One of the most beautiful and historic buildings in Miami is closing for a $25 million renovation.  I guess that should come as no surprise since The Freedom Tower has been standing tall for 98 years. If you are a beer lover, I have great news for you. Downtown Miami has its first brewery. You have until the end of September to see the most talked about art exhibit of the summer.

The Freedom Tower Is Getting a Facelift

To celebrate its 100th year anniversary, Miami Dade College is renovating the national historic landmark. The two-year rehabilitation project, which entails extensive structural and other interior repairs, will not change the heavily ornamented Mediterranean appearance.

The building is an attraction pleaser. The ornate Baroque entrance to the Freedom Tower on Biscayne Boulevard is stunning to look at during the day and at night, when it’s all lit up, it makes you feel like there is plenty to celebrate in life.

Built in 1925, the building first served as the grand headquarters for the city’s oldest and biggest newspaper of the time, the Miami News. It was also a symbol of hope and freedom for the thousands of Cuban and other exiles who passed through its massive oak doors in the 1960s when it served as a federal refugee center.

Today, The Freedom Tower is being used as a contemporary art museum and a central office for the arts associated with Miami Dade College. It is located at 600 Biscayne Boulevard on Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus.

It’s also interesting to note that The Freedom Tower was also used over the years for many political demonstrations and has hosted high-profile ceremonies for prominent guests. The one that folks remember the most is when Celia Cruz lay in state after her death in 2003. Thousands upon thousands stood in line for hours to pay tribute to her.

The restoration will be paid for by the state of Florida and overseen by Miami architectural firm MC Harry Associates in collaboration with preservation architect RIchard Heisenbottle.

Our First Brewery in a Landmark Building

If you are a beer lover, I have great news for you. Downtown Miami has its first brewery. The new drinking hole is located in a spot that is perfect for fraternizing and quenching your thirst. The Biscayne Bay Brewing Company’s taproom and kitchen has opened inside the historic Post Office building at 100 NE First Avenue.

There’s a wraparound bar with a dozen beers on tap (including favorites like Tropical Bay IPA, Miami Pale Ale, and Colada porter), and a glass-enclosed production space that showcases the four-barrel system that produces experimental and one-off beers.

When the owners found out they had a one-of-a-kind opportunity to revitalize the historic and inspiring Old Post Office Building, they jumped at the chance to create an unique destination. Their official quote was “We loved the idea of giving Miami a quality craft beer in a quality crafted space.”

Now-Sept. 30. Fountainhead Biennial II: Last Days of a House

The most talked about art exhibit of the summer in Miami at the Emerson Dorsch Gallery. No surprise. It was curated by Omar López-Chahoud, the artistic director of Untitled Art since its founding in 2012. Omar is one of the most celebrated curators in Miami and certainly during Art Basel because his “Untitled” Art Fair draws record-breaking crowds year after year.

López-Chahoud was honored  to create the “Last Days of a House,” the second dedicated yearly program to reinforce the tremendous value of Miami’s Fountainhead Residency. Fountainhead was founded in 2008 by collectors and  passionate art appreciators Kathryn and Dan Mikesell, who believe connecting people intimately with artists impacts how we move through this world, treat one another and confront today’s most critical issues.

The show is appropriately being held at one of the most respected art galleries in Miami, the Emerson Dorsch contemporary art gallery (since 1991), 5900 NW 2nd Ave., Miami. Ibett Yanez del Castillo, the Director at Emerson Dorsch, recently summed up what the exhibit is all about. “Last week, we enjoyed a record-breaking attendance for the opening of “Last Days of a House.” It was humbling to see the show of support from our collectors, audience, and numerous community leaders.

The exhibition highlights the work of twenty Fountainhead artists from fourteen countries, and we take pride in knowing that each of the participants we selected had a formidable presence in the gallery.  Tyler Emerson and Brook Dorsch, owners of Emerson Dorsch, set a new high for their determination to support artists – and geography was of no consequence.

“During the curatorial process, López-Chahoud recalled the ethos evoked in “Ultimos Dias de Una Casa,” a long-form poem by Cuban author Dulce María Loynaz, who was born in 1902. Published in 1958, the poem is narrated from the perspective of the house. This was one of the last poems Loynaz published before she stopped writing poetry entirely. The Cuban Revolution was a year later, and it’s possible that Loynaz was detained. She never spoke of it, but we know that she chose to stop making her art and that she chose to stay in Cuba, in her childhood home, and that she chose silence as her resistance.

“With the power of Loynaz’s voice, we selected a group of artists whose works speak to the magnitude of humanity’s realization that we are entering unchartered territory as a society conflicted by the challenges of our time.

In the planning phases, the artist’s collaborative efforts helped the gallery team overcome the multiple obstacles and logistical intricacies we encountered in organizing this show. Each artist we worked with brought such energy, becoming the driving force in seeing this project through.”

Ibett would love for all The Three Tomatoes readers to visit the gallery and experience this fantastic, layered, and profoundly complex exhibition in person. She says it would be her honor to give you a personal tour. She will  be at the gallery beginning August 8th. Her  office days are Tuesday – Friday.

Attached is an exhibition preview and a link to the translation of “Últimos días de una casa,” the poem by Cuban author Dulce María Loynaz published in Spanish in 1958. As a part of programming, Emerson Dorsch is working to publish the first English translation of this poem.  Ibett said, “Thank you, as always, for being an active contributor to the Emerson Dorsch mission.”

Things To Do in Miami

Thanks to The New Tropic, another fun newsletter that makes connecting with Miami e easy! Here are a few of their suggestions of things to do.

🍴 Expect a full bar, live music, and 20+ of the best food vendors in all of Miami at Smorgasburg Miami on Lincoln Road (Miami Beach)

💃 Hang out and dance outdoors in Giralda Plaza at this pop-up salsa and bachata dance meet up hosted by The Salsa Cooperative Miami (Coral Gables)

🕺 Dress your best and dance the night away with live salsa and merengue classics at InterContinental’s Salsa Night (Downtown)

Celebrate the grand opening of Florida’s first sake brewery, Shojo’s Dojo (Bird Road Arts District)

🎒 Soak up the last of summer at The Wolfsonian’s Discovering Design Free Family Day: End-of-Summer Bash, a fun-filled family day and back-to-school giveaway at the Historic Hampton House (Brownsville)

🚸 Get ready for the start of the school year at Kiddos Magazine’s 10th anniversary Back to School Event (Doral)

Laugh along with Haitian standup comedian TJ and the telling of his immigration journey — his green card, Haitian upbringing, the virtues and vices of religion, and more (Liberty City)

🌆 Relax poolside with food and drink specials and DJ tunes at Arlo Rooftop’s Sunset Swim Club (Wynwood)

🕺 Meet on the dance floor for Daybreaker’s 10 year anniversary Together tour (Miami Beach)

🌊 Soak up the sun and catch some waves at the free Surfside Summer Sundays Beach Party (Surfside)

🖌 Join local artist David Sexton for a step-by-step painting workshop set inside the Miami Beach Botanical Garden’s Butterfly Gallery (Miami Beach)

🌱 Immerse yourself in a day filled with creativity, collaboration, and fun at the Ecotopia Town Square Festival (Coconut Grove

Check out their website for fun things to do.