Program areas at MDPL
The annual art deco weekend festival, which traditionally takes place in january, is the organization's primary educational and cultural event which celebrates and promotes the history and architectural heritage of Miami beach. The festival includes an array of educational activities, a lecture series, music and street entertainment, guided architectural tours, a classic car show, and vendors offering antiques, deco-inspired art, vintage merchandise, and crafts. This festival serves as the conduit to promote the organization's mission and showcase the collection of over 1,000 buildings of the same architectural style and educate the public on the importance of Preservation and protection. Mdpl is the steward of the art deco architectural district, the first twentieth century historic commercial district in the country.
The art deco visitor center/welcome center,is the home base of the organization's architectural historic tours, both guided and self-guided (audio). The art deco visitor/welcome center is committed to providing a variety of services to the residents and visitors of the city. The center eductates visitors and residents about the Miami beach art deco architectural historic district and fosters an appreciation for the community's heritage and style, which, in turn, facilitates the mdpl mission of perserving, promoting and protecting the cultural, social, economic, and architectual integrity of the historic district.
The art deco gift shop specializes in period merchandising. Ninety percent of the merchandise is either original period items, reproductions or new and modern with a flavor of the past. It is important to maintain the shop with this type of merchandise in order to educate and promote the organization's mission to every single person that walks into the shop, as well as making sure they take home with them a reminder of the organization's mission and purpose in the form of mementos for themselves and to give as gifts.
The art deco museum teaches visitors about 3 major historic architectural Design stlyes in Miami beach. These styles are mediterranean revival, art deco and Miami modern (mimo). Scale models of select buildings allow the visitor to have a closer look at the elements of these structures. The visitor will also learn about the development of the city of Miami beach. The center houses a complete building datatbase of every structure within the historic art deco district. There are also Design and architectural reference books, art deco era reference books, and a collection of films from the art deco era.