Art Deco Alive! Miami–Mumbai Centennial Celebration Draws Cultural Leaders and City Officials

Miami Beach, home to the world’s largest collection of Art Deco architecture, celebrated the centennial of the iconic style with Art Deco Alive!, a four-day festival held October 9–12. Presented in collaboration with the Miami Design Preservation League, the Indo-Latin program honored 100 years of Art Deco heritage shared between Miami and Mumbai—two of the world’s most architecturally rich cities.

Though the Art Deco movement traces its origins to the early 1910s, it had its breakthrough moment at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris. A century later, Art Deco Alive! celebrated the enduring influence of this style on architecture, design, and culture through a series of exhibitions, talks, and experiences across Miami Beach.

A Week of Celebration

The festival opened on October 9 with Heritage Walks, guided tours through the Art Deco Historic District along Ocean Drive, inviting guests inside landmark hotels such as The Carlyle, The Colony, and The Cavalier. The tours, led by the Miami Design Preservation League, shared stories of the architects who transformed the city’s skyline in the 1920s and ’30s.

On October 10, Ocean Drive to Marine Drive: Celebrating 100 Years of Art Deco debuted at the Art Deco Museum in South Beach. This traveling exhibition showcased the creative parallels between Miami’s Henry Hohauser and Mumbai’s Sathe & Bhuta architectural firm—two of the movement’s most influential visionaries. The exhibition will remain on view through December 7, offering visitors an in-depth look at the evolution of Art Deco across continents and cultures.

That evening, guests donned their Great Gatsby best for the 1920s Cocktail Party at the Art Deco Museum. Set to live jazz and candlelit ambiance, the event transported attendees to the Roaring Twenties, celebrating the timeless elegance of Art Deco.

On October 11, The Art Deco Alive! Symposium took place at The Wolfsonian–FIU Museum, featuring three dynamic panel discussions. “The Beginnings of Art Deco” explored early 20th-century design elements that shaped Miami and Mumbai; “Preservation Becomes Power” traced Miami Beach’s transformation through its preservation movement; and “Imagining the Future of Miami Rooted in Cultural Identity” examined how Art Deco continues to inform the city’s development and sense of place.

The weekend concluded with Family Day Tours on October 11 and 12, a kid-friendly exploration of Ocean Drive’s most beloved landmarks.

The Indo–Latin Gala Event

The highlight of the week was a glittering evening reception at the Art Deco Museum on October 10, celebrating cross-cultural collaboration and design excellence. Guests included Mayor Francis Suarez, Smiti Kanodia, Gayatri Hingorani, and Salma Merchant Rahmathulla, who spearheaded the Indo-Latin partnership. Also in attendance were George Neary, Rahul Mehrotra, Navin Ramani, Christopher Meir, Kieran Pangabi, David and Isabela Grutman, Desiree Casoni, Karini Gustafson-Teixeira, John and Carry Copland, Hercy Liodden, Emilie Fritz Veloso, Prya Pungabe, Roy De Souza, Lauren Sturges, Hamid Rahman, Cristina Hernandez Winker, Nora Gindy, Jackie Kearns, Matt Meltzer, Tom Irby, Marisabel Novillo, Solimar Rodriguez, Vanessa Rae, Stacey Glassman Mizener, Lindsey Genet, and Sharon Cornelius.

The evening featured opening remarks by Smiti Kanodia, followed by reflections from Gayatri Hingorani and Salma Merchant Rahmathulla on the creative and cultural ties between Miami and Mumbai. Attendees toasted to 100 years of Art Deco amid period décor, golden hues, and immersive installations highlighting architectural icons from both cities.

A Legacy of Preservation

The festival also paid tribute to Miami Beach’s pioneering role in architectural conservation. In the 1970s, Barbara Capitman and the Miami Design Preservation League led efforts to save the city’s historic buildings from demolition. Their work culminated in the creation of the Art Deco Historic District in 1979—cementing Miami Beach as the world’s Art Deco capital. Today, the Art Deco Welcome Center in Lummus Park continues this legacy year-round.