BLOG 1. On Art and Memory.

"Lucky me to be born in Havana, and there I became a singer of songs..."

Celia Cruz, La Dicha Mia. With Johnny Pacheco).

Beautiful Havana, with its lively streets and squares, inspired my dream to become an architect, to build beautiful cities and create happy places.

I still have many fond memories, walking fast with my father and going to the Carnaval in the Paseo del Prado with my mother and sister. I still recall when my 3rd grade teacher took us on a field trip to the Plaza Vieja in Old Havana and taught us about the Law of the Indies; she made me understand that beautiful sites are found, and beautiful cities are built.

I grew up under the Revolution and immigrated to New York City with my family in January 1968, at the height of the Civil Rights and Anti-War struggles in the United States. This intimate experience of place and displacement, of life and action, has inspired my profound empathy for people and places, and it has shaped my life and art.

“Landscapes tell stories” of joy and happiness, of loss and sorrow. Each place and each story is unique. How to tell these stories?

Here, I will share my design adventures, travels, and travails.

PROJECTS will include built and proposed projects. On occasion, we will shift narrative perspective to share lessons gleaned along the way.

MIRIAM’S MUSINGS will include meditations on polis and politics, on art and fashion.

Join us on this journey.