Other Fun Stuff

See a dozen of the world’s most talented four-legged performers, in an uproariously funny, comedy dog spectacular that is leaving audiences everywhere howling for more! The all-star lineup includes a Guinness World Record holder, and an America’s Got Talent fan favorite, and a host of amazing rescue dogs that will dance, prance, flip, and skip their way right into your heart. Deemed “A must see” by The Washington Post, Mutts Gone Nuts – Unleashed! is sure to win Best in Show!

Join MOAD for a special yoga class in the Knight Skylight Gallery at the Freedom Tower. Romina (Romi) began practicing yoga back in 2017, the physical aspect of yoga served as a launch pad and she quickly fell in love with the practice and aimed to explore many different types of yoga. A practice that was a hobby quickly turned into a passion. Her love of yoga pushed Romina to pursue her 200-hr yoga teacher training in Orlando, FL and she now teaches in many different areas in Miami. Romina enjoys teaching vinyasa flow and gentle flows with creative transitions, focusing on strengths, stability and alignment. Whether you are a beginner or advance practitioner, using movement and breath work, rest assure you'll leave feeling transformed in all aspects of the mind, body, and spirit. Admission to the Freedom Tower exhibitions and galleries following the class is included with your RSVP. Visitors to the Freedom Tower may park for free in the MDC garage at 500 NE Second Avenue, between NE Fifth and NE Sixth Streets. Please bring your own yoga mat. Yoga mats will not be available onsite. The Museum of Art and Design (MOAD) at MDC may document the event, including its attendees. By entering the area, and/or participating in the event, you consent to the recording and its use in any form. MOAD's programs are made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor, and Board of County Commissioners. They are sponsored in part by the State of Florida through the Division of Arts and Culture, and with generous support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The Miami Herald is a media sponsor of MOAD's programming. The programs at the Freedom Tower, operated by the Museum of Art and Design (MOAD) at Miami Dade College (MDC), are made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor, and the Board of County Commissioners. They are sponsored by the State of Florida through the Division of Arts and Culture, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), with collections, exhibition, and marketing support from ArtesMiami, Art Bridges Foundation, the Shepard Broad Foundation, the Miami Downtown Development Authority (Miami DDA), Henry Luce Foundation, Jay I. Kislak Foundation, Mitchell Wolfson Sr. Foundation, and US Century Bank. The Miami Herald is a media sponsor of MOAD's Freedom Tower programming. Image courtesy of Romina Carpio.

Join us to hear Brit Bennett discuss her book, “The Vanishing Half,” the 2025-2026 One Book, One U selection for the University of Miami. Longlisted for both the 2021 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and the 2020 National Book Award for Fiction, Bennett’s novel about family and relationships explores the lasting influence of the past as it shapes a person’s decisions, desires, and expectations. The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern Black community and running away at age 16, it’s not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it’s everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. Many years later, one sister lives with her Black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. The other secretly passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Still, even separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation, when their own daughters’ storylines intersect? Weaving together multiple strands and generations of this family, from the Deep South to California, from the 1950s to the 1990s, Brit Bennett produces an emotional family story that explores the American history of passing. Looking well beyond issues of race, “The Vanishing Half” considers the multiple reasons and realms in which people sometimes feel pulled to live as something other than their origins. Following the discussion there will be a Q&A with the audience, and the author will be available to sign copies of the book at the conclusion of the event.

RSVP here: https://forms.gle/WmrCoqvNMqD8nZ4fA The Poetry SLAM is a culmination of 10 weeks of hard work by our Miami SCORES poet-athletes. It will showcase original poems performed by both boys' and girls' groups, along with four individual performances from poet-athletes representing each partner school. Adding to the excitement, special guests from the Miami community will join us as judges, ready to inspire, uplift, and celebrate every voice on stage! We’re proud to celebrate creativity alongside our amazing partner schools: Charles R Drew K-8 Center, Earlington Heights Elementary, Jesse J. McCrary Jr. Elementary, Liberty City Elementary, Orchard Villa, and Kelsey L. Pharr Elementary, as well as the entire Miami community. With support from the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor, and the Board of County Commissioners. Miami SCORES is part of America SCORES, North America’s largest free soccer and literacy program, providing over 1 million program hours annually to Title I public school students across 13 affiliates and is an official legacy program of the 1994 FIFA Men's World Cup. For more information about Miami SCORES, you can visit www.miamiscores.org

PRESENTED BY Azizi A. Seixas, Ph.D. - Interim Chair of the Department of Informatics and Health Data Science, Founding Director of The Media and Innovation Lab at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Join us in person or online as Azizi A. Seixas, Ph.D. shares a bold vision for building a "glocal" future through data, discovery, and human-centered progress Seixas is also the associate director of the Center for Translational Sleep and Circadian Sciences, and director of Population Health Informatics within the Institute for Data Science and Computing.

Join our most recent Abrams Banning grant awardee, Silke Zoller, for an online showcase moderated by Special Collections Librarian Robin Potter. Funded by the Pan Am Historical Foundation, the generous Abrams Banning grant facilitates researchers’ travel to access the Pan American World Airways, Inc. Records and related collections housed in Special Collections. Zoller will present on her research findings and discuss the many ways the grant has contributed to her scholarly pursuits. Following the presentation, there will be a Q&A with the online audience.

Join us for a conversation on the role of Cuba’s civil society and the importance of documenting and preserving its voices. The program will open with a compilation of interview excerpts from Cuban activists, culminating with recent oral history testimony and a keynote address from José Daniel Ferrer García. Panelists will explore the challenges faced by civil society on the island, recent legal developments that impact free expression and association, and the international mechanisms working to protect these rights. The discussion will also highlight the Cuban Heritage Collection’s role in safeguarding testimonies, stories, and cultural expressions that reflect the resilience and realities of the Cuban people, both on the island and in exile.

Wishing for a chance to slow down and reset your nervous system? Join us for an in-person day of introductory, nature-based mindfulness practices designed to ground the body, ease the mind, and comfort the heart. In turbulent times, practicing mindfulness meditation in community with others can offer support and encouragement. Topics will include mindful breathing and movement, loving-kindness, mindful eating, mindful dialogue, and more. Please bring a bagged lunch and water bottle. Tea will be provided. Meditation cushions, mats, and chairs will be available, so no need to bring your own supplies. Facilitated by Kelly Miller, Ph.D. - Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher (MMTCP), Associate Dean at the University of Miami Libraries Gisele Rocha - Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT® 500), Assistant Director for Creative at the University of Miami Libraries Marga Laube - Buddhist-Eco Chaplain-in-Training at the Sati Center for Buddhist Studies

SWWIM Reading Series at The Betsy Writer's Room presents eight celebrated women poets in residence, September 2025-April 2026. Each visiting poet pairs with Miami's vibrant literary voices for intimate readings, fostering cross-generational dialogue and celebrating contemporary women's poetry. This series offers audiences rare access to emerging and established poets in an intimate setting, fostering meaningful connections between writers, readers, and Miami's thriving arts community. Presented with support from the Jorge M. Perez Family Foundation CreARTE. ABOUT THE POETS Dr. Taylor Byas, Ph.D. (she/her) is a Black Chicago native who lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she is a Features Editor for The Rumpus, a Poetry Acquisitions Editor for Variant Literature, an Editorial Board Member for Beloit Poetry Journal, and an Editorial Advisor for Jackleg Press. She is the author of two chapbooks, her debut full-length, I Done Clicked My Heels Three Times, from Soft Skull Press, which won the 2023 Maya Angelou Book Award, the 2023 Chicago Review of Books Award in Poetry, and the 2024 Ohio Book Award for Poetry, and Resting Bitch Face, forthcoming in August 2025. She is also a co-editor of The Southern Poetry Anthology, Vol X: Alabama from Texas Review Press, and of Poemhood: Our Black Revival, a YA anthology on Black folklore from HarperCollins.  Rosa Sophia Godshall is the author of Many Miles (Harbor Editions). Her work has been published in Philadelphia Stories Magazine, Sentience Literary Journal, SoFloPoJo, SWWIM Every Day, Islandia Journal, Thimble Literary Magazine, Limp Wrist, and others. She was the recipient of the 2023 Christopher F. Kelly Award for Poetry, sponsored by the Academy of American Poets, through Florida International University. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and a degree in automotive technology. She is also the managing editor of Mobile Electronics magazine, a publication for the aftermarket car audio industry. Rosa lives in Palm Bay, Florida, where she enjoys working on her 1960 Jeep CJ5, repairing typewriters and writing typewriter poetry on demand. Visit her website to learn more: www.torquesgarage.com

Families can celebrate the holiday season with festive treats, games and coastal charm at one of Miami’s most historic beachfront parks. Presented by the Virginia Key Beach Park Trust, the Cookies & Cocoa event takes place Saturday, December 13 at Historic Virginia Key Beach Park. Guests can enjoy amusement rides, kid-friendly games and a Santa photo experience in a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere.