More than 9,000 people gathered at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County (@Arshtcenter) on September 7th for ARTSLAUNCH2019, the largest free community event in Miami celebrating the performing arts. Created and produced by the Arsht Center, ARTSLAUNCH2019 is a full-day festival representing Miami's growing identity as a city of arts and cultures. The event featured more than 50 activities, including: a Community Arts Village with 120 South Florida cultural organizations in an indoor street fair; interactive workshops led by the Center's resident companies and arts partners (Miami City Ballet, Florida Grand Opera, New World Symphony, and others); mini performances; flamenco and hip-hop dance classes; high school and college singers and bands; cooking demonstrations by the Center's culinary director and James Beard Award finalist Chef Brad Kilgore; and much more.
For the event's fourth year, the Arsht Center also added new activities to ArtsLaunch. These included cultural excursions on Big Bus Miami to neighboring communities, Little Haiti and Overtown. The New Tropic's Happy Hour, set on the Center's outdoor plaza, entertained guests of all ages with music by DJ Le Spam and live performances. Also new for ARTSLAUNCH2019 was Hamiltunes: An American Sing-Along, a thrilling karaoke-style celebration which featured performances by 30 super fans on the Center's Knight Concert Hall stage and a boisterous audience of over 1,400.
ARTSLAUNCH2019 at the Arsht Center was supported by presenting sponsor American Airlines with additional support from Brightline, OUTFRONT media and OAI. Sponsors included Miami-Dade County, Culture Builds Florida, Miami Downtown Development Authority, BRAVA by Brad Kilgore, The Café at Books & Books, Only1 Studios, Miami Dade County Fair, The New Tropic, Lyft Downtown Doral, Solo Printing, BeeFree Media, Colonial Printing and the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau.
About the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade CountySet in the heart of downtown Miami and designed by world-renowned architect Cesar Pelli, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is one of the world's leading performing arts organizations and venues. Since opening in 2006, the Arsht Center, a 501C3 non-profit organization, has emerged as a leader in presenting innovative programming that mirrors South Florida's diversity as well as a catalyst for billions of dollars in new development in the downtown area. Spotlighting legends and serving as a launch pad for local artists to make their mark on the international stage, the Center presents nearly 400 events each year across its flexible, state-of-the-art performance spaces. The Center programs several Signature Series, including the largest jazz series in South Florida, a major annual Flamenco Festival, and a robust program of new theatrical works as well as free programming for the community and an arts education program that serves nearly 60,000 children each year. As Miami's new Town Square, the Arsht Center also houses BRAVA by Brad Kilgore, a fine dining restaurant; the Café at Books & Books in the historic Carnival Tower and a weekly Farmers Market.
