Born in New York, Chalfin lived intermittently in Miami during the construction of Vizcaya (1913–1922). An artist, interior designer, and openly gay man, he experienced firsthand the rapid social and cultural evolution of Miami—a city attracting socialites, businessmen, artists, and visionaries.
Led by Helena Gomez, Vizcaya Curator, and Julio Capó Jr., Associate Professor at Florida International University, author of “Welcome to Fairyland: Queer Miami Before 1940”, and Vizcaya’s inaugural Scholar-in-Residence, this special event explores:
Paul Chalfin and Queer Miami in the Early 20th Century: Was Miami an inclusive space for queer communities during the early 20th century? How did Paul Chalfin, an openly gay artist and Vizcaya’s Artistic Director, navigate this evolving social landscape? Discover the challenges of researching and interpreting LGBTQ+ history and the importance of studying queer history in Miami.
Modern Relevance and Challenges: The panel also reflect on the broader significance of LGBTQ+ history, offering insights into how institutions like Vizcaya can thoughtfully represent and engage with queer communities today, fostering genuine inclusion and respect.
About the panelists:
Julio Capó Jr., Ph.D., Vizcaya Museum & Garden’s inaugural Scholar-in-Residence, is Graduate Program Director and Associate Professor at Florida International University. A transnational historian and advocate for public history, he is the author of “Welcome to Fairyland: Queer Miami before 1940”, which received multiple awards for its exploration of Miami’s queer past. Capó has curated several exhibitions, including “Queer Miami: A History of LGBTQ Communities” for HistoryMiami Museum and contributed to a National Park Service initiative on historic LGBTQ sites. He’s been a visiting scholar at Yale University and the University of Sydney in Australia.
Helena Gomez is Curator at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, overseeing research on its art collections and leading the Contemporary Arts Program, a commission-based exhibition series, including its latest project Pastiche with Miami artist Lauren Shapiro. She is an object-lead art historian with degrees from The Courtauld Institute of Art (London) and Providence College (Rhode Island). Prior to joining Vizcaya in 2022, she spent over eight years at the Museo de Arte de Ponce in Puerto Rico, where she curated exhibitions such as “Victorian Art from the Museo de Arte de Ponce” (2022), “Provenance: The Lost History “(2019), and “Small Treasures from the Frick Collection” (2018).
