The Making of Water State: Florida as Refuge Art Exhibition

This exhibition will showcase a variety of Alejandra Abad's previous works along with the making of her forthcoming project, Water State, supported by an Artist Support Regional Grant from the Broward County Cultural Division. Water State is an experimental animation project celebrating Florida as a haven for plants, animals, and people. Abad's unique technique involves blending analog and digital processes to convert drawings into moving collages. The animation aims to link the vibrant natural world of the Everglades with populated areas via outdoor screenings in urban areas.

Alejandra invites you to share your stories during this exhibition. Alejandra plans to gather stories from Broward County residents, incorporating their refuge memories into her animation. She will host workshops during the summer to encourage the community to share their experiences of seeking refuge in Florida. The collected stories will be woven into her animated projections, transforming spaces such as the Pompano Cultural Center and the Coral Springs Art Museum into immersive environments that reflect the themes of belonging and home.

The “Artist Support Regional Grant—Short Project Summary” outlines Alejandra's plan to create a short animated collage celebrating Florida's unique role as a sanctuary for various life forms. During the exhibition's closing, she intends to showcase this animation outdoors while inviting the public to share stories or responses during an open mic.

Exhibition Events

• Opening Reception and Artist Talk will be held on August 9 at 6 PM, click here to register.

Alejandra will discuss her artistic practice and gather memories of home and belonging from the audience.

• August 17, 2024 - Weekend Writer's Edition (Writing Workshop) | 12:15 - 1:15 pm | Ali Cultural Arts Center. Click here to learn more.

Join artist Alejandra Abad will share her ideation process for Water State, an experimental animation based on the relationship to storytelling and the intersection of nature in Florida. The workshop is a creative writing exercise to consider past and future generations, reflecting our relationship to nature, sharing stories, and writing memories of Home & Belonging. She invites you to submit writings and/or audio that could appear in her artwork and practice.

• August 24, 2024 │11am -12pm Storytelling & Cyanotype Workshop │Pompano Beach Cultural Center

Join artist Alejandra Abad in the exhibition space as she walks you through her ideation process and the making of Water State by utilizing digital tools and analog materials. Indoor/Outdoor activity.

• August 31, 2024 │11am -12 pm Storytelling & Cyanotype Workshop │Pompano Beach Cultural Center

Join artist Alejandra Abad at the Pompano Beach Cultural Center’s terrace as she walks you through her ideation process and the making of Water State using digital tools and analog materials. Indoor/Outdoor activity. Click here to sign up.

• September 14, 2024 - The Gathering, Apollo Park | 12 - 4pm Partnership with Rock Road Restoration

Join Alejandra Abad and chat about her upcoming experimental animated storytelling project and share your story with her. Your story will be projected outdoors during the Closing Reception at the Pompano Beach Cultural Center.

• September 18, 2024 - Lunch with Art: Visual Arts (Art Workshop) | 12:15 - 1:15 pm | BaCA Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. Click here to learn more.

Join artist Alejandra Abad at the Pompano Beach Cultural Center’s terrace as she walks you through her ideation process and the making of Water State
using digital tools and analog materials. Indoor/Outdoor activity.

• September 20, 2024 - Closing Reception | Pompano Beach Cultural Center Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

Join us as we celebrate stories of Florida as a refuge with stories of home and belonging. Alejandra invites you to share your stories during this exhibition. Alejandra plans to gather stories from Broward County residents, incorporating their refuge memories into her animated project.

About the Artist

Alejandra Abad is an interdisciplinary visual artist and educator from Caracas, Venezuela. She explores belonging and mutual compassion as essential components of collective wellness. Abad combines analog and digital processes to investigate belonging and agency, creating reimagined environments through layering, abstraction, and light. Her artistic style is influenced by her studies in architecture at Florida Atlantic University, and in Film/Video/New Media/Animation at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Interdisciplinary Media Art Practices at The University of Colorado.

One of her recent works is a large-scale audiovisual installation called Lexicon de Plantas, which involves transforming drawings into animations projected onto paper sculptures. Additionally, her solo exhibition at The Frank Gallery in Pembroke Pines delves into the intricacies of memory, migration, and belonging. Another notable installation, The Drying West, was featured in a downtown Denver experimental space called Understudy, highlighting the impact of water diversion and shortages on the endangerment of species in Colorado.

Furthermore, Abad's work Un País Olvidado: Reliquias de Vigencia/Forgotten Country: Relics of Agency has been exhibited at the University of Colorado Art Museum, Arbor Institute, and CU Experience Galleries during the Biennial of the Americas Cities Summit. This multimedia piece provides a space for reflection and delves into oral histories from the Venezuelan exodus.

This exhibition has been funded by the Broward County Cultural Division of Florida.