5/31/2013 – 8/23/2013
Imagining La Florida. Ponce de León and the Quest for the Fountain of Youth
MDC Museum of Art + Design600 Biscayne Blvd. – Miami, FL
Imagining La Florida. Juan Ponce de León and the Quest for the Fountain of Youth
MDC Museum of Art + Design
Main Gallery
May 31 – August 17, 2013
Imagining La Florida. Juan Ponce de León and the Quest for the Fountain of Youth, aims to offer visitors an innovative look at Florida during one of the most interesting and intense periods in the History of the United States of America; the period between the expedition of Juan Ponce de León in 1513 and the building of Fort Mose in 1739. The exhibition presents a unique view commencing with the first trans-Atlantic voyage from Seville, Spain. Highlighting inaugural trips to Florida, starting with the 1513 expedition of Juan Ponce de León, through the founding of San Agustín by Pedro Menéndez de Aviles, the exhibition recounts the initial interactions between Native Americans, Europeans and Africans, emphasizing how the contribution to the formation of a new society in Florida; and the myth behind the infamous Fountain of Youth.
“Imagining La Florida offers visitors a new perspective on the rich, yet long-forgotten history of colonial Florida. It is designed to open eyes and minds, highlighting one of the most intriguing and dramatic periods in U.S. history.”
— J. Michael Francis, Curator of Imagining La Florida
This exhibition was produced and organized by:
Acción Cultural Española (AC/E)
Miami Dade College
MDC Museum of Art + Design
In Cooperation with:
España Florida Foundation
Centro Cultural Español en Miami/Embajada de España en Estados Unidos/AECID
Spain art & culture