The Underline, Supported by Knight Foundation, Launches Little Bahamas Artist-in-Residence Program
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The Underline, a 10-mile linear park and living art destination in Miami, announced today the launch of its first Artist-in-Residence program with support from The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. April Bey, a Bahamian artist who lives and works in Los Angeles as a visual artist and art educator, has been named the program’s inaugural resident. The new public art initiative brings free, immersive, and community-driven art experiences to public spaces on The Underline.
Bahamian artist April Bey named inaugural resident
For the inaugural residency, the program centers on Little Bahamas, one of Miami’s historic Black communities in Coconut Grove. Grounded in the city’s cultural history, Bey’s work will be shaped through collaboration with community members and informed by local history, lived experience, and intergenerational storytelling. The residency is designed to honor the identity and resilience of Little Bahamas while reinforcing The Underline’s place-based approach to public art that reflects the communities it connects.
From February through June, Bey’s residency will activate The Underline Plaza, located south of the Douglas Metrorail Station with a temporary sculptural installation and four painted columns designed by Bey. The installation will be accompanied by a series of public-facing culinary, educational, and community programs intended to encourage participation and shared learning within the Plaza.
The first public event, The Underline’s AIR: April Bey Artist Talk + Bahamian Souse Out, will take place Saturday, Feb. 21, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Underline Plaza (free RSVP available on Eventbrite). Bey will introduce her project and engage attendees in conversation over a complimentary Bahamian Souse Out, a traditional light brunch featuring chicken souse and Johnny cake.
When asked about the inspiration behind the project, Bey shared, “This project grows out of stories I was told as a child of blue holes whispered about around bonfires on summer nights in Eleuthera. Atlantica is a speculative world shaped by Black diasporic memory, joy and survival, and The Underline offers a rare opportunity to bring that world into a shared, public space.”
“We want people to really experience April Bey’s work, not just pass by it,” said Debi Wechsler, Chair of The Underline Art Advisory Council. “This residency creates the time and space for artists to engage with the community in an immersive way. It’s just the beginning of how we’re building a platform for artists and public art throughout The Underline.”
“April Bey’s work reflects exactly the kind of bold, imaginative, and community rooted creativity that helps public spaces feel alive and relevant, Kristina Newman-Scott, vice president of arts at the Knight Foundation said. The Underline is becoming a cultural spine for Miami, and artists like April help ensure it is not only a place people move through, but a place where stories, identities, and ideas are visible. We are excited to see her vision unfold in a space that belongs to the public,”
April Bey was selected by The Underline The Underline’s Art Advisory Council (UAAC) in collaboration with Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Art in Public Places Program Professional Advisory Committee, and Trust.