9 May 14-20, 2026 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | The Family Jewels We tracked down the Calle Ocho jewelers Marcello Hernández wore at the Met Gala. BY ASHA ELIAS A s if Miami needed another rea- son to love Marcello Hernán- dez, the homegrown comedian wore (and shouted out) two Calle Ocho joyerias at his Met Gala debut on Monday, May 4, repping for both his Cuban and Dominican heritage. “My mom made me this with Sammy Jew- eler en La Calle Ocho in Miami,” Hernández told interviewer La La Anthony on the red carpet, pointing to a pin on his left jacket pocket. “I have an Angel de la Guarda, un aza- bache (stone for protection), and larimar, which is a Dominican stone.” Hernández then pointed to another pin on his right arm, this one from Santayana Jewel- ers, just off Eighth Street in Tamiami (917 SW 122nd Ave.). “And this is the traditional aza- bache, with ‘Dios me bendiga’ [God bless me] in Spanish.” The breakout SNL star shouted out the homegrown businesses alongside Thom Browne, the New York-based designer of his suit. The clip quickly went viral on social media and was picked up by national media, includ- ing the Today Show, which posted an image of Hernández and his stunning Dominican- born architect girlfriend, Ana Amelia Batlle Cabral, with the caption, “Calle Ocho shout- out! Marcello brought a little bit of home to the #MetGala.” “This is a big deal for every jeweler on Eighth Street,” Elena Santayana, of Santayana Jewelers, tells New Times. The third-genera- tion Cuban-American designer says Hernán- dez placed the order for his ‘Dios Me Bendiga’ pin on her website. “I said, hold on, Marcello Hernández with two Ls?” After some digging, Santayana was confi- dent that the mystery order was, in fact, placed by the comedian and assumed he was purchasing the pin for an upcoming baptism, explaining that in Cuban culture, the pin is traditionally a gift for babies. “I thought he was going to be a padrino [godfather],” she says. She decided to leave a funny note in the package — “OMG OMG OMG, is it you? Yes, no, maybe” — but had no idea he planned to wear the piece on fashion’s biggest night. “I was shocked!” Martha Lima, owner of Sammy’s Joyeria (1833 SW Eighth St.), on the other hand, knew exactly why she was gifting this pin to Hernández’s mother. She describes the azabache (a smooth black stone) she sold her as a “hater blocker,” a piece of traditional Cuban jewelry used for protec- tion, kind of like an evil eye. She also procured the guardian angel pendant Hernández wore, but not the Dominican larimar (which New Times was unable to track down). “Imagine,” she says. “We are very proud of making him shine.” ▼ Culture Culture Marcello Hernández wears pieces by Calle Ocho jewelers at the 2026 Met Gala in New York City. Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images Perry and Shassy, as well as food and crafts at a vendor market at the flagship Chef Cre- ole location. 4 p.m. at Chef Creole Seasoned Restaurant, 200 NW 54 St., Miami; 305-754- 2223; chefcreole.com. Tickets cost $28 via eventbrite.com. CELIA ALMEIDA TUE 5/19 ▼ POMPANO BEACH ON THE ROAD AGAIN At 93, Willie Nelson is still one of the most lauded songwriters in American music his- tory. With a career spanning seven decades, Nelson has earned every conceivable acco- lade as a songwriter, author, actor, and activ- ist. A Gershwin Prize recipient, he’s released nearly a dozen studio albums in the last de- cade alone, and in 2023, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. His latest al- bum, Dream Chaser, will be released later this month. 8 p.m. at the Pompano Beach Am- phitheater, 1806 NE Sixth St., Pompano Beach; 561-223-7231; pompanobeacharts.org. Tickets cost $59 to $257 via axs.com. CAROLINE VAL WED 5/20 ▼ LIBERTY CITY JUST DANCE Miami Dances brings together leading local choreographers and companies, including Miami City Ballet, Arts Ballet Theatre, Dance Now! Miami, and Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami, among others, for a show- case featuring an eclectic mix of styles that highlights the range and creativity of Mi- ami’s performers. Presented with support from the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the evening is a worthy celebration of the region’s diverse talent. 7:30 p.m. at the Sandrell Rivers Theater, 6103 NW Seventh Ave., Miami; 305-284-8872; sandrell- riverstheater.com. Tickets cost $25 via ftf- shows.com. ASHLEY-ANNA ABOREDEN [email protected] I Got a Name HistoryMiami is no more. Welcome, Museum of Miami. BY JOSE D. DURAN O ver the years, HistoryMiami has con- sistently delivered some of the most interesting exhibitions in the city. Whether it was “Mucho, Mucho Amor,” which celebrated 50 years of pop culture icon Walter Mercado, or “It’s a Miami Thing,” which looked back at the Magic City’s 125-year history, the in- stitution has long punched above its weight. Now, to continue its mission to tell Miami’s story, the museum decided to ditch the name it’s used since 2010 for new branding that better re- flects its scope. On Thursday, May 7, HistoryMi- ami became the Museum of Miami. In a statement, Natalia Crujeiras, the muse- um’s CEO, said the name change reflects “a shift in how this community experiences Mi- ami’s Museum as a living, breathing archive.” The museum’s board of trustees approved the name change on March 18, marking the mu- seum’s new initiative to expand beyond its walls and bring exhibitions and storytelling di- rectly to neighborhoods across Miami-Dade. “We built this new brand in step with the community,” added Michele Reese Granger, senior director of marketing, in a statement. “As Miami’s oldest cultural institution, we un- derstood the weight of a decision to change the name. We in- tentionally built this brand along- side the commu- nity because we believed it had to be co-authored and co-curated by the very people whose stories we are entrusted to preserve. What we heard overwhelmingly was that our community wants to see their neighborhoods, cultures, and lived experiences reflected in what we do.” To better engage with residents, the mu- seum has announced several new activations. First is an interactive museum celebrating the country’s 250th birthday, inviting residents to share their hopes for America’s future. Submis- sions can be made through a digital platform, with entries displayed in the museum’s foyer. Then there’s “Cafecito Stories,” a storytelling experience that captures voices from around the county and is set to launch this fall. Finally, the museum’s long-running CultureFest is be- ing reimagined. Usually held at the museum, it will move off-site to local parks across the county. The first will take place at Tropical Park in January 2027. Museum of Miami is also set to host the Na- tional Archives’ “Freedom Plane: Documents That Forged a Nation” exhibition starting on June 20 for America’s 250th. The downtown museum was chosen as one of just eight around the country to display the collection of rare historic artifacts, including George Wash- ington’s Oath of Allegiance, the Treaty of Paris, and a draft of the Bill of Rights. Museum of Miami. 101 W. Flagler St., Miami; 305-375-1492; museumofmiami.org. [email protected] Night + Day from p8 Samantha Bee, Saturday Photo by James Macari “WE INTENTIONALLY BUILT THIS BRAND ALONGSIDE THE COMMUNITY.”
