Hurricane Irma and Maria have come and gone, many have forgotten their impact on Florida, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean - but we haven’t. The University of Miami, in conjunction with Greek Week, is partnering with humanitarian aid organization Direct Relief to put on a charity event called Last To Leave, First To Arrive and will be centered around the spirit of the ibis.
Legend has it, the ibis is the last sign of wildlife to take shelter before a hurricane hits and the first to reappear once the storm has passed. Because of its legendary bravery, the University of Miami chose the ibis to be its mascot in 1926 and later named him Sebastian. Watch a video on the history of Sebastian.
Last To Leave, First To Arrive will be held at the Lakeside Patio on Wednesday, February 21, 2018 from 5:30-10 PM. It is a gathering of students, alumni, artists and performers donating their interpretation of “Sebastian the Ibis” to the cause of sending aid to Puerto Rico and The Caribbean.
The vision behind this event came from South Beach artist Beau Bradbury, who started painting Sebastian on the streets in 2016 and is known amongst ’Canes fans as #CanePicasso. In September 2017, Beau’s “You Don’t Scare Us Irma” shutter mural went viral and launched a trend of street artists painting the town in orange and green.
The eruption of UM street art fueled the Miami community as they cheered on the 2017 Miami Hurricane football team during a record breaking 10-3 season. The appeal of Beau’s depiction of Sebastian got the attention of UM senior and 2018 GreekWeek Co-Chair, Andrew Gabig. Gabig reached out to Beau via Instagram to donate a piece for charity, but Beau had bigger things in mind. Instead of just donating a piece, he pitched the idea of an art benefit and shortly after the planning began.
This event is free and will feature work from local artists like Surge who painted the “Catholics vs. Confidence” mural, and include:
- Live painting by Atomik (famous for his Orange Bowl inspired character that is splattered across Miami) & Beau (#CanePicasso).
- Showcase piece with RJ Ogren’s (UM alum and Disney Artist) “Sebastian The Ibis” costume that rode in the Orange Bowl with Coach Schnellenberger in the 1983 National Championship parade.
- Display of classic Sebastian memorabilia from the University of Miami’s Sports Hall of Fame.
- Feature student, alumni and hurricane impacted artists and performers, plus a special appearance by “Sebastian The Ibis” mascot.
- Food Trucks at the nearby Rock Plaza from Outside The Box and Pirate Brothers BBQ, beer and wine will be for sale at the Rathskeller (the University’s on campus restaurant).
Last To Leave, First To Arrive not only aims to bring relief to Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, but hopes to bring the broader Miami community together for a family-friendly event. “I want to bring Art Basel to the University,” Bradbury said as he and Andrew Gabig designed and built the event’s display walls in the backyard of the Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity house. The walls will be taken to and installed at the Lakeside Patio on February 21st to display the event’s art.
How to Contribute:
100% of the “Sebastian The Ibis” inspired pieces and prints sold at the event and 50% of other work sold online will be donated to the cause.
Featured Artists:
- BEAU - South Beach Artist & Curator, known for his Sebastian The Ibis street art
- ATOMIK - Miami Street Artist, known for his Orange Bowl inspired character
- D’MAURI JONES - Florida native, UM Alumni and former Miami Hurricane Wide Receiver
- R.J. OGREN - UM Alumni and Disney Artist
- MILAGROS – a semi-permeable collective in Florida comprised of Felici Asteinza & Alvin Fillastre
- CROME – Opa Laka, FL native, known as most influential Florida graffiti artist
- SURGE – Miami street artist, known for his “Catholics vs. Confidence” mural
- ChrisRWK – New York City artist from Australia and founder of ROBOTS WILL KILL
- Plus many more student, alumni and hurricane impacted artists
LAKESIDE PATIO
1306 Stanford Drive
Coral Gables, FL 33146
THE RELIEF TEAM
Event Curator Beau Bradbury, info@beaubradbury.com
UM GreekWeek Co-Chair Andrew Gabig a.m.gabig@gmail.com
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