— NOW OPEN —

Telling Overtown Stories, Saying Their Names

Telling Overtown Stories, Saying Their Names

An Interactive Mural Exhibition

Two people smiling and grasping hands in a friendly handshake at an indoor gathering with a woman smiling in the background.
Modern courthouse building with palm trees and landscaping in front under blue sky.
Man carrying smiling girl on shoulders pointing at vibrant mural of diverse people on colorful wall.
Two families with children use a smartphone and VR headset to view a mural of dockworkers holding a banner.
Child wearing a VR headset with controllers, flanked by smiling adults, in front of a colorful soccer-themed mural.
Calendar icon with pink and blue gradient color.

Exhibition Dates

Runs through July 22, 2026

Location pin icon with pink and blue gradient color.

Location

Miami-Dade County – South Dade

Government Center
10710 SW 211 St, Cutler Bay, FL 33189

Admission

Free to all visitors

Contact

support@miamimocaad.org

Presented by

Miami MoCAAD in partnership with

Miami-Dade County

Sponsor a Mural Exhibition

support@miamimocaad.org

See exhibition

Where ARt Meets the World

Male and female soccer players in mid-air kicks near a soccer ball with 'Scan Here' text on a colorful abstract background.

This exhibition invites visitors to engage with the stories, histories, and cultural legacies that continue to shape Miami today.

Through interactive murals, oral histories, and augmented reality experiences, Telling Overtown Stories, Saying Their Names transforms public space into a place for reflection, learning, and connection.

Pause | Explore | Listen | Experience the stories that live within our communities

About the Exhibition

“We are not simply exhibiting art - we are creating spaces where community memory, culture, and storytelling can be experienced together.”

Presented by the Miami Museum of Contemporary Art of the African Diaspora (Miami MoCAAD), “Telling Overtown Stories, Saying Their Names” is an interactive mural exhibition that transforms public space into a living archive of Black Miami.

Featuring large-scale works by local African American artists, the exhibition weaves together oral histories, augmented reality (AR), archival memory, and contemporary art to honor the enduring cultural legacy of Overtown - often called the “Harlem of the South.”

Hosted at the Miami-Dade County South Dade Government Center, the exhibition invites residents, students, families, and visitors to engage with stories rooted in resilience, migration, creativity, and community.

Overtown is more than a historical neighborhood. It is a living cultural force whose influence continues to shape Miami’s identity today. Through immersive storytelling and public engagement, this exhibition centers the voices, histories, and experiences of the people who built and sustained the community across generations.

Why This Exhibition Matters

01

Art in Public Space

Miami MoCAAD believes culture should be accessible beyond traditional museum walls. By bringing this exhibition into a civic community space, the project creates opportunities for everyday engagement with art, history, and storytelling.

02

Community-Centered Storytelling

The exhibition is shaped through the perspectives of artists, historians, and community voices connected to Overtown. These stories are presented not as distant history, but as living narratives that continue to evolve today.

03

Technology as Connection

Through augmented reality (AR) and interactive QR experiences, visitors can explore oral histories, archival materials, and layered narratives directly from their phones - creating deeper and more personal engagement with the artwork.

04

Preserving Cultural Memory

At a time when communities are rapidly changing, documenting and sharing local histories become increasingly important. This exhibition contributes to preserving Overtown’s cultural legacy for future generations.

05

Building Access Through Community

Located within the South Dade Government Center, the exhibition creates an opportunity for broader public access to contemporary art and cultural education within a shared civic environment.

06

A Museum Without Walls

This exhibition reflects Miami MoCAAD’s vision of a distributed museum model - one that brings art, dialogue, and cultural experiences directly into the communities where people already gather, learn, and connect.

Experience the Exhibition

Three Interactive Murals

Large-scale mural installations by local African American artists explore themes of migration, labor, music, identity, and collective memory throughout Overtown’s history.

Featured Works:
“OVERtown: Our Family Tree” by Anthony “Mojo” Reed II
“International Longshoremen Local 1416” by Reginald O’Neal
Two soccer players in mid-air kicking a ball against a colorful abstract background.
“Overtown Pitch: Game Changers” by Stefan Smith
Scan & Explore

Interactive QR codes embedded throughout the murals unlock augmented reality experiences, oral histories, archival footage, and community storytelling accessible through mobile devices.

Community as Collaborator

Residents, historians, educators, artists,  and cultural leaders contributed to shaping the narratives presented throughout the exhibition, reinforcing the importance of collective memory and shared authorship.

Miami MoCAAD’s Vision

As part of Miami MoCAAD’s broader mission, this exhibition expands access to contemporary art of the African Diaspora while fostering dialogue, education, and cultural preservation across Miami-Dade communities.

Where Art, History, and Community Meet
“Telling Overtown Stories, Saying Their Names” invites visitors to pause, reflect, and engage with the stories that continue to shape Miami’s cultural landscape.
Through ARt, technology, and collective memory, the exhibition creates space for connection — reminding us that history lives not only in archives, but in communities, voices, and shared experiences.
— Hans Ottinot, Co-founder —