Crystal Marie Garcia

Hialeah City Hall

Watercolor on paper

"One of the most meaningful projects I had the opportunity to be part of was an art exhibition organized by GoneMIA. The opening reception was on Earth Day…The following month Chris [Medina, founder of GoneMIA] and I attended the Hialeah Council meeting and presented the artworks to the commissioners and the mayor. Chris made a powerful speech in hopes that this would encourage some environmental action from our elected officials."

— Crystal Marie Garcia

About the artist

Crystal Marie Garcia

American

Crystal Garcia is a multidisciplinary visual artist and public school art teacher born and raised in Hialeah, FL. She uses various media in her work but prefers acrylic paint and watercolor. Her work is often very colorful and she is heavily influenced the tropical surroundings of South Florida and her Cuban roots. Growing up, she was always afraid to pursue art as a career because of all the negative things people say about art degrees. She went on to earn her Master’s Degree in History from Florida International University (FIU) and a minor in Art. She gained more confidence in her art when she approached Pati Vargas, who at the time was the organizer for Viernes Culturales in Little Havana. Pati's belief in Crystal led her to even more opportunities. She has since participated in numerous exhibitions and art festivals throughout Miami. Her work has been exhibited in several local venues including Wirtz Gallery, Milander Center for Arts and Entertainment, Unbranded Brewing in The Leah Arts District, and Futurama Galleries in Little Havana.

One of the most meaningful projects she had the opportunity to be part of was an art exhibition organized by GoneMIA. They are a grassroots organization that strives to bring environmental awareness and positive change to Miami through the power of art. This project was near and dear to her heart because the environment is something she cares a lot about and the organization is also based in her hometown of Hialeah. This group exhibition contained works by Hialeah artists and it was all about hometown pride and bringing awareness to environmental protection. She painted several scenes around Hialeah and imagined them flooding due to sea level rise including Hialeah City Hall and the Hialeah entrance on Okeechobee Road. Chris Medina, the founder of GoneMIA, also commissioned her to paint several pieces for the exhibition: the homes of the Hialeah commissioners and the Mayor of Hialeah’s home. The opening reception was on Earth Day and was well attended. The following month she and Chris attended the Hialeah Council meeting and presented the artworks to the commissioners and the mayor. Chris made a powerful speech in hopes that this would encourage some environmental action from our elected officials.