Eric Fliss, managing director of the Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center, remembers working with Commissioner Moss when the middle was being constructed.
“He had regular meetings with myself and Michael Spring, director of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, just to stay informed about the process and how we were moving forward with the construction of our buildings,” Fliss says.
Commissioner Moss wished to listen to instantly from Fliss and Spring about any hiccups skilled in the course of the constructing course of.
“It was important for him to stay current with the two of us and be able to answer questions from constituents about the center. He was a great ally for me and the department as we built the center, ensuring the center got its fair share of public funding,” Fliss says.
Moss’ imaginative and prescient and humanities advocacy impressed county commissioners to formally rename the middle at a Miami-Dade County Board of Commissioners assembly this summer time.
“We at the center had no opposition to the name change; it happened at a commission meeting where they voted on it. Moss was an iconic civic servant, and everything he did in that role was for the greater good of his community. That is what you want from a leader,” Fliss says.
From a branding standpoint, the previous title South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center, Fliss says, was a bit tough to recollect, so having the Moss Center title was good and far simpler to recollect.
With the brand new title got here a revised brand, one that may be a variation of what they’ve at all times leaned into and evokes the form of the constructing. “We’ve altered it just to make the Moss name more prominent but not make it something completely different,” Fliss says. ”We had been very particular about this and joyful the brand new title can be simpler to work round.”
Visitors can even discover a brand new inclusivity image being included across the arts venue simply in time for its current presentation of the sensory-inclusive present It’s OK to Be Different, based mostly on the kids’s e-book by bestselling writer Todd Parr. The e-book is a well-liked useful resource for educating range and tolerance.
“Typically, our inclusive events happen during All Kids Included Festival, but we presented this accessible children’s show as part of our family series,” says Annie Hoffman, training and outreach supervisor on the Moss Center.
It’s a manner for them to achieve each kids and members of the family to attend performances as a household and entice youthful audiences.
Sensory-inclusive shows characteristic a quiet room, modifications to sound and lighting, open captions, American Sign Language interpreters, and audio descriptions.
“We’ve also been working with Miami Lighthouse for the Blind on a touch tour before the performances,” Hoffman says.
Fliss says they wish to lead by instance when assets can be found, and they’re working to commit themselves to presenting inclusive programming when most applicable. “This is just another step in the right direction,” he says.
The inclusivity effort additionally helps to appreciate Commissioner Moss’ imaginative and prescient of dedication to training, having programming inclusion and accessibility to Black and brown audiences.
“We’ve done a great job of becoming something for everybody,” Fliss says.
– Josie Gulliksen, ArtburstMiami.com
The Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center. 10950 SW 211 St., Cutler Bay; mosscenter.org.