People

Little Haiti unfiltered

Join local photographer Alain Pierre-Louis on a visual journey through Little Haiti. From rara to punk rock, Vodou to Catholic mass, he’s exploring the one Miami neighborhood he’s never been able to resist.

/ May 15, 2022

Meet your New Tropic director, Grace DeWitt

I did tell you yesterday that I pay close attention to manatees, didn’t I? 👋 I’m Grace, a Miami native, and while I’ve always been proud to rep the 305, it took moving across the country for college for me to really appreciate the magic of the Magic City. After graduating from Miami Palmetto Senior […]

/ March 24, 2022

Manny Gonzalez shares how Wynwood BID helped make Miami’s iconic art neighborhood what it is today

Join us for a roundtable chat next week with Manny and the executive directors for the Lincoln Road BID and Coconut Grove BID. RSVP to join. Let’s say you’re a small, bustling neighborhood in Miami and you want to — no, need to — grow and progress without sacrificing your unique artistic and industrial character along […]

/ November 1, 2021

‘All of us live miraculous lives, whether we know it or not.’ A chat about creativity with Miami artist Philip Smith

Longtime Miami painter, writer, and all-around creative Philip Smith spoke with The New Tropic about his history and artistic process.

/ October 18, 2021

🗣 A chat with Irela Bagué, Miami-Dade’s first Chief Bay Officer

by Zach Schlein As we approach the one-year anniversary of last year’s fish kill in Biscayne Bay and navigate a summer with record-breaking heat, the urgency of addressing climate change has never been more apparent. Daunting problems require creative solutions, which is why Oolite Arts invited Miami filmmakers to produce PSAs on how locals can […]

/ July 27, 2021

This Miamian started an eye-popping greeting card shop

Julie Brumlik, founder of Open Card Now, traveled across Asia and found the inspiration to bring 3D pop-up cards to Miami.

/ July 12, 2021

A ‘serious museum’ in a tourist playground

Tucked between a pizza place and a late-night diner, you just might stumble into Miami’s quirkiest museum. It’s full of objects collected by one man who has lived all around the world.

/ June 8, 2021

Miami artist Chire “VantaBlack” Regans summons power through portraiture

Acclaimed Miami-based artist Chire “VantaBlack” Regans spoke with The New Tropic about her passion for evoking truth from her portraits and commitment to using her craft in service of the community.

/ May 20, 2021

Six Memories of Civil Rights in Miami

The Miami Oral Histories Collection features first-hand accounts of Civil Rights in Miami. It’s a fascinating and important collection, and we’ve chosen six moments from those interviews to remember the civil rights movement in our city in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

/ May 19, 2021

Miami history: What was there before?

Everything changes, including some beloved childhood haunts. Take a trip through some treasured spots in Miami’s past, from bakeries, to bowling alleys, to a center for snakes.

/ April 23, 2021