Xavier Cortada, First Encounter: 1566 96” x 78”, acrylic on canvas, 2005 (www.cortada.com). “The First Encounter: 1566” depicts Pedro Menendez de Aviles landing at the edge of a mangrove forest on the north bank of the Miami River.  Upon spotting Menendez unfurl his flag, a young Tequesta releases leaves into the winds of change that have brought a Spanish galleon to his shores.  Between them a whirlwind of activity emerges: exchanges, education, friendship, disease, war, emotions surround the Miami Circle.  In 1566, a year after settling St. Augustine, Adelantado Menendez has arrived to establish the first of three Jesuit missions near the tip of the peninsula he governs for Spain, a spot that will be governed by four other flags and will eventually become Fort Dallas and the City of Miami.   Donated to the City of Miami by the Goldman Family, the Mirmelli Family and the Kodsi Family.

Xavier Cortada, The Incorporators: 1896 96” x 78”, acrylic on canvas, 2005 (www.cortada.com).  “The Incorporators: 1896” depicts city founders Julia Tuttle and Henry Flagler surrounded by the incorporators and images of Miami’s birth:  Flagler’s railroad and its workers, the orange blossoms Julia Tuttle sent Flagler to persuade him to bring the railroad to frost-proof South Florida, and the old pool hall where 368 men –many of them from the black community - voted to create the City of Miami on July 28th, 1896.  The setting is Biscayne Bay with mangrove roots serving as a metaphor for the community they built and settled.  In the background, an ephemeral skyline begins to emerge from the clouds.  Their work is the precursor to building our magic city.  Donated to the City of Miami by the Goldman Family, the Mirmelli Family and the Kodsi Family.

I believe that these City Hall murals will do more than imbue our seat of government with beauty and color; they will also serve to educate residents about their City’s history and its multicultural origins.  By learning about our past we can build a future filled with mutual respect and understanding.

                                            Xavier Cortada