What/Who:

Reaffirming its commitment to make contemporary art accessible, the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami (MOCA) is pleased to feature two Miami Herald Pulitzer Prize winners – photojournalist Carl Juste and columnist Leonard Pitts, Jr. – as part of its free, virtual “Conversations at MOCA” series on July 8. The two will be discussing “I am a Man,” Juste’s newly installed public artwork on the MOCA Plaza.

In 2008, while working on a newspaper story with Pitts, Juste captured the image of Memphis sanitation worker Elmore Nickelberry and his son, Terence, with a placard that read, “I Am A Man.” Carried during the Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike in 1968, these signs became emblematic of the Black community’s struggles in the United States. Commenting on his portrait of the elder Nickelberry, Juste has said, “I just wanted to capture that dignity that was often deprived him.”

The panel will consist of the following:

Carl Juste has been a photojournalist for the Miami Herald since 1991. Juste was born into a politically active family in Haiti. After being forced to leave their homeland in 1965 for political reasons, his family eventually settled in Miami’s Haitian community. In addition to photography work for the Miami Herald, Juste cofounded Iris PhotoCollective (IPC). IPC’s members are photojournalists of color who document people of color’s relationship to the world. In 2019, Juste opened the IPC ArtSpace in Little Haiti. He is currently producing a book and exhibit titled, “Havana, Haiti: Two Cultures, One Community,” which consists of photographs and text that explore the bonds between Cuba and Haiti.

Leonard Pitts was born and raised in Southern California. He was awarded a degree in English from the University of Southern California at the age of 19, having entered school at 15 on a special honors program. Since 1995, he and his wife have lived in Bowie, Md., a suburb of Washington, D.C. Pitts’ work has made him an in-demand lecturer. He maintains a rigorous speaking schedule that has taken him to colleges, civic groups and professional associations all over the country. He has also taught at a number of institutions of higher learning, including Hampton University, Ohio University, the University of Maryland, and Virginia Commonwealth University. In the fall of 2011, he was a visiting professor at Princeton, teaching a course in writing about race.

Donnamarie Baptiste will serve as moderator of the conversation. Baptiste is a producer, programmer and curator of art and culture who has worked with art fairs, galleries, artists, arts organizations and brands to produce exhibitions, site-responsive events, and experiences that connect audiences nationally and internationally. She has held roles with Photo Miami International Art Fair, Art Basel, Creative Time and The Armory Show. Baptiste is experienced in working with artists of multiple genres including Theaster Gates, Xu Zhen, Robert Longo, The Roots, Wangechi Mutu, Jason and Alicia Mora, and Ebony Bones. She also has worked with brands such as Lexus, Armani, Veuve Clicquot, BMW, LVMH, Cartier, Mercedes-Benz and American Express. Born in Trinidad and Tobago to musician parents, Baptiste has spent most of her life between Florida, New York City and the U.S. Virgin Islands. She studied Humanities in the Caribbean and later moved to Miami and New York City. Currently, she is back in Miami providing arts and culture management consulting to national and international clients while supporting the local art community as a board member of Oolite Arts.

The “I Am A Man” installation is possible through the generous support of the Miami Herald Media Company. MOCA North Miami’s exhibitions and programs are possible through the generous support of the City of North Miami and its mayor and council; the State of Florida; Department of State and its Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture; the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council; the Miami-Dade County mayor and Board of County Commissioners.

When:

Wednesday, July 8 at 7 p.m. EST

Where/How

The panel will be free and open to the public via the Zoom video conferencing platform.

To reserve a spot, please visit https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JZwAE4-9TxWhqK3PwEjD_A.

About Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami

The Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami (MOCA) is dedicated to making contemporary art accessible to diverse audiences through the collection, preservation and exhibition of the best of contemporary art and its art historical influences. MOCA began operating in 1981, opened a new building in 1996 designed by Charles Gwathmey of GSNY, and was the first collecting institution in Miami. Under the direction of Executive Director Chana Sheldon, MOCA premiered “AFRICOBRA: Messages to the People” during Art Basel Miami Beach in 2018. “AFRICOBRA: Nation Time,” the next chapter of the exhibition, was selected as an official Collateral Event of Biennale Arte 2019 in Venice, Italy. The museum has achieved re-accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest recognition afforded the nation’s museums. MOCA North Miami’s exhibitions and programs are possible through the generous support of the City of North Miami and its mayor and council; the State of Florida; Department of State and its Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture; the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council; the Miami-Dade County mayor and Board of County Commissioners. The museum has been recognized with grants and awards from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

MOCA is an inclusive cultural hub, embracing the diversity that defines its dynamic community, and organizing exhibitions that propel art and ideas connected to its South Florida home into the global cultural conversation. The museum is located at 770 NE 125th St., North Miami, FL 33161. It is open Tuesday–Sunday from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (closed Mondays and major holidays). Admission to the museum is $10 and free for MOCA members and North Miami residents. For more information, visit mocanomi.org, call 305-893-6211 or email info@mocanomi.org.