Miami International Airport is using its global stage to spotlight the history and cultural legacy of Miami’s Overtown neighborhood through Telling Overtown Stories, Saying Their Names, a new exhibition featuring three interactive wall murals by local African American artists. The installation, located at MIA’s Connecting Communities Wall near door 11 on the arrivals level of Concourse E, pre-security, will be on display until October 13, 2026.
In partnership with the Miami Museum of Contemporary Art of the African Diaspora (Miami MoCAAD), the exhibition features vinyl replicas of three permanent murals located at historic Overtown landmarks. The murals allow viewers to explore the rich tapestry of Historic Overtown – which celebrates its 130-year anniversary this year – through visual art, oral histories, augmented reality, and QR codes that link to articles and interviews by Black Miami historians.
OVERtown: Our Family Tree, by Anthony “Mojo” Reed II, is at the law office building constructed and owned by Judge Lawson E. Thomas, an early civil rights activist and Miami-Dade County’s first Black judge who presided over the nation’s only racially segregated court system.
Reginald O’Neal’s International Longshoreman Association Local 1416, located at the Local 1416 Union Hall, commemorates the longshoremen’s pivotal role in advancing and advocating for Miami’s Black community and providing economic ladders to the middle class.
Stefan Smith’s Overtown Pitch: Game Changers at the historic Carver Hotel site, featuring images of soccer superstars Kylian Mbappe and Crystal Dunn, celebrates soccer through an innovative blend of figurative and abstract art and technology. QR codes in Smith’s mural invite viewers to engage with stories of Black soccer players who have left their mark on the sport and to participate in a penalty-kick shootout game.
By bringing recreations of permanent Overtown murals into an accessible public space, Miami MoCAAD aims to expand access and create new ways for residents, families, and youth across Miami-Dade County, as well as national and international visitors, to experience Miami’s cultural heritage while reimagining spaces where art, history, technology, and community intersect. As the nation marks its semi-quincentennial, this exhibition pays tribute to the lasting influence of the African Diaspora in Overtown and beyond, inspiring a more inclusive vision of our past, present, and future.
Miami MoCAAD is dedicated to harnessing innovation to showcase contemporary visual arts production of the Global African Diaspora, leveraging traditional and technology-infused platforms. The museum presents art through online virtual reality exhibitions, interactive murals with augmented reality accessible on-site in the community and on phones via the website, and traditional onsite exhibitions through collaborations.
MIA Galleries, established in 1996, is managed by the MIA’s Fine Arts and Cultural Affairs Division. Its mission is to enhance the travel environment by presenting exhibitions and showcasing works that celebrate the rich culture, diverse landscape, and artistic resources of the local community. MIA Galleries aims to elevate the passenger experience by curating a visually stimulating atmosphere that is contemporary, thought-provoking, and reflective of the cultural depth and creativity of the South Florida region.