Miami, FL – Friends of The Underline proudly celebrated a significant milestone this past Saturday, Sept. 7, with the unveiling of its first-ever art installation selected through a community-wide open call to artists. The debut of “Hide & Seek,” a vibrant mural created by local Miami artists We Are Nice’n Easy. It is located at The Underline Hammock Playground, at the corner of SW 1st Ave. and SW 15th Road. 

“The artwork is called Hide & Seek, because there are a lot of animals hiding and we wanted to create something playful next to the playground,” explained Jeffrey Noble and Allison Matherly, the artists behind We Are Nice’n Easy, who painted the mural. “All the animals and objects represent the intersection of nature and culture that’s present here in South Florida,” 

“The Underline is a place, as all parks are, where we come together as a community,” said Miami-Dade County District 5 Commissioner Eileen Higgins, “It’s not just about walking, and exercising but also that through moving very intentionally along with the county’s art in public spaces, we are intellectually stimulated as we are playing.” 

The event marked the culmination of The Underline’s inaugural open call to artists, a program launched in February 2024 with the support of a generous $100,000 grant from Hearst Foundations.

Building on this success, The Underline is announcing a second open call for an Art Deco-inspired bench. Florida-based artists are invited to design a piece honoring the legacy of arts patron Bernard Wolfson.This mural, along with the newly announced Art Deco-inspired bench funded by local philanthropist Jessie Wolfson, are part of a series of art installations designed to seamlessly integrate creativity into Miami’s urban landscape. Both initiatives reflect The Underline’s commitment to creating a vibrant public art experience that engages the community and enhances the community’s cultural fabric.

“Friends of The Underline is honored by this generous gift, which supports our ongoing commitment to the transformative power of public art,” said Meg Daly, CEO of Friends of The Underline. “We are proud to spotlight Bernard Wolfson’s legacy through this special public art installation.”

The commissioned bench will be installed in the Phase 3 Stormwater Ponds area near Granada Boulevard in Coral Gables, where it will enhance the public space with a tribute to Miami’s iconic Art Deco heritage and promote community engagement through accessible public art.

Artists are invited to submit their proposals for the Art Deco-inspired bench by Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, at 11:59 P.M, Submission details can be found here.  

BERNARD WOLFSON
To honor the memory of Bernard Wolfson, the theme of Phase 3’s artwork will be Art Deco-inspired and will reference Bernard’s design of the award-winning Hampton Inn & Suites Miami Brickell Downtown. This hotel earned the Green Building Certification. Bernard selected the hotel’s world-class Art.

ABOUT FRIENDS OF THE UNDERLINE  The Underline is transforming the underutilized land below Miami’s Metrorail into a 10-mile linear park, urban trail and public art destination from the Miami River to Dadeland South. www.theunderline.org