Through floor-to-ceiling glass windows in Phase 2 of Centennial Village, glimpses of local history appear in collections of framed postcards displayed across residential floors. In the five residential colleges, Biscayne, Coral, Grove, Ibis and Vista, the postcards showcase a variety of historic images highlighting the surrounding community and the University of Miami.
Centennial Village offers spaces where students can shape their first-year experience. From gathering in the dining hall with friends to having late-night study sessions in study and communal areas, each space has a purpose. Residential hallways are home to decorated dorm rooms and foster community through structured floor get-togethers, faculty-hosted gatherings and living-learning programs.
As the Interior Decorating team began to workshop ideas for artwork and gallery spaces, Tiffany Idol, the Director of Residential Life, found an unexpected partnership with the Richter Library and their extensive archives.
A collection of old postcards from the local area provided the perfect opportunity to celebrate the University's centennial, honor the new building names and highlight local history. Robin Potter, a Special Collections librarian at the Richter Library, helped select specific postcards and worked with her team to digitize the collection.
“Housing and Residential Life has enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate with the Richter Library and the Interior Design team to bring historic postcards into Grove, Biscayne and Vista Residential Colleges,” she said. “This project is a small illustration of the robust history, art, and knowledge that the Richter Library team curates and maintains. The art brings history and character to new buildings in a beautiful and vibrant way.”
In each residential college, the first residential floors will feature iconic University of Miami and Coral Gables postcards. Some of these spaces are still works in progress, but students are encouraged to walk through and learn more about the community around them. Informational placards will be placed around the postcards to explain why specific ones were chosen.
In Biscayne Residential College, a vintage postcard highlights the Nautilus Hotel, an oceanfront landmark that opened in Miami Beach in 1951. Photo: Sarah Landau/University of Miami
For Samantha Bonomi, a Residential Assistant for Grove Residential College, the artwork has made her transition to Centennial feel more comfortable. Having lived in Mahoney Pearson her freshman year and Eaton her sophomore year, Bonomi has experienced the difference between an older-style building and one of the more modern residential areas.
“I've lived in both Mahoney Pearson and Eaton, so moving to the brand new dorms was definitely a big change for me,” said Bonomi. “Seeing artwork that looked both vintage and modern made me feel more at ease and less anxious about the change. The artwork adds life and a vintage touch to the rather modern building.”
Now, in her role as a Residential Assistant, Bonomi leads community tours and encourages students to notice the artwork that makes their floor and residential building unique.
Students living in other residential areas can view the collection of digitized postcards at the Library's Digital Collections here.
