3 JANUARY 4-10, 2024 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | ▼ BROWARD EYE OF THE BEHOLDER BROWARD SHERIFF’S OFFICE PAYS $460K FOR SCULPTURES AT ITS NEW TRAINING CENTER. BY ALEX DELUCA D espite the recent spike in infla- tion, $460,000 can still buy you a lot these days: a legendary match-worn Lionel Messi jersey, a parcel of real estate in Snoop Dogg’s metaverse, or a literal trip to space. If you’re the Broward County Sheriff’s Of- fice (BSO), it can also get you some Connect 4-esque artwork to spice up your workplace. On December 12, county commissioners approved a motion to spend up to $460,050 on a public art installation outside BSO’s headquarters. The budget proposal, which includes design, engineering, fabrication, electrical components, permitting, and in- stallation of the art, was passed on consent by commissioners (meaning it was approved without discussion). The money appears to be coming from BSO’s general fund. “The artwork entitled ‘Both And’ is ex- pressive of a diverse community celebrating qualities we have in common while embrac- ing that which also makes us unique, and that these distinctions can exist together as a beautiful social tapestry reflecting the BSO’s involvement and participation in the commu- nity and essential public safety support ser- vices,” says Phillip Dunlap, director of the county’s cultural division. A rendering of “Both And” features three 14-foot-high abstract sculptures that lead to the entrance of BSO’s Fort Lauderdale com- plex. The pieces, which are set to be crafted from stainless steel and coated steel frames, appear to be perforated with irregularly shaped holes of various sizes and colors, in- cluding hues of green and yellow, with “ac- cent lighting for night-time interest.” Although Broward’s code of ordinance states that the county “shall seek to maximize the utilization” of local artists, the county is contracting with Iowa-based RDG Planning & Design and artist Matt Niebuhr, also from Iowa. From Des Moines, RDG recently under- took other public art projects in Fort Worth, Texas, Huntington Beach, California, and Huntsville, Alabama. According to its web- site, RDG’s work is known for its “dynamic synthesis of art and architecture” and “its ability to connect site-specific narratives with function and purpose.” Niebuhr, a designer with a “deep back- ground in architecture,” was competitively selected through Broward County’s estab- lished Public Art & Design program by a five- member panel composed of artists, art industry professionals, and BSO staff, who re- viewed more than 55 applicants, Dunlap says. The panel’s recommendation was then re- viewed and confirmed by the Public Art & Design Committee and the Broward County Cultural Council, before approval by county commissioners this month. Dunlap says that of the more than 55 ap- plicants, ten were Florida-based, including five from Miami, two from Fort Lauderdale, two from the Tampa Bay area, and one from Key West. When asked by New Times what the project reflects about the community, Dunlap says that according to Niebuhr, the piece symbolizes BSO’s “commitment to community safety.” “Embracing diversity through material, color, shape, and form, the installation repre- sents the unity of varied origins and life expe- riences. The concept of ‘Both And’ celebrates shared qualities and individual uniqueness co- existing harmoniously, depicted through terra cotta forms — literal translations of ‘baked earth’ symbolizing our common origin,” Dun- lap tells New Times. “Each distinct shape con- tributes to a cohesive whole, emphasizing BSO’s integral role in the community.” The artwork is tied to the construction of the new, multimillion-dollar Broward Sheriff’s Office Training Center, a more than 80,000-square-foot facility set to house a 250- seat auditorium, indoor shooting ranges, and a me- morial for the Parkland high school shooting. Sheriff Gregory Tony recently told his staff the facility will also be equipped with a sauna, an ice bath, and a physical therapy station. Public art was required as part of the project construction. The sheriff’s office is shelling out big money on the art installation as compared to past projects to adorn BSO headquarters. In 2013, a group of Weston middle school- ers created a 7-foot-by-4-foot mosaic mural for BSO’s lobby. The presumably commission- free artwork featured a colorful scene of ani- mals in the Everglades, embedded with symbols representing Florida’s 12 public uni- versities: owls for Florida Atlantic University, alligators for the University of Florida, and a panther for Florida International University. | RIPTIDE | Broward County Cultural Division rendering ▼ MIAMI UPCHARGED MAN CHARGED WITH HATE CRIME IN DECEMBER BEATING OF LGBTQ WOMEN IN WYNWOOD. BY IZZY KAPNICK A Sweetwater man has been charged with a hate crime for allegedly beating down a woman and her transgender friend in a confrontation that witnesses say arose when the woman stuck up for herself upon be- ing catcalled after an LGBTQ party. Daiken Fernandez was arrested on two counts of felony battery over the November 26 incident, which sent the two women to Jackson Memorial Hospital with severe head injuries. Fernandez re- ceived a hate crime enhancement that prosecu- tors use for offenses allegedly motivated by prejudice against sexual orientation or gender. Fernandez, 25, was booked into Turner Guil- ford Knight Correctional Center on the evening of Wednesday, December 27, and remained in the jail as of early Thursday morning. LGBTQ communities in South Florida and be- yond were rattled by video that captured part of the incident, including the moment where Fer- nandez allegedly decked the transgender woman, who was wearing a white dress and high heels. In the aftermath of the incident, Miami- Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said, “These acts warrant a full investigation.” Witness Kaci Melendez says her close friend, the trans victim, is still shaken by the incident and left Florida for the holidays to distance her- self from the trauma. “She can’t even do all the things she wanted to do for Christmas and New Year’s because she’s freaking out thinking about how these guys live near her,” Melendez tells New Times. The incident took place after Melendez and her friends left the rooftop “White Party,” a soi- ree hosted by the LGBTQ production company Pandora Events. Melendez told police that a man from Fernandez’s group made offensive catcall- ing comments, triggering a tense verbal dispute in which insults flew back and forth. The first assault victim told the catcaller that she was with her wife and that the comments were out of line. In the argument that followed, he insisted they would never receive a good “dick- ing” because they are lesbians, Melendez said. The police report states that Fernandez then turned violent and punched the first victim after she made a comment suggesting he had a “small penis.” She hit her head on the concrete and was left splayed out on the ground, with blood spouting from her head. A fight then broke out between Fernandez and a man from the victim’s group, who was sticking up for the injured woman and trying to prevent the assailant from leaving the area, the report states. During the tussle, Fernandez and another member of his clique, Jorge Estevez, punched and injured the transgender woman. According to Melendez, the trans victim was trying to break up the fight and was not participating in the violence. Estevez, 33, was arrested on a single charge of battery. He was booked into Turner Guilford a few hours before Fernandez. Estevez told police he was acting in self-defense once the fight broke out. County records indicate both Fernandez and Estevez received a criminal charge enhancement under Florida’s Chapter 775.085 statute, which covers crime that “evidences prejudice based on the race, color, ancestry, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, homeless status, or advanced age.” The law generally elevates an of- fense by one level so that a first-degree misde- meanor would become a third-degree felony, and a third-degree felony would become a sec- ond-degree felony. The police report indicates that when inter- viewed by detectives, the victims’ group of friends focused on statements made about their LGBTQ background. Fernandez allegedly made a comment about the trans victims’ genitalia af- ter Fernandez became upset by the quip insult- ing his penis size. “Officers contacted several witnesses who stated that a fight broke out with a group of males due to a verbal argument about the vic- tims’ sexual preference,” the police report reads. Jackson Memorial treated the first victim for a severe concussion and a laceration that re- quired several stitches. The trans victim report- edly suffered head injuries and extensive bruising. [email protected] GET MORE NEWS & COMMENTARY AT MIAMINEWTIMES.COM/NEWS BROWARD’S ORDINANCE STATES THAT THE COUNTY “SHALL SEEK TO MAXIMIZE THE UTILIZATION” OF LOCAL ARTISTS. “Both And” features three 14-foot-high sculptures designed by Iowa-based RDG Planning & Design and artist Matt Niebuhr.
