Flower force: america 250
DEDICATION CEREMONY
On July 1, 2026, the City of Doral officially dedicated Flower Force: America 250, a new public artwork by Miami-based environmental artist Xavier Cortada, at KURV Doral. Commissioned as a public art installation in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary, the 13-foot obelisk features 250 hand-painted ceramic flowers, each one symbolizing the beauty, complexity, and collective promise of the American experiment.
During the ceremony, Cortada reflected on the Declaration of Independence, the courage of the nation’s founders, and the unfinished work of building a more perfect union. Drawing from remarks he delivered at the dedication, he framed the artwork not only as a monument to America’s past, but as a call to the present: a reminder that democracy, stewardship, and civic pride are practices we must cultivate together.
Through Flower Force: America 250, Cortada invites the public to consider what it means to move from independence toward interdependence — recognizing that our life, liberty, and happiness are bound to one another, to our communities, and to the natural systems that sustain us.
The dedication also featured the participatory layer of the project led by the Cortada Foundation, which extends the artwork beyond the monument and into the community. Native Firebush plants and commemorative garden flags activated the site, transforming the ceremony into a living installation and symbolizing how residents can help grow the artwork across Doral and beyond.
Cortada Foundation Executive Director Adam Roberti spoke about the broader mission of the project, emphasizing the importance of native plants, pollinators, and community participation. By planting Firebush in neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and public spaces, participants help restore habitat for butterflies, bees, and other pollinators while carrying the artwork’s message of unity, civic engagement, and environmental stewardship into their own communities.
The ceremony brought together Doral Mayor Christi Fraga, City Manager Zeida Sardiñas, Councilmember Maureen Porras, City leaders, community partners, supporters, and residents. In her remarks, Mayor Fraga spoke about investing in community as one invests in a garden — with care, patience, and a belief in what can grow.
Flower Force: America 250 begins as a monument, but it is designed to become a movement: one rooted in beauty, biodiversity, democracy, and the shared responsibility of shaping the future together.
