In an interview with the Huffington Post, one of the organizers of Miami's contemporary art festival cites our very own TBA festival as inspiration:

Is there a performance art festival in another city that served as a model for M/P'12?
Absolutely! I lived in Portland, Or for many years. PICA (Portland Institute for Contemporary Art) throws a festival called TBA (Time-Based Art) that is having its 10th anniversary this year in September.

I had the chance to see a lot of performance art/video/installations over the history of the festival. The college I graduated from (Pacific Northwest College of Art) also has a tight relationship with PICA. Every fall during the first week back to school, it's your homework is to attend as much of the festival as you can. And I did. I also volunteered with PICA and assisted artists and performers with their pieces. That's why I know first hand the possibilities of such a cultural manifestation happening in a community.

Very nice, right? PICA, which celebrates its 17th birthday in a few weeks, is gearing up for TBA:12, the first year under the stewardship of new permanent artistic director Angela Mattox. We'll be digging deeper into TBA's offerings in the coming weeks; for now, the full lineup is here.