South Florida’s Most Vibrant Art Festival

When ArtsUnited was first formed back in 1999, its mission was to use the arts to showcase a positive message about the LGBTQ+ community and provide creative opportunities for artists to contribute to the economic success of South Florida. As they began to realize this vision and obtain their nonprofit status, the organization wanted to create an event that would celebrate this achievement with both the local community and beyond; while simultaneously providing a platform for its LGBTQ+ members to showcase their wide variety of talents in the arts. Thus, Art Explosion was born.

From opera singers to fashion shows, the name of this multicultural, multimedia performance came from the fact that no matter where you physically were at the event, you could experience a sensual overload of artistic creation and expression. The first Art Explosion was held on the first floor of the Broward Country main library in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Since then, Art Explosion has grown and evolved to suit the needs of the artists and community. Recent iterations of the exhibit have included a two-week arts festival featuring nationally recognized LGBTQ+ artists, to a recent fashion showcase titled “Fashion Reaction” to further accentuate the growing pool of talented LGBTQ+ designers. No matter what form Art Explosion takes on in future years, it will continue to serve as a bridge between the LGBTQ+ and local South Florida communities to recognize and champion the value the arts bring not only to ourselves but the wider community and the world.