
Episode #30
Inside the Freedom Tower: 100 Years of History with Dr. Amy Galpin
The Executive Director of MOAD on the Freedom Tower's 100-year history and the exhibitions bringing it back to life. This year marks 100 years of the Freedom Tower — from its start as home of The Miami Daily News, to its role processing tens of thousands of Cuban refugee families in the 1960s and 70s, to today, where it houses the Museum of Art and Design at Miami Dade College (MOAD). We sat down with Dr. Amy Galpin, MOAD's Executive Director, to talk through the building's full story: what most people don't know about its history, what it meant to the Cuban families who passed through it, and how the museum is honoring the building's 100th anniversary — including a new window art installation and a collected oral history of the voices tied to this building. Dr. Galpin holds a Ph.D. in art history from the University of Illinois-Chicago and spent the last six years as Chief Curator at the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum at FIU before joining the Freedom Tower. If you've driven past this building your whole life and never been inside — this episode (and a visit) will change that. Topics covered: The Freedom Tower's origin story, from newsroom to National Historic Landmark What the building meant to Cuban refugee families in the 1960s–70s A little-known piece of the building's history What's on view today, including the 100th-anniversary window art installation The oral history project collecting community voices What Dr. Galpin hopes first-time visitors feel Dr. Amy Galpin · Executive Director, Museum of Art and Design at MDC Follow Freedom Tower https://freedomtower.mdc.edu/ https://www.instagram.com/miamifreedomtower/ https://www.instagram.com/moadmdc/ Follow The Miami Guide: https://themiamiguide.com https://instagram.com/themiamiguide https://twitter.com/themiamiguide https://facebook.com/themiamiguide https://themiamiguide.com/youtube https://themiamiguide.com/podcast/ Follow The Miami Guide: https://themiamiguide.com https://instagram.com/themiamiguide https://twitter.com/themiamiguide https://facebook.com/themiamiguide https://themiamiguide.com/youtube https://themiamiguide.com/podcast/

