Last week was my first year at Miami Art Week, which I quickly learned was as much about being at (or stuck in traffic on the way to) parties as it was really about the art. By the end of the week, I could have sworn I was done with events – until I arrived on the brown carpet of Saint Week. There, at the Rubell Museum, I experienced a three-day cultural takeover filled with talks, music, food, shared experiences and dancing. In an era of countless surface-level celebrity appearances and brand activations, Saint Week was the thoughtful antithesis; an event that could only be described as true community-building.

Saint & Citizen is a sound-forward media platform focused on storytelling, collaboration and experiences. With a core purpose to curate connections between creators and community, the theme for this year’s Saint Week was ‘The Living Originals’, celebrating the artists, designers, musicians, and thinkers shaping culture in real time, who are not only part of history but actively writing it. This meant that the three days of programming were packed with some of the most exciting and iconic artists and performers of our time, including Damson Idris, Kaytranada, Pusha T and Malice. 

When we think of cultural icons and lineage, it’s easy to pull from the past and reference artists from decades gone by. This year, however, Saint Week made the case for giving cultural shapers their flowers while they’re still here to receive them. Here’s what went down as part of the community-driven series. 

ART WEEK CONTINUED

On the second day of Saint Week, Friday, December 5, South African artist Nelson Makamo joined for a deeply personal artist talk that explored legacy, representation and the role of contemporary African art on the global stage. It kicked off what ended up being three days of artistic, as well as musical, programming. There was a special “Art Haus” section, with paintings by Makamo himself, Haitian-American artist Niska Garoute and Kanis (who also did an artist talk on day one). Then, on Saturday, December 6, Ghanaian visual artist Prince Gyasi shared his mission to “redraw the image of Africa for the rest of the world, erasing the negativity often associated with its representations”. 

During Gyasi’s artist talk, he shared that he has synesthesia, and his use of hyper-saturated colour has multilayers of emotional symbolism. “To me, pink is optimism,” he said. This optimism is at the core of his work, especially when it comes to his depiction of Africa. “I always have this image and vision I want for Africa,” he told Dazed after the talk. “I always have this futuristic utopia idea of me owning a beach where pink sand is everywhere, and everything is so surreal.”

PEOPLE STOPPED TO SMELL THE ROSES

On Saturday, fashion industry leaders Emma Grede and LaQuan Smith gave an insider’s perspective on how modern brands are built and the future landscape of American fashion. For Grede, it all came down to “stopping to smell the roses”. “The way that the business works, we’re always onto the next thing, and we live a year and a half in the future,” she told Dazed post-talk. “I have taught myself and trained myself to literally stop what I'm doing and take a moment of appreciation.” 

THE MUSIC WAS NEXT LEVEL

It would be an understatement to say that the music at Saint Week was good. Throughout the three days, there were DJ sets from the likes of DJ SPINALL and performances from KWN and Kaytranada. On Friday night, hip-hop legends Pusha T and Malice reunited on stage for a sold-out performance. As the brothers walked slowly onto the stage, it was clear to anyone who was room that night that we were witnessing something rare. The crowd went wild, with people screaming out, “What happened to that boy?” at the top of their lungs. Needless to say, the line was down the block in both directions, and it became one of the most talked-about music moments of the weekend.

‘LIVING ORIGINALS’ WERE THERE

Those who didn’t get their fix of ‘Living Originals’ by watching Clipse on stage surely found it elsewhere in the programming. Like when actor and producer Damson Idris joined choreographer and creative director Jamaal Burkmar for a conversation about identity and creative discipline. On stage, the British-Nigerian actor shared candid tales of losing himself in characters, letting them “bleed into his life”, like his first time acting in a play, acting as a teen who got shipped back to Nigeria (and how that nearly happened to him) and how he started to dream like Franklin Saint during Snowfall. He also shared tips for staying humble, focused and not letting people’s perceptions of you define you. But, mostly, he talked about falling in love with the craft and enjoying the process. “The best place to be is when you’re on the way to it,” he said. With that ever-necessary reminder to live in the moment, I smiled at the person next to me – I was simply happy to be there.