Save the Date! Saturday September 23rd, 2023
5-8 PM

Aurora Molina’s New Neighborhood
 
Aurora Molina has lived in Coral Gables for 22 years. For this Cuban immigrant woman, it has become her second home. The uniqueness of this community belongs to the founders; it was incorporated in 1925 by George Merrick, and Bahamian immigrants built its homes. Many of the homes were made of limestone with a coral-like exterior and a gabled roof. The Coral Gables plantation was transformed into the City of Coral Gables. Aurora Molina’s current show deals with collected materials from her neighborhood and includes records, memorandums and documents: images of buildings and stories of the people that live there (and of course Aurora Molina’s art). The neighborhood has changed drastically with the advent of investment groups developing luxury condos.  The developer has displaced fifty-two homes that have disappeared at the stroke of a bulldozer. The neighborhood used to be a tight-knit community where neighbors shared barbecues, cared for one another’s children and pets, and enjoyed the parks for soccer and baseball games. I fear for Coral Gables and those people who have been displaced. Her new work holds the many investors and real estate agents accountable for transforming the city beyond what the community expects to recognize as Coral Gables and its green spaces. It is through her ability to paint with machine embroidery, punch needle, wool tapestry, and wet felting that I invite you into Aurora Molina’s New Neighborhood.