continue to experience the tragic consequences of this approach, which has been likened by some to a “Ponzi scheme.” Today, Florida continues to face the consequences of rapidly growing population coupled with the looming threats […]

This lively presentation examines the two weeks the Beatles spent in the potboiler that was 1964 Florida; longer than anywhere else in North America that watershed year. South Florida is center stage; it's the subject of Kealing's new book, "Good Day Sunshine State, How the Beatles Rocked Florida." It will also address the tragedy of […]

Inspired by people he met while working on the Christo Surrounded Islands project, David Bricker found himself living aboard chasing stories here in Miami, throughout the Bahamas, and across the Atlantic. Realizing that he was living in a storybook, he wrote about and photographed his adventures. Not only is this talk historically surprising and interesting, […]