Legacy Purchase Program
The City of Miami Beach Art in Public Places ("AiPP") program will acquire an artwork from Art Basel Miami Beach for accession into the City’s public art collection—and we need your help! The selected artwork(s) will join the City's permanent public art collection, and will be displayed within a dedicated, publicly accessible area of the Miami Beach Convention Center ("MBCC").
Art in Public Places is a City of Miami Beach program for curating and commissioning public art. The program was created in 1984, with its ordinance adopted in 1995. The program allocates funds totaling 2% of hard costs for City Projects and joint private/public projects. Funding for the Legacy Purchase Program is dedicated through the Art in Public Places program. Maintenance and conservation of the piece will fall under Art in Public Places Fund 147 and the City’s AiPP guidelines.
The City’s AiPP Committee will narrow down the submissions to three (3) works of art, and will ask the public to select their favorite artwork.
2024 Annual Legacy Purchase Program Winner: Nina Surel
Congratulations to the winner of the 2024 Annual Legacy Purchase Program, Nina Surel.
We are excited to acquire Allegory of Florida into the City of Miami Beach Public Art Collection.

Nina Surel
Allegory of Florida
Nina Surel’s art explores life’s rituals, drawing from art history and her personal journey. She captures transformation, aging, resilience, and fragility in mediums like clay, plants, and raw canvas. A monumental wall relief composed of over 100 pieces of stoneware ceramic, Allegory of Florida narrates a journey through time, and imagines Florida as a goddess of feminine fertility. Complete with references to native flora and fauna such as Herons, Coonties, Florida Beauty berries, Seagrapes and Cocoplums, the work underscores the esoteric connotations and interconnectedness of our local ecosystem. Surel’s art envisions a world beyond stereotypes, exploring identity, transformation, and our profound connection to the Earth. The work celebrates women’s role in nurturing a sustainable world and embracing a diverse, non-binary reality. It reconnects with matriarchal legacies, honoring the timeless, feminine earth.
Legacy Purchase 2024 Selection

Title: 1. sin titulo (rumi maki #46), 2023
Artist: william cordova
Medium: Ink, acrylic paint on cardboard
Size: 74.4 x 71.2 in

Title: 2. Modulations - sequence XVI , 2024
Artist: Ximena Garrido-Lecca
Medium: Copper
Size: 56.29 x 48.8 in

Title: 3. Allegory of Florida, 2023
Artist: Nina Surel
Medium: Stoneware ceramic
Size: 190 x 104 x 5 in.
AIPP Committee Members
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Ann-Kathrin Seif, Chair
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Nick D'Annunzio, Vice-Chair
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Steve Berke
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Aaron Resnick, Esq.
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Sara de los Reyes
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Gabriel Páez
Office Info:
Tourism & Culture Department
- Lissette Garcia Arrogante
Director
LissetteArrogante@miamibeachfl.gov - Francys Vallecillo
Assistant Director
FrancysVallecillo@miamibeachfl.gov - Fernando Pestana
Administrative Services Manager
FernandoPestana@miamibeachfl.gov
Ext: 26727
Special Events and Film Division
- Shama Johnson
Film & Print Liaison
ShamaJohnson@miamibeachfl.gov
Ext: 26374 - Cody Croye
Field Monitor
CodyCroye@miamibeachfl.gov
Ext: 26982 - Diana Bego
Special Events Associate
DianaBego@miamibeachfl.gov
Ext: 26298 - Amber Dunn
Office Associate III
AmberDunn@miamibeachfl.gov
Ext: 27579
Cultural Affairs Division
- Gabriella Roman
Cultural Affairs Manager
GabriellaRoman@miamibeachfl.gov
Ext. 26256 - Oscar Rieveling
Art in Public Places Coordinator
OscarRievelingSanchez@miamibeachfl.gov
Ext: 22711 - Sandra Schoenlank-Arian
Grants & Operations Administrator
sandraschoenlank@miamibeachfl.gov
Ext: 26618 - Gina Martins
Arts & Culture Projects Coordinator
GinaMartins@miamibeachfl.gov