Hundreds of guests attended the opening night reception of the third annual Children’s Trust Miami Heart Gallery, a traveling, museum-quality exhibit featuring portraits of children in Miami-Dade’s foster care system that are available for adoption. This year’s Art Deco themed exhibit was inspired by Miami Beach’s historic Art Deco district where all 43 portraits were photographed by some of the world’s top photographers, all of whom donated their time and talent. Now in its third year, the exhibit has a nearly 50-percent adoption rate. The reception featured a silent auction to benefit The Children’s Trust Miami Heart Gallery.
The event, held on June 4 at Miami Art Museum was attended by representatives of The Children’s Trust and OurKids of Miami-Dade/Monroe, community leaders, photographers, volunteers, prospective foster and adoptive parents, providers of The Children’s Trust and invited guests. A special, private preview party also was held for the children featured in the new 2010 exhibit.
For the third consecutive year, The Children’s Trust is spearheading an initiative promoting the adoption of foster children in Miami-Dade County called The Children’s Trust Miami Heart Gallery. The photographs will be on exhibit to the public from Tuesday, June 8 through Friday, July 2 at HistoryMiami (formerly Historical Museum of Southern Florida) located at 101C West Flagler Street, Miami, FL 33130. The museum is open Tuesday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, noon – 5 p.m. and on the third Thursday of the month, the museum closes at 9 p.m. The exhibit will subsequently travel to different venues throughout Miami-Dade County.
Many of the participating photographers are award-winning professionals who have received top honors for their art or are known for their celebrity status such as Johnny Núñez, who has photographed such superstars as Jennifer Lopez, Russell Simmons and Magic Johnson and is an adopted foster child himself. Many others have worked for top publications such as: In Style, Vogue, The New York Times, Self, Rolling Stone, Newsweek, Vanity Fair, Forbes, Mademoiselle, Sports Illustrated, Cosmopolitan, and Ocean Drive, just to name a few.
“Since the initiative began, nearly half of the children showcased have either been adopted or are in the process of being adopted,” said Modesto E. Abety, President and CEO of The Children’s Trust. “We hope to exceed this rate with the help of the community.”
The Children’s Trust Miami Heart Gallery is a partnership between The Children’s Trust and OurKids, the private agency responsible for foster care and adoption in Miami-Dade County and the Florida Keys. According to the state of Florida, more than 1,500 foster children are eligible for adoption in Florida and approximately 150 of them live in Miami-Dade. These children have been removed from their biological parents for reasons of neglect or abuse with no possibility of family reunification.
The Children’s Trust Miami Heart Gallery is complimented by a comprehensive website, www.miamiheartgallery.org, which highlights the children’s portraits; videos of each child with information about their hobbies, goals and dreams; as well as a video about the making of the exhibit. Photos of the 44 children being featured will be posted on the website in conjunction with the relaunch of the exhibit. Anyone interested in learning more about adopting a foster child should call The Children’s Trust Helpline at 211 or visit www.miamiheartgallery.org.
The Children’s Trust is a dedicated source of revenue established by voter referendum to improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade County.