FIU Ushers in a Wave of Arts and Culture Across South Florida

Art keeps communities alive. It enriches our souls, communicates our experiences and passes down history and culture.

Armed with this knowledge, Florida International University (FIU) has embraced a multidisciplinary, holistic view of education that places STEM and the humanities side by side in the classroom, on campus and across community initiatives. Even as FIU has achieved top rankings for its economic mobility, civic engagement and student success, the university has never forgotten the importance of arts and culture.

FIU boasts robust academic programs in the humanities such as an acclaimed MFA program in creative writing, led by New York Times bestselling author Les Standiford. The program has produced prominent alumni such as “Mystic River” author Dennis Lehane. FIU alumni-turned-faculty like Richard Blanco, who read his original poem at the 2013 presidential inauguration, and author Ana Menendez have returned to FIU to teach aspiring writers. This is just one example of a wide variety of programs designed to prepare the next generation of artistic leaders and visionaries.

"To fully serve our South Florida community, FIU made a commitment to invest in arts and culture. Our community's vast array of cultures, languages and religions is an asset. One of the ways to celebrate the richness of Miami’s unique heritage is to jumpstart academic inquiry and dialogue related to the arts on campus and across South Florida."

— Provost, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Elizabeth M. Béjar

FIU’s dedication to the arts reaches beyond the classroom and overflows into community projects, cementing itself as a key component of the university’s engagement initiatives and strategic partnerships.

“To fully serve our South Florida community, FIU made a commitment to invest in arts and culture,” said Provost, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Elizabeth M. Béjar. “Our community's vast array of cultures, languages and religions is an asset. One of the ways to celebrate the richness of Miami’s unique heritage is to jumpstart academic inquiry and dialogue related to the arts on campus and across South Florida.”

Artistic excellence

The recently named Herbert and Nicole Wertheim School of Music & Performing Arts has earned recognitions for its academic programs and is home to one of the largest concert organs in the southeast United States. Students learn from award-winning faculty members in a conservatory-style atmosphere. Among the school’s more than 1,300 music alumni are top artists such as two-time Latin Grammys winner Tony Succar.

The school provides degree options ranging from music composition and instrumental performance to music business, technology and education. Supported by a transformative $10 million gift, the school has expanded its degree offerings: it launched a musical theatre program and a bachelor’s degree in music therapy, which promotes physical rehabilitation, wellness and stress management.

FIU annually hosts more than 100 concerts, guest lectures and performances featuring internationally recognized musicians alongside students and faculty artists.

Similarly, FIU’s Department of Theatre immerses students in the practical work of theatre production while teaching them about theatre history, criticism and analysis. The department produces four to five plays each year. Students perform in the plays and work with faculty to design and build the sets. Students can choose to major in theatre with different areas of specialization such as performance and design.

The department’s selective nature — only 25-35 students are accepted each year — allows students ample opportunities to participate in productions and receive one-on-one mentorship from faculty. Students regularly travel to and present work at regional and national conferences. Over the past 5 years, 39 students have received 54 awards, including seven scholarships to attend the Kennedy Center festival in Washington, D.C.

Exploring modern art

Situated in the heart of South Beach, The Wolfsonian-FIU is one of the university’s premier artistic hubs. It was founded by businessman and art collector Mitchell “Micky” Wolfson Jr. and currently serves as a museum, library and research center. Its mission is to illustrate the persuasive power of art and design and to explore what it means to be modern.

Its collection comprises more than 200,000 items from 1850 to 1950 — the height of the Industrial Revolution to the end of World War II — and includes fine arts, decorative arts, graphic design, Industrial design, architectural drawings, rare publications and ephemera. It offers a range of exhibitions and installations, tours, workshops and digital experiences.

The Wolfsonian-FIU, supported by the City of Miami Beach and the Miami Dade County, will be expanding its galleries, welcome area and program space to deepen its already impressive offerings for the community. This will create an additional 25,000 square feet of publicly accessible space that will allow The Wolfsonian–FIU to present collections that it previously did not have the space to present.

A museum for everyone

A Smithsonian Affiliate, the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum is located on the university’s main campus and provides free access to art for more than 35,000 visitors annually.

The museum’s permanent collection includes over 6,000 objects with a strong representation of American printmaking from the 1960s and 1970s, photography, pre-Columbian objects dating from 200-500 A.D., and a growing number of works by contemporary artists.

The museum offers robust programming for community members such as family days, workshops and hands-on drawing sessions.

To provide meaningful art experiences to the youngest in the community, the museum regularly brings local elementary students to experience guided tours and activities. The museum also provides professional development opportunities and resources for teachers incorporating STEAM — Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math — into their lesson plans.

This past fall, the museum hosted its 19th annual Breakfast in the Park, an official event during Art Basel Miami Beach. Visitors enjoyed lectures by a noted artist and guided tours of the Sculpture Park that resides at the university.

Preserving Jewish history in Florida

The Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU (JMOF-FIU) is the only museum dedicated to telling the story of more than 250 years of Florida’s Jewish community. With a growing collection of more than 100,000 items, the museum is located in South Beach and is housed in two historic buildings that were once synagogues for Miami Beach's first Jewish congregation.

The synagogues were designed by Art Deco architect Henry Hohauser and feature 80 stained-glass windows, a copper dome and a marble bimah. While reflective of the Jewish experience in Florida, JMOF-FIU highlights the shared immigrant experience of Miami’s multicultural society through its extensive collection of artifacts, documents, photographs and oral histories.

JMOF became part of FIU in 2012, creating the dynamic partnership that exists today. Using the immigration experience of Jews in Florida as its starting point, JMOF-FIU serves as a forum to further understanding and create connections to Jewish culture.

Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, JMOF-FIU has achieved a standard of excellence in its methodology for research, collecting, conserving, archiving, storing and interpreting its holdings.

Celebrating Cuban American heritage

In 1959, Cuban exiles — the first of what would become millions of immigrants from across Latin America — arrived in Miami, forever altering its history and transforming it into an international city. Today, Florida is home to the largest Cuban American population in the country, with most of them living in Miami-Dade County.

To honor this history, FIU launched CasaCuba — a multidimensional cultural and academic center that facilitates the study of Cuban heritage, history, research and culture. CasaCuba, which will be housed in a new building on the main campus, is envisioned as a vibrant home that invites visitors from across the globe — and from within the community — to gather, exchange ideas, find inspiration and preserve the story of the Cuban diaspora and its impact on South Florida.

The 43,000-square-foot facility will have exhibition space to showcase FIU’s Cuba-related collections and will house classrooms and academic space.

CasaCuba has received grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the James S. and John L. Knight Foundation. Jorge Mas, one of the most prominent Cuban American business leaders in the United States, also made a $5 million gift to CasaCuba. Most recently, Miami businessman Benjamín León Jr. gifted $10 million to help build CasaCuba’s new home on campus.

Video Narrated by FIU Alum Andy Garcia

Foundation of faith

Dialogue among religious groups is closely linked with cultural exchange and an increased understanding of humanity. Throughout history, the richness of religious traditions across the globe has become intertwined with artistic marvels such as paintings, architectural gems and literary works.

To provide FIU and the community with a place where people of all faiths can come together and appreciate their shared humanity as well as the differences that make each faith unique, FIU is breaking ground on the Trish and Dan Bell Chapel. The chapel is named after the Miami philanthropists who gifted FIU $14 million to build the space. The facility is set to be completed in 2025. The chapel will serve as a multifaith gathering place for worship, contemplation and spiritual strengthening on FIU’s main campus.

The 17,000-square-foot facility will be an architecturally striking space, featuring a sanctuary that can seat 250 people, two reflection/prayer rooms, multipurpose event space and multifaith counseling rooms. Spaces will be available for rental for religious life-stage milestones, weddings and other ceremonial events. The chapel will provide more than 16 active faith-based groups and student clubs with an ideal venue for events.