The City of South Miami is proud to announce the unveiling of a new public art installation by renowned Miami-born artist Alexander Mijares. The mural will be revealed on Thursday, December 11th at 6:30 PM at the SoMi District Parking Garage, located at 5829 Southwest 73rd Street, South Miami, Florida 33143.
This vibrant new addition to the SoMi District represents the City’s continued investment in arts, culture, and placemaking initiatives that enhance the visual landscape and celebrate the community’s rich identity.
Mijares’ mural features two striking Menina figures painted in his signature stained-glass style an artistic approach instantly recognizable across South Florida and beyond. The two figures are Mijares’ own modern interpretation of Las Meninas (The Maids of Honour), the iconic 1656 masterpiece by Diego Velázquez, housed in the Museo del Prado in Madrid. In Velázquez’s legendary work, Infanta Margaret Teresa is surrounded by her ladies-in-waiting, dwarves, and court attendants, while a mirror reflecting King Philip IV and Queen Mariana introduces a centuries-long debate about perspective, reality, and the role of the viewer. Celebrated for its intricate interplay of light, space, and illusion, Las Meninas remains one of the most analyzed paintings in Western art, breaking from traditional royal portraiture and elevating the status of the artist himself.
In Mijares’ reinterpretation, the Meninas stand in quiet dialogue—expressive, contemporary, and deeply connected to the cultural pulse of South Miami. Rooted in heritage yet modern in execution, the figures honor the legacy of Velázquez’s masterpiece while breathing new life into its themes of identity, perspective, and connection.
