Artist Jos茅 Bedia鈥檚 work, symbolic and rooted in ancient traditions, blends anthropology, storytelling, and Afro-Caribbean influences. In fact, his personal art collection is that of tribal and ethnographic art. His practice, he says, his grounded in investigation and search doing 鈥渇ield work鈥� journeys to other countries that inspire and inform the work. It is these qualities that gained him a $75,000 award as part of Oolite Arts鈥� The Ellies Awards.
Bedia is the recipient Oolite鈥檚 Michael Richards Award, named in honor of late artist and Oolite Arts alumnus Michael Richards, who passed away in his art studio in the World Trade Center during the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
鈥淭his award will allow me a greater liberty to study ancient traditions and have new and direct contact with them,鈥� Bedia said. 鈥淣ormally I finance these trips personally, but this award will help continue my explorations and research in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and to be able to help local indigenous colleagues that are still active in their sacred practices,鈥� whom he said he remains in constant contact.
The award recognizes an artist who has established and sustained their practice in Miami while giving back to the community. Born and raised in Havana, Bedia lived in Mexico before moving to Miami in 1993.
This year is the 40th anniversary of Oolite Arts, which was founded by late potter and visionary Ellie Schneiderman. In 2018, Oolite created The Ellies award in her honor.
鈥淟ooking back at Oolite Arts鈥� legacy over the past 40 years, I鈥檓 amazed at how our late founder鈥檚 simple idea 鈥� giving artists space to create 鈥� has helped play a pivotal role in transforming Miami into the global arts destination it is today,鈥� said John Abodeely, Oolite Arts鈥� president and CEO, who began his new role in January.
READ MORE: Two art exhibitions highlight South Florida's fiber art community
This year鈥檚 awards total $600,000 to support more than 45 local visual artists and art educators. It is the largest amount ever awarded in a single year of the program, according to Abodeely.
鈥淭his record-breaking year for The Ellies reaffirms our belief that artists are the true heartbeat of the city,鈥� Abodeely said.
The Michael Richards Award is one of the special awards along with the $25,000 Social Justice Award.
T. Elliot Mansa鈥檚 work explores familial and socio-political themes through the lens of West African myth and lore.
鈥�(The Social Justice Award) is about supporting artists who have been diligent. I want to use the opportunity to create a new kind of social practice that is more centered in visual community activism,鈥� said the Miami born artist who added that he has been an art teacher for 10 years, teaching every grade up to undergraduate students and in underserved communities.
鈥淭he teaching practice helps me speak cross-generationally. The work is about and for the Black community. Teaching students and engaging them with my practice and the Black community helps widen and engage this core audience. Teaching has been my form of personal outreach. Ideally, in the best, 鈥渃ase scenario, my work educates and bridges communities.鈥�
Mansa said that the award also gives him confidence that the work he is doing is serving its purpose. 鈥淚 kind of want to pivot to actually prioritizing the community and show that Miami is investing in and advocating for socially oriented artists.鈥�
Other awards include Creator Awards for ambitious visual arts projects across a wide range of mediums. The award supports Miami-based artists with grants of $5,800 to $22,000 to 鈥渞ealize a significant visual arts project that will advance their careers,鈥� according to the organization. The awards also have a special category for those in the Cinematic Arts.
This year, $475,000 in grant money was awarded in Creator and Cinematic Arts categories.
Oolite Arts also awards Teacher Travel Grants, which send art educators across the globe for professional development they bring back to the classroom, receive a $5,000 travel stipend. $25,000 in total was awarded to applicants.
Clara Varas won a Creator Grant Award for her entry, 鈥淚n Progress,鈥� a re-imagination of the still-life through the lens of mom-and-pop shops and bodegas in Miami鈥檚 diasporic, working class neighborhoods. 鈥淭o an extent this project was always in progress. I have often thought of the materials and objects I find on city streets or discarded on the side of abandoned buildings as urban still life, monuments to the everyday and the complexities of life that are very 鈥榰nmonumental鈥� in nature because they tend to memorialize the here and now instead of the past. Receiving an Ellies Creator Award is important because it means that I get to continue making work that centers Miami鈥檚 communities and diaspora at a time when it is so essential that we get to tell our own stories,鈥� Varas said.
READ MORE: 'Birthright' at Miami New Drama examines how Gaza war is testing longtime friendships
Fernanda Froes鈥檚 鈥淗idden River鈥� is a mixed, 鈥渕edia textile installation that maps Miami鈥檚 Little River, 鈥渢racing its ancient path alongside the redirected course imposed by urban development, using botanical pigments connected to the site鈥攂ridging art, history, and the environment.鈥�
According to Froes, 鈥淭hrough the use of natural materials and a layered visual language, the work encourages viewers to reflect on what has been lost鈥攊nviting a deeper awareness of how human action reshapes ecosystems over time. It raises urgent questions about the consequences of environmental disruption and proposes a space for remembering, reconnecting, and reimagining our relationship with the land.鈥�
A winner of one of the Teacher Travel Grants is Stephanie Hurst, who will travel to the capital cities of the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, and study the contemporary art of post-Soviet border countries.
鈥淭he Baltic States have a unique history of silent resistance and subversion through art. I want to explore how contemporary artists express personal, cultural, and regional identities in post-Soviet border countries amid the rise of global conflict and technological revolution,鈥� said Hurst. 鈥淚 hope that this research opportunity will change the way that I teach fine art. I鈥檇 like to weave new media into my classroom, and design projects that create space for catharsis and self, 鈥渆xpression for my students.鈥�
One of eight winners of the Cinematic Awards is Kareem Tabsch, who is creating a documentary, 鈥淪ave Our Children,鈥� which Tabsch said draws a direct line between Florida鈥檚 new anti-LGBTQ laws and their origins in the Save Our Children campaign, spearheaded nearly 50 years ago in Miami by local beauty queen Anita Bryant.
鈥淲hen entertainer Anita Bryant fought against an ordinance protecting LGBT individuals from discrimination, she launched a nationwide conversation about homosexuality in ways that never happened before. That moment in no small part, helped birth two powerful movements in our country: the fight for LGBT Equality and the Conservative Christian Right,鈥� Tabsch said.
He believes that it is Bryant鈥檚 homophobic rhetoric that is now part of the 鈥減laybook that we鈥檝e seen everyone from Florida Governor DeSantis to the Trump administration employ in new attacks against our community.鈥�
Tabsch said the support from Oolite is instrumental to tell a story that is 鈥渕ore timely than ever.鈥�
Award winners will be honored at the 2025 Ellies awards ceremony set for Wednesday, April 16 at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami.
Creator award winners
Fernanda Froes, 鈥淗idden River, a mixed-media textile installation that maps Miami鈥檚 Little River, tracing its ancient path alongside the redirected course imposed by urban development, using botanical pigments connected to the site鈥攂ridging art, history, and the environment.
Rosa Naday Garmendia, 鈥淢iami Street Press, Printing on the Move,鈥� a mobile printmaking initiative crafted to bridge Miami鈥檚 diverse communities through accessible, hands, 鈥渙n art experiences.
Aqua Etefia, 鈥淪ave Black ART / Black Art Institute,鈥� a dynamic creative arts program offering immersive courses in art and graffiti, fashion design, and African drumming, led by professional resident artists to foster artistic skills, cultural appreciation, and hands, 鈥渙n creative expression.
Clara Varas, 鈥淚n Progress,鈥� a re-imagination of the still-life through the lens of mom and pop shops and bodegas in Miami鈥檚 diasporic, working class neighborhoods.
Frances Trombly, 鈥淒imensions Variable 15 Year Publication,鈥� a book that encompasses all the projects Dimensions Variable has produced in its 15, 鈥測ear history, creating a lasting tribute to the ongoing dialogue surrounding contemporary art in Miami.
Karen Rifas, 鈥淎 Survey,鈥� a comprehensive survey catalog documenting four decades of her artistic practice in Miami.
MyFi Studio (Aimee Rubensteen & Dr. Josh Eisenberg), 鈥溾�漷ie the knot: the twilight years connect us,鈥� a multimedia exhibition and autobiographical documentary video shown between Japan and Miami, contextualizing Miami as a shared home for MyFi Studio and Nam June Paik.
Cornelius Tulloch, 鈥淐reole Collage鈥� a series of maquette sculptures and large, 鈥渟cale mixed, 鈥渕edia paintings, developed through a community workshop series, that imagines what the future of Miami鈥檚 architecture should look like.
Ariesela Diaz, 鈥淒oll LinkUp,鈥� a women, 鈥渞un weekly drag show, providing a vibrant, inclusive space that uplifts trans and non, 鈥渂inary performers, fosters queer joy, and offers one of the city鈥檚 few open stages for emerging LGBTQIA+ artists.
Isabella Marie Garcia, 鈥淭he Photography Care Matrix,鈥� a year, 鈥渓ong film photography series and workshop program that will document and teach experimental photography to incarcerated, at, 鈥渞isk, and rehabilitated youth and adults in Miami.
Gregory Clark, 鈥淚 Played Here,鈥� a photographic series, oral history, and archival collection reconnecting musicians with the transformed sites of Miami鈥檚 historic Black nightclubs.
Morel Doucet, 鈥溾�漇ecrets That The Wind Carries Away,鈥� a significant public art installation in Coral Gables depicting a family鈥檚 boat journey, which honors the contributions of Black and Bahamian immigrants that have shaped the community.
Sydney Rose Maubert, 鈥淪till Tippin鈥�, 鈥� an installation of full, 鈥渟cale car sculptures as industrial monuments to Southern Black life and an examination of Southern car culture.
Clara Toro, 鈥淐rossing Cultures: Photography Exhibits Bridging Communities,鈥� an in, 鈥渄emand continuation of her photographic series documenting the residents of Wynwood Norte and Allapattah, and extending the project to additional neighborhoods.
Jevon Brown, 鈥淭he Magic City BarberShop,鈥� a series of site, 鈥渟pecific installations that celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Caribbean hair and barbershop culture.
Sheherazade Th茅nard, 鈥淟ittle Islands,鈥� a multi, 鈥渄isciplinary platform that connects artists and stories across the Caribbean diaspora.
Cara Despain, 鈥渉eirloom,鈥� a cinematically scaled, multi, 鈥渃hannel video installation of glowing uranium glass breaking in slow motion, highlighting the nuclear legacy of her home region and this hidden part of American history.
Gabriela Gamboa, 鈥淢ythological Cartographies,鈥� aa multi, 鈥渟ensory installation that combines tactile maps with sound to explore themes of displacement and exile.
Nicole Combeau, 鈥淢iami鈥檚 Elders of Resistance,鈥� an enduring, online visual archive and physical exhibition dedicated to the lives of elders who have fought for justice in Miami.
Denise Treizman, 鈥淪tomping On Our Barriers,鈥� a large, 鈥渟cale, evolving wire mesh installation that explores physical and psychological barriers and incorporates interactive elements.
Amanda Keeley, 鈥淎 Decade of EXILE: Celebrating 10 Years of Independent Publishing,鈥� a commemorative 10th, 鈥渁nniversary book publication that captures the evolution of EXILE from its beginnings as a pop, 鈥渦p bookstore to its current role as a nonprofit publisher of artists鈥� books.
Marisabela Telleria, 鈥淭he Blue of Distance,鈥� a new body of work that will include 4 to 6 large, 鈥渟cale wall pieces and two community, 鈥渂ased installations exploring themes of migration, memory, and connection within Miami鈥檚 diasporic communities.
Gabriel Jean, 鈥淧aul Soomar, 鈥淎h Lil鈥� Noise Later!,鈥� a site, 鈥渟pecific installation with sound as the formative influence, activating the cultural space and encouraging participants to engage with sound as tangible material.
Cynthia Cruz, 鈥淐ode and Corpus,鈥� a series of sculptures and an interactive website shaped through an iterative process involving artificial intelligence, exploring human, 鈥渕achine collaboration.
Yanira Collado, 鈥淚nsurgencies: A Meditation on Encoded Textiles,鈥� a research project focused on the subversive nature of textiles used by African Maroons that were instrumental in hundreds of uprisings throughout the Caribbean and later through the Underground Railroad in the Southern United States.
Liene Bosqu锚, 鈥淪ynchroniCity,鈥� a solo exhibition showcasing a twenty, 鈥測ear survey of the artist鈥檚 career with works never shown in Miami, new works, and a catalogue.
Lissette Schaeffler, 鈥溌orque el Conejo me Ara帽贸!,鈥� a book of the artist鈥檚 personal photographic project exploring her family鈥檚 ancestry, lineage, memory, displacement, and immigration.
Angela Valella, 鈥淭he Nightclub,鈥� a book that captures the essence and history of The Nightclub, a unique pop, 鈥渦p art platform started in 2012, as well as a new series of events for The Nightclub.
Luj谩n Candria, 鈥� Still More Fragile,鈥� a site, 鈥渟pecific, immersive installation that interweaves visual, auditory, and moving, 鈥渋mage elements that evoke the essence of the sea.
Melanie Oliva, 鈥淎ccelerating Teen Dreams,鈥� a two-part workshop series that will provide high school students and their caregivers with the tools necessary to be accepted into college art programs.
2025 Cinematic award winners
Kareem Tabsch, 鈥淪ave Our Children,鈥� a documentary film drawing a direct line between Florida鈥檚 new anti-LGBTQ laws and their origins in the Save Our Children campaign, spearheaded nearly 50 years ago in Miami by local beauty queen Anita Bryant.
Julia Zurilla, 鈥淓nvironmental Orbits (Episodic and Semantic Memory),鈥� aan immersive video installation that establishes a dialogue between family vacation images from the mid-20th century, and contemporary footage of climate disasters in South Florida.
Francess Dunbar, 鈥淎 Sense of Place: Catch A Wave,鈥� a poetic tribute to Miami鈥檚 disappearing history, using experimental narrative to preserve the filmmaker鈥檚 family surf and skate shop and the memory of a city in constant transformation, to be added to the Miami-Dade Public Library鈥檚 16mm film archive.
Karla Caprali , 鈥淩umpelstiltskin Meets Mozart at the NWS,鈥� a captivating 12-minute animated musical adventure blending orchestral music, narration, and animation, created in collaboration with violinist Belinda Stohner, composer Oscar Bustillo, and the Budapest Scoring Orchestra.
Rachelle Salnave, 鈥淒UAL CITIZEN,鈥� a humorous, heartfelt documentary following a father, 鈥渄aughter journey to gain their Haitian citizenship, set against the backdrop of the 2020 U.S. Presidential election and Haiti鈥檚 political upheaval.
Berenic茅 Brino, 鈥淏ury Me Under The Palms,鈥� a film that follows a multigenerational family sheltering in place on the eve of a quincea帽era as a hurricane approaches, uncovering buried tensions and generational truths while exploring with form across cinematic and theatrical mediums.
Robert Colom, 鈥淟efty,鈥� a short narrative film depicting the story of a thirteen year old boy who is left handed in a devoutly right handed society.
Jayme Kaye Gershen, 鈥淎dult Night: A Super / Hot Wheels Doc,鈥� a documentary capturing the vibrant culture, deep community bonds, and evolving legacy of one of Miami鈥檚 most iconic roller rinks.
2025 Teacher travel grant winners
Stephanie Hurst, 鈥淏altic State Capitals.鈥� Travel to the capital cities of the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, and study the contemporary art of these post-Soviet border countries.
Jennifer Gifford, 鈥淒eath Defying.鈥� Travel to Vienna, Austria, the hometown of Sigmund Freud, and study Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, and Freud himself with a focus on the topics of life and death.
Carolina Cueva, 鈥� Peruvian Heritage.鈥� Travel to Peru and be immersed in the rich architecture, pre, 鈥淐olumbian ruins, and traditional crafts of Cusco and Ayacucho.
Mary Larsen, 鈥淓xperimental and Non-Traditional Printmaking.鈥� Travel to Edinburgh, Scotland and attend summer workshops at Edinburgh Printmakers, a print and visual arts studio.
Silvana Soriano,鈥� Kaays谩 Art Residency.鈥� Travel to the Kaays谩 Art Residency in Brazil鈥檚 Atlantic Forest and research the intersection of ecology and art.
IF YOU GO
What: The Ellies: Miami鈥檚 Visual Arts Awards
When: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday, April 16
Where: Institute of Contemporary Art, 61 NE 41st St., Miami
Cost: $250, $1,000 sponsorships
Information: theellies.org
is a nonprofit news partner of SA国际传谋, providing news on theater, dance, visual arts, music and the performing arts.
