Our visit to Wynwood Wall Artist Walk and Gallery
The suburb of Wynwood, is about a 15 minute drive from Miami Beach and 
today it is known as an outdoor artist culture district, a street art lovers dream.
today it is known as an outdoor artist culture district, a street art lovers dream.
However, in 2003, Wynwood County was a rundown,
neglected former industrial wasteland with disused,
decaying buildings and empty, rusting silos which were an eye-sore. It had also become a dark and dangerous area to visit and no one felt safe in its streets because drug addicts and homeless people lurked within its empty streets and derelict buildings.
neglected former industrial wasteland with disused,
decaying buildings and empty, rusting silos which were an eye-sore. It had also become a dark and dangerous area to visit and no one felt safe in its streets because drug addicts and homeless people lurked within its empty streets and derelict buildings.
A community revitalization program was proposed by the late Tony Goldman who bought his first disused building in Wynwood in 2004, and invited artists to use the walls of his newly acquired site as their creative canvas. The results were stunning. The once dull and uninspiring walls of became living canvas which attracted interest from a group of artists, art dealers and curators who joined together and founded the Wynwood Art District Association. By 2008, Goldman owned nearly two dozen properties and the Association also invested in properties whose walls became new public art spaces. People began to flock to the area to enjoy the creative graffiti works of over 50 artists from 16 countries. Over the years, other citizens bought and revamped old buildings into beautiful residential homes or small niche cafes and so enhanced the revitalization of this once forgotten industrial zone into a vibrant an art district for locals, artists and tourists. 
We drove around the colourful streets of the Wynwood Walls Art district area which is now referred to as the Graffiti District and just marvelled and gushed over the amazing art works that seem to cover all manner of buildings and industrial paraphernalia across the landscape. Many of these structures for have been transformed by the world's greatest artists working in the graffiti and street art genre. We spent some time looking at the diverse range of graffiti murals and other artworks. Some conveyed obvious messages whilst others took some pondering to understand just what the artist was intending to convey. These murals have lifted the drab rusting walls of a once neglected and vandalised estate of factories. The whole district is now a unique and interesting place to visit, to be inspired and to be appreciated for the creative works that artists, from all over America and from other countries have produced. 
We came to the wrought-iron gates of Wynwood Walls Gallery, which is considered the epicentre of the Wynwood Art District and which also refers to itself as an urban graffiti art museum. What an amazing public art space it is! This open-air gallery, has been set up as a series of walled courtyards where artists from around the world have painted huge murals on the vast walls of a collection of former warehouses, which are linked together via open grassed courtyards. Wynwood Walls Gallery is one of the most unusual temporary art exhibits in the world because the nature of the work means that each artwork is temporary and likely to only last a few months before being painted over to make way for another artists expressive works.
We enjoyed looking at some photographic artworks, a large collection of poster billboards and several 3D artworks which were displayed either inside one of the warehouses or out in the courtyard gardens. Enjoy looking at a few photographs that we have included in this blog. Every second Saturday of each month, a community-wide art walk is held. Galleries, art studios, alternative spaces and showrooms open their doors to the public for art, music and refreshments
We'd had such a full morning and now at 1pm we decided to go to a part of Miami known as Little Havana to find a Cuban restaurant that our guide recommended. Miami's Cuban influence is reflected in the cafes and cigar shops that line Calle Ocho Road in the Little Havana district. We took a photograph of a Chevrolet parked outside a Cuban Club which had sketches of Marilyn Monroe and Cuban actors on its walls. We found the recommended restaurant, the Old Havana Traditional Bar Restaurant. It serves authentic Cuban food and it must be a popular place because we had to line up for at least 30 minutes before a table became available, but it was worth it. Whilst we waited a Cuban band entertained the patrons and those standing in line. Besides just watching the 'passing parade' of tourists, locals of diverse nationalities was fascinating.
Our waitress suggested we try a Cuban sandwich and Havana coffee. The coffee came in a tiny glass and was SO, SO thick and sweet. Ken loved it but I could only manage 2 sips and found it too sweet, so Ken polished it off for me and I settled or water instead. We had been warned that the Cuban sandwich is huge so we ordered one between us. We were so glad we did for the very tasty sandwich was HUGE. Traditionally Imagine a double-size hamburger bun but with bread like Italian It's traditionally made with Cuban bread, (the size of a double size hamburger bun) and filled with nonnegotiable layers of roasted beef loin, Swiss cheese, pickles, and yellow mustard. The whole THICK layers are pressed down while it is toasted. This was served with a crisp salad and mayonnaise and sauces that we could add. It was very delicious but we were SO glad that we'd share our colossal Cuban sandwich and we were FULL for the rest of the day and evening.
photos of pre-Castro days, famous film stars, old memorabilia from Cuba and bar lighting from the 30's and 40's. The music has a definite sultry Cuban beat and the trio-band members were dressed to impress. We had a delight time and good memories of this special luncheon. After our late lunch we just had time to do our pre-booked tour of the Everglades National Park which began at 3pm.
You can read all about it in Miami 3 of 3 blog.
