Coral Gables, FL — This season, the Coral Gables Museum presents a curatorial framework focused on popular expression, local identity, and the cultural languages that emerge from community traditions. Across multiple exhibitions, the Museum examines how collective memory, ritual practices, and everyday forms of creativity shape distinct cultural identities across geographies.
Life Is a Barranquilla Carnival
On view April 25 – October 4, 2026Opening Reception (by invitation only): April 24, 2026, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Recognized by UNESCO in 2003 as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, the Barranquilla Carnival stands as one of the most significant cultural expressions of the Colombian Caribbean. Rooted in centuries-old traditions, it brings together music, dance, and visual spectacle as forms of collective memory and identity.
The exhibition features a collection of photographs by León Birbragher Vinkel (1940–2022), whose decades-long documentation captures the vitality and complexity of the Carnival. For more than thirty years, he photographed its principal events and folkloric expressions, including dances, masquerades, and individual costumes, offering an intimate perspective shaped by his close relationship with the carnavaleros.
Complementing this visual archive, the exhibition includes original costumes, video, and a curated sound environment, creating a multisensory experience that reflects the layered cultural influences of the Carnival, including African, Indigenous, and European traditions. The exhibition unfolds as a journey through key moments of the celebration, from La Guacherna to the Batalla de Flores and the Gran Parada de Comparsas, concluding with the symbolic burial of Joselito Carnaval.
The exhibition also reflects the continuity of this tradition through the work of Carnaval de Barranquilla Miami USA, which has presented a transnational version of the Carnival in Coral Gables since 2022.Life Is a Barranquilla Carnival is curated by Francine Birbragher-Rozencwaig, PhD, with music curation by Tato Marenco, a three-time Latin Grammy nominee. Additional credits include Visual Strategist Nicole Kassin, Director of Production Yuneikys Villalonga, and Assistant of Production Simone Lee.
Alfombra de Aserrín: A Sawdust Carpet from Antigua Guatemala to Coral GablesOn view March 27 – April 16, 2026
Alfombra de Aserrín: A Sawdust Carpet from Antigua Guatemala to Coral Gables presents a focused exploration of a centuries-old Holy Week tradition from La Antigua Guatemala, recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The exhibition examines the creation of intricate, large-scale carpets made from colored sawdust, flowers, and organic materials, developed collectively by artisans and community members as part of a deeply rooted ritual process. These works, often taking hours to complete, are designed to exist only temporarily, ultimately becoming part of the religious procession that passes over them. In this sense, the act of making is inseparable from the act of disappearance, positioning the alfombra as both an artistic and performative gesture.
Installed within the galleries as both documentation and material presence, the exhibition includes design references, visual material, and elements that reflect the technical precision and symbolic language embedded in the tradition. It also highlights the collaborative dimension of the practice, where families, neighborhoods, and organizations come together to construct each piece. The project extends beyond the gallery through live demonstration components, allowing audiences to engage directly with the process and understand the scale, coordination, and labor involved. Within the Museum’s curatorial framework, the exhibition contributes to a broader reflection on ephemerality, devotion, and the transmission of cultural knowledge, while reinforcing the connection between Coral Gables and its Sister City of La Antigua Guatemala.
| Coral Gables Collects: Beanie Backus and His Imprint in South Florida Through the Allen Morris Collection On view March 11, 2026 – May 21, 2026 |
A new initiative at the Coral Gables Museum begins with an exploration of private collections and their role in shaping how cultural narratives are preserved and shared. Drawing from the Allen Morris Collection, the exhibition brings together a selection of works by A.E. Backus, a central figure in the development of landscape painting in Florida.
Through his depictions of the state’s natural environment, Backus developed a visual language closely tied to place, capturing the light, vegetation, and atmospheric conditions that define South Florida. His work contributes to a broader understanding of regional identity, rooted in direct observation and a sustained engagement with the landscape.
The presentation also offers a closer look at the relationship between artist and collector, revealing how collecting operates not only as preservation, but also as a form of interpretation. The selection reflects both aesthetic sensibilities and personal histories, shaping a narrative that extends beyond the individual works themselves.
As the inaugural presentation of the Coral Gables Collects series, the project establishes a framework for future exhibitions that will continue to examine the role of collecting within the cultural ecosystem, while expanding public access to works often held outside institutional view. The exhibition is accompanied by a public lecture on May 21 by J. Marshall Adams, Executive Director of the A.E. Backus Museum & Gallery, offering additional context on Backus’s legacy and his lasting impact on Florida’s visual culture.
Press Information & Interview Opportunities
Members of the press are invited to engage with the curatorial team and key contributors behind the exhibitions through interviews and editorial coverage opportunities.
Yuneikys Villalonga: Director of Curatorial Programs, Coral Gables Museum. Oversaw curatorial coordination and exhibition production.
About Coral Gables Museum The Coral Gables Museum celebrates the civic arts of architecture, urban and environmental design, sustainable development, and preservation, enriching the community through exhibitions and programs that explore the cultural and historical identity of Coral Gables and its global connections.
For more information, please visit www.coralgablesmuseum.org or contact:
Maylin Lara Ojeda, Marketing and Communications Specialist
maylin@coralgablesmuseum.org
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