FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Town of Miami Lakes Town Hall graced with artwork by local artist for collaborative webcast that helps train area students
Miami Lakes, FL, June 22, 2021 – The phrase “Vox Populi – the Voice of the People” has been with Town of Miami Lakes Mayor Manny Cid since his days as a legislative aid in Tallahassee in the 2000s. A refrain often used by a roommate when referring to the public comments section of a bill, it is now the name of his weekly podcast, which is produced with the help of a class of media production students from nearby Mater Lakes Academy. The mayor recently unveiled a stunningly beautiful original piece of mural art by local artist Grisell Gajano that now serves as the backdrop for the video cameras used to produce it.
“I’m a big believer that you constantly have to reinvent yourself, to keep moving forward,” says Mayor Cid. “If not, one becomes stagnant. Last year, I thought ‘What is a good way to share great stories from people in our community, the stories that don’t get shared enough?’” Cid next enlisted the help of Mater’s Digital Marketing Coordinator Luis Perez, and a staff of 10 students got to work producing the show, which streams from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Amazingly, demand for the class has skyrocketed to 100 students for the 2021-22 school year.
“I tried to make it a symbol of our community with all of its colors and flavors, combining them with our ever-present palm trees,” says Gajano. “It’s called Love to reflect the feeling, inclusivity, and the American Sign Language word embedded in the piece.” Gajano has collaborated with the Town of Miami Lakes before, creating an original work that still graces a wall at Royal Oaks Park, a piece called Que Siga la Tradición (Let the Tradition Continue). Says the artist: “Mayor Cid must’ve remembered my work from before because he called and asked if I’d be interested in creating one for the podcast.”
Notable Vox Populi guests include Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas, Harry Wayne Casey from KC and the Sunshine Band, North Miami Beach Mayor Anthony DeFillipo, Power 96’s Lucy Lopez, and boxer Ulysses Diaz.Mayor Cid hopes to gain wider distribution on Amazon and Spotify soon, and someday get the show on a local cable channel.
He credits his assistant Joseph Sosa for being the glue guy. “We’re blessed to have this all come together.” A public school educator and guidance counselor, Gajano has also painted murals in Wynwood and the Leah Arts District. See more of her art here.
For more information, visit www.miamilakes-fl.gov.
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