When Art Builds Bridges: collaboARTive's Role in Miami's 10 Days of Connection
This past May, something remarkable happened across Miami-Dade County. For ten days, our community came together in an unprecedented show of connection, collaboration, and collective action. collaboARTive was proud to be one of 181 changemaker organizations participating in Radical Partners' 10 Days of Connection 2025 – and the results speak to everything we believe about the power of creative community.
The Numbers Tell the Story
When the dust settled and the impact report was released, the data was stunning:
- 3,300+ locals activated through in-person and virtual experiences
- 109,660+ reached via social media
- 100% of participants felt more connected to their communities
- 96% agreed they can make a difference in their community
- 92% committed to actively solving community issues
But behind these numbers lies something deeper – the recognition that art isn't just decoration or entertainment. It's a bridge-builder, a conversation starter, and a catalyst for the kind of meaningful connections our communities desperately need.
Source: 10 Days of Connection Impact Report
Art as Universal Language
One of the connection experiences highlighted in the report was "World Collage Day" – using "art and music as universal languages of connection." This resonates deeply with our mission at collaboARTive. Every Monday at Noche de Arte, we witness firsthand how creative expression breaks down barriers. When someone sits down to create a postcard collage at InterContinental Miami's Gallery 100, language barriers disappear, age differences fade, and strangers become collaborators.
Our monthly Collage and Connect program, which reaches over 200 cities worldwide, operates on this same principle. More than just a tagline, "No rules, no judgment, just creative play" is a philosophy that creates space for authentic human connection across geographic and cultural boundaries.
collaboARTive hosted World Collage Day on May 10, 2025 in collaboration with Kolaj Institute and 10 Days of Connection, with support from the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs.
Local Impact, Global Reach
While 10 Days of Connection focused on strengthening Miami-Dade communities, collaboARTive's work demonstrates how local creative spaces can have ripple effects far beyond their immediate neighborhoods. Our 13 studio artists – representing countries from Nigeria to Vietnam, ages spanning from late twenties to mid-seventies – are proof that diversity strengthens creative communities.
In May 2025 alone, while participating in 10 Days of Connection, we also celebrated artist Yossi Peled's selection for the "This Summer Too" exhibition at DVCAI Space at Barry University. These aren't separate achievements – they're interconnected examples of how supporting individual artists strengthens the entire cultural ecosystem.
Economic Connection Matters
The 10 Days of Connection report emphasized building "Connected, United, and Safer Communities," and our work shows how economic accessibility is crucial to that mission. By offering studios at $450/month (with plans to reduce to $300 through grant funding), we're not just providing workspace – we're creating economic stability that allows artists to contribute more fully to their communities.
Our artists save between $996-$1,800 annually compared to market-rate studios. That's money that stays in local pockets, supporting local businesses, and enabling artists to take creative risks that benefit everyone. When Jacqueline Bermudez transitioned from photography to painting in her collaboARTive studio and was accepted into Miami International Fine Arts, that success story rippled outward to inspire other emerging artists.
Source: 10 Days of Connection Impact Report
The Multiplier Effect
What made 10 Days of Connection so powerful wasn't just the individual events – it was the recognition that community organizations working together create exponential impact. Our Noche de Arte program alone generated $47,768 in economic impact over 35 events, reaching 1,148 attendees. But when that work happens alongside 180 other organizations all focused on connection and community building, the effect multiplies.
The report's finding that 92% of participants committed to actively solving community issues through volunteering, voting, and donating shows what happens when people feel genuinely connected to their neighbors. Art doesn't just reflect community – it actively creates it.
Building Forward
As we look ahead, the lessons from 10 Days of Connection reinforce what we've always known: sustainable community change happens when organizations collaborate rather than compete. Our upcoming Café con Arte breakfast networking series and the expansion of our Studio to Success professional development program are designed with this collaborative spirit in mind.
The 100% of participants who felt more connected to their communities after 10 Days of Connection didn't achieve that feeling in isolation. They found it through shared experiences, creative expression, and the recognition that their individual stories matter to the larger community narrative.
Your Role in the Story
Every time you attend Noche de Arte, join a Collage and Connect session, or support an artist's journey through membership, you're participating in this larger movement toward connection. You're proving that in an increasingly divided world, creative spaces can serve as neutral ground where authentic relationships form.
The 10 Days of Connection report concluded that arts organizations like collaboARTive are essential infrastructure for building resilient communities. We don't just provide services – we create the conditions where neighbors become collaborators, strangers become friends, and individual creativity becomes collective strength.
Ready to be part of Miami's creative community? Join us every Monday at Noche de Arte, explore our membership options, or simply follow along as we continue building bridges through art. Because when 181 organizations can activate 3,300+ people in just ten days, imagine what we can accomplish together over a lifetime.
