The Betsy South Beach and the LGBT Visitor Center
June 14-30
TRANSART, sponsored by The Betsy South Beach and Unity Coalition|Coalición Unida, is a two-week showcase of transgender artists, with the intent of letting the South Florida community know about the talent and vision that these artists have, and the possibilities that still await them down the road. The showcase starts on Sunday, June 14 and will be shown at the LGBT Visitor Center in Miami Beach through Tuesday, June 30.
According to Unity Coalition, the mission of TRANSART is to “[bring] together a collection of talents, individuals, and artistic genres to create awareness, nurture aspiring artists and enlighten the general population about the many layers of the transgender community.”
On Monday, June 15, there will be a special reception at B Bar at the Betsy South Beach (1440 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach). At this reception there will be readings from local poets, a showcase of paintings from well-known artists, and a musical performance by Abigail Pereira, who you may know from the reality show Yo Soy El Artista on Telemundo. This event is free to attend, but an RSVP is required: e-mail info@unitycoalition.org and let them know you’ll be coming.
On Tuesday, June 16, the Betsy South Beach presents “Documentaries, Diversity and Debates,” which starts at 9 a.m. with a reception and breakfast, followed by the screenings of the documentaries “Self Made Man” and “Growing Old Gracefully” (both will have panel discussions afterward). Then there will be a luncheon and a live reading of selections of Janet Mock’s book “Redefining Realness” as read by The Real Housewives of Miami‘s Lauren Foster. Then there will be screenings of two more documentaries, “Transgender Parents” and “Trans Lives Matter (Justice for Islan Nettles)”, followed by a Town Hall Meeting at 3:30 p.m. and then a reception with light snacks and refreshments at 5 p.m. This event costs $25 to attend and tickets can be purchased by going to unitycoalition.org.
On Wednesday, June 17, there is a workshop with artist Aryah Lester called “The Life of the Third Gender,” which will be held at the LGBT Visitor Center from 7 to 9 p.m. It is free and open to the general public. Then on Friday, June 19, there will be a special TRANSART showcase at the LGBT Visitor Center, featuring a reading by Lauren Foster and a performance by Abigail Pereira that you may have missed earlier in the week. This event is also free and open to the public.
Unity Coalition is committed to helping the South Florida transgender community thrive. For more information on this event, plus transgender-specific resources, visit unitycoalition.org/trans.html.
