Our Story: How Five Artists Built Miami's Home for Fine Arts

We Are MIFA:

MIFA exists to bring people together through art. We offer multidisciplinary classes, exhibitions, performances, and artist residencies — creating a space where creativity flourishes for all ages. All are welcome at our Center for the Arts, where art is alive.

Our Goals

Build an Inclusive Art Community
We bring together students, residents, and art professionals from all disciplines to create a collaborative, vibrant artistic community.

Deliver Real Skills Through Education
Through classes in drawing, painting, and more, we give people of all ages the tools to express themselves with confidence.

Curate Programs That Inspire
We organize exhibitions and events that spark artistic exploration in our community.

Forge Artistic Connections
We help artists find each other — building relationships that turn into collaboration and mutual support.

Become Miami's Hub for the Arts
Our goal is for MIFA's Center for the Arts to be where education, innovation, and creativity converge in this city.

In 2019, five friends with a shared belief — Teresa Jessurum Uribe, Elkin Cañas, Milixa Morón, Gilberto Uribe, and Carlos Martinez León— decided Miami needed something it didn't have: a real home for classical art education and artistic community.

They started Miami International Fine Arts with a simple idea: art shouldn't just be displayed, it should be lived. Students wouldn't just take classes — they'd find a creative language of their own.
At a time when art education was becoming faster, more digital, and less hands-on, MIFA chose a different path. They believed that forming real artists takes time, discipline, and a community that pushes you forward — not shortcuts. This belief became the foundation for everything MIFA would build in the years to come.

In 2023, Marco Caridad joined as Artistic Director, bringing a new chapter to MIFA — turning its galleries into spaces for real dialogue, and pushing the school to support a new generation of contemporary artists. Marco structured MIFA's Artist Residency Program, giving working artists a real space to create, grow, and exhibit.

Since then, MIFA has flourished into a true community of painters, sculptors, textile artits, musicians, actors, poets, photographers, and videographers — all sharing a single space and a singular energy that's hard to find anywhere else in the city. Tucked away in Miami, almost hidden in plain sight, MIFA has quietly become a genuine center for the development of the arts.

Today, MIFA is the only ARC-Approved atelier in Miami — a recognition reserved for schools that meet rigorous international standards for classical art training. What started with five people and a shared vision is now a full Center for the Arts: classes, exhibitions, residencies, and a growing community of artists who call MIFA home.

This is more than an art school. It's proof that a clear vision, the right people, and a genuine love for craft can build something lasting.

Join us. Come see, learn, and create at MIFA.