LOCUST PROJECTS
Title
LOCUST PROJECTS
Creator
Cing Huai
Date
9/27/22
Text
I have lived in Miami for almost 19 years now and it’s safe to say I’ve seen very little of it. I’m pretty sure thousands of tourists every year see more of Miami in two weeks than I’ve seen in my entire life. Most of what I have explored has been attached to US 1, but even then trips to Miami Beach got boring after so many visits with relatives. All we do is stand and take pictures at the beach, not even get in in the actual water. I felt jealous of people on social media who would post their cute vlogs of their “day in the life” while vacationing in Miami, it made me wonder if we were really in the same place.
I’ve come to realize that it’s mainly my fault.
I’m too comfortable in my own ways and often have a hard time exploring or going for something. But thankfully, the summer before my senior year in high school, I decided to take a chance and I’ll always remember it.
The opportunity didn’t present itself with flashing lights it was more like that text message you ignore when you watch a movie. At the end of junior year, my photography teacher mentioned a summer arts program called LAB hosted by Locust Projects, an art gallery in Miami’s Design District. While being able to participate in an arts program was something that interested me, one of the main factors that drew me to the program was the promised 500-dollar stipend that students would be getting if accepted. And to a 17-year-old with no job, that was a lot of money.
Despite this, I continued to procrastinate, going as far as to submit my application on the day of the deadline, even when I knew about it a month before. Looking at the program’s website, I was overwhelmed. Part of the two-week program was to collectively build an art exhibit and create a magazine. And while yes, I did have experience in making art, I wasn’t sure if I felt I was truly “creative” enough to help make an exhibit. The most I’ve ever done to that level was just the standard pottery and paper mache. It wasn’t until the day of the deadline that I realized: “What did I have to lose?”. The worst that could happen is that I wouldn’t get selected, that’s it. I was psyching myself out.
I was picked in their first round of applicants a week later.
It felt validating to be picked. It validated the feeling that I had the potential to do more, and be more with what creative talents I had. While the program was limited in its meetings to zoom sessions due to COVID restrictions, each guest speaker was a Miami-based artist who brought a different perspective to their medium. One artist dealt with zines, explaining different collections he made, another was a local DJ collective, and the most notable was Jen Stark, popularized by her psychedelic designs. Stark talked about her experience of her art even being used in the 32nd MTV Video Music Awards, as well as collaborations she and Locust Projects did. It was inspiring to see the community of artists, no matter how far they may have traveled from where they originally started in Miami, and they always have that strong bond with each other.
Even among the students, our own small community was formed and we were able to connect. We used platforms like Discord to share our artwork, show what inspired us, and went as far as to create a Spotify playlist for the LAB kids of that year, I loved it all. It was nice to be in a space where I could freely bounce off ideas with other creators, especially since many of the students were skilled with different mediums. While some were good at digital art, others excelled in clay, videography, sewing, and some were classically trained in just pen and paper. All of these elements were really brought together when it came time to plan and build our exhibit. It was exciting. Those who were into the more physical aspects took charge of painting and drawing on the walls of the exhibition, creating our TV-based monster from scratch, then going over with glow-in-the-dark paint to make it stand out against the black lights. Those who were well versed in drawing, collage, writing, and poetry handled the zines
and how it would be formatted.
We had one day to build the entire exhibit.
We arrived at the gallery at nine in the morning with some of us staying until six to put the final touches on the exhibit. Whether it was painting details on a mirror or writing poems on the door, it was an all-out effort and I can confidently say that every single person was proud of it for what it was. The exhibition room itself wasn’t all that big, imagine your average Miami bedroom size but just a few extra feet of space and that’s how big the exhibit room was. It had all black walls with one wall serving as a projector for the TV static sound effect and visuals, which was made by one of the students. It was small but it was ours. Every single detail was a contribution from someone in the program. But I think one of the best part overall was the support we got from two main Locust leaders, who coincidently, were both named Monica. They were encouraging in supporting our visions for the exhibit, gave us an ample amount of supplies, and if we ever needed props they were ready to bring in their own contractor. They were open to listening and it was refreshing to have the ability to create anything we wanted as well as being given the budget and free reign to execute it. The team at Locust fostered an encouraging environment that I never truly had before. They shared their experiences growing from the ground up and how they developed their craft. Moreover, many of them came from immigrant backgrounds and expressed their ability to express themselves in an otherwise suffocating environment. If you ask any child of immigrants they understand the burden they carry, their parent’s sacrifices, and the fear of disappointment. But with the art community in Miami, there is an openness I’ve noticed in starting the dialogue among each other. Through murals and first-hand accounts, they help in drawing attention to bigger social issues prevalent in South Florida like discrimination and immigration that remain prevalent today. It is a factor that I have always admired about the arts community in Miami, your voice, your perspective, it is open to be shared and heard. It’s encouragement going even past certain pleasantries. Even after finishing the program, we students were considered Locust alums, who are welcome to come back and work for the gallery. It’s something that always stuck with me.
We were always welcome.
The Locust community was always ready to include, and explore new ideas, and most importantly they were willing to listen. I was at a stage in school where I was getting ready for college applications and constantly being told what to do. This program was the only place where I was able to freely explore my interests.
I’ve come to realize that it’s mainly my fault.
I’m too comfortable in my own ways and often have a hard time exploring or going for something. But thankfully, the summer before my senior year in high school, I decided to take a chance and I’ll always remember it.
The opportunity didn’t present itself with flashing lights it was more like that text message you ignore when you watch a movie. At the end of junior year, my photography teacher mentioned a summer arts program called LAB hosted by Locust Projects, an art gallery in Miami’s Design District. While being able to participate in an arts program was something that interested me, one of the main factors that drew me to the program was the promised 500-dollar stipend that students would be getting if accepted. And to a 17-year-old with no job, that was a lot of money.
Despite this, I continued to procrastinate, going as far as to submit my application on the day of the deadline, even when I knew about it a month before. Looking at the program’s website, I was overwhelmed. Part of the two-week program was to collectively build an art exhibit and create a magazine. And while yes, I did have experience in making art, I wasn’t sure if I felt I was truly “creative” enough to help make an exhibit. The most I’ve ever done to that level was just the standard pottery and paper mache. It wasn’t until the day of the deadline that I realized: “What did I have to lose?”. The worst that could happen is that I wouldn’t get selected, that’s it. I was psyching myself out.
I was picked in their first round of applicants a week later.
It felt validating to be picked. It validated the feeling that I had the potential to do more, and be more with what creative talents I had. While the program was limited in its meetings to zoom sessions due to COVID restrictions, each guest speaker was a Miami-based artist who brought a different perspective to their medium. One artist dealt with zines, explaining different collections he made, another was a local DJ collective, and the most notable was Jen Stark, popularized by her psychedelic designs. Stark talked about her experience of her art even being used in the 32nd MTV Video Music Awards, as well as collaborations she and Locust Projects did. It was inspiring to see the community of artists, no matter how far they may have traveled from where they originally started in Miami, and they always have that strong bond with each other.
Even among the students, our own small community was formed and we were able to connect. We used platforms like Discord to share our artwork, show what inspired us, and went as far as to create a Spotify playlist for the LAB kids of that year, I loved it all. It was nice to be in a space where I could freely bounce off ideas with other creators, especially since many of the students were skilled with different mediums. While some were good at digital art, others excelled in clay, videography, sewing, and some were classically trained in just pen and paper. All of these elements were really brought together when it came time to plan and build our exhibit. It was exciting. Those who were into the more physical aspects took charge of painting and drawing on the walls of the exhibition, creating our TV-based monster from scratch, then going over with glow-in-the-dark paint to make it stand out against the black lights. Those who were well versed in drawing, collage, writing, and poetry handled the zines
and how it would be formatted.
We had one day to build the entire exhibit.
We arrived at the gallery at nine in the morning with some of us staying until six to put the final touches on the exhibit. Whether it was painting details on a mirror or writing poems on the door, it was an all-out effort and I can confidently say that every single person was proud of it for what it was. The exhibition room itself wasn’t all that big, imagine your average Miami bedroom size but just a few extra feet of space and that’s how big the exhibit room was. It had all black walls with one wall serving as a projector for the TV static sound effect and visuals, which was made by one of the students. It was small but it was ours. Every single detail was a contribution from someone in the program. But I think one of the best part overall was the support we got from two main Locust leaders, who coincidently, were both named Monica. They were encouraging in supporting our visions for the exhibit, gave us an ample amount of supplies, and if we ever needed props they were ready to bring in their own contractor. They were open to listening and it was refreshing to have the ability to create anything we wanted as well as being given the budget and free reign to execute it. The team at Locust fostered an encouraging environment that I never truly had before. They shared their experiences growing from the ground up and how they developed their craft. Moreover, many of them came from immigrant backgrounds and expressed their ability to express themselves in an otherwise suffocating environment. If you ask any child of immigrants they understand the burden they carry, their parent’s sacrifices, and the fear of disappointment. But with the art community in Miami, there is an openness I’ve noticed in starting the dialogue among each other. Through murals and first-hand accounts, they help in drawing attention to bigger social issues prevalent in South Florida like discrimination and immigration that remain prevalent today. It is a factor that I have always admired about the arts community in Miami, your voice, your perspective, it is open to be shared and heard. It’s encouragement going even past certain pleasantries. Even after finishing the program, we students were considered Locust alums, who are welcome to come back and work for the gallery. It’s something that always stuck with me.
We were always welcome.
The Locust community was always ready to include, and explore new ideas, and most importantly they were willing to listen. I was at a stage in school where I was getting ready for college applications and constantly being told what to do. This program was the only place where I was able to freely explore my interests.
Collection
Citation
Cing Huai, “LOCUST PROJECTS,” Everything Speaks To Me , accessed September 18, 2026, https://everythingspeakstome.com/items/show/165.