Diaspora Vibe Gallery is one of the few non-profit galleries committed to supporting and promoting emerging artists from the Caribbean diaspora and Latin America. The Gallery actively promotes the skills and creative expressions of its artists through the artists-in-residence program, international exchanges, community and youth activities. Artists often call this place "Home," which they define more as a state of mind rather than a physical space.

Diaspora Vibe Gallery started in 1996 as a non-profit local arts organization called "Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator." Since then, the gallery has moved to several locations, and is now settled in the Design District in Miami, Florida.

Rosie Gordon-Wallace, Director of Diaspora Vibe Gallery, shared one of her reasons for starting the gallery. The main trigger, she indicated, was the fact that Caribbean artists were graduating from American Ivy League schools, yet they did not have a place to show their work. "Simply, I thought that that should not happen again," Rosie said.

One of the goals of the gallery is to document the artists' life, their works, and the shows they have. Rosie's personal vision is to leave a legacy of all of the gallery shows. She explained, "So that when your children come here, you can say to them, there is a space that does work for this region, it started in 1996, and these are the catalogs."

The passion for working with artists is rooted in Rosie's own dream of being an artist when she was growing up in Jamaica. However, her dream was never realized because it was not a conversation she could have had with her parents. Unfortunately, this story is too familiar. "For the reasons that in Haiti and in the rest of the Caribbean, people don't perceive you as having much sense or having any wisdom in terms of your ambitions and career." she said.

So the gallery became her platform to give artists the opportunity to pursue their artistic dreams. Rosie provides them a space where they can express themselves, receive the support they need, and show their work. "I started it really very organically," she said, "a group of us used to meet at my home and in restaurants and we would plan shows."

Diaspora Vibe Gallery hosts an exhibition featuring an artist of the month on the last Friday of each month. The public is invited to experience this unique and culturally charged atmosphere at 3938 North Miami Avenue, Madonna Building, Design District, Miami, Florida.

For more information about the Gallery, visit: www.diasporavibe.com. They can be reached at 305-573-4046.