Humberto Torres wanted to curate a space where people could connect post-pandemic. With his connections to local businesses, Torres organized the first OurMarket in 2021 in a parking lot near Cardinal Film Lab. Soon, OurMarket gained social media traction, allowing the number of vendors to double almost overnight. Pressed for space, Torres turned to Unbranded Brewing in Hialeah as the solution to his newfound success. When the need for a larger venue arose again about a year later, Elsa Leiva and Lot 11 luckily answered. For the past two years, Leiva has helped expand OurMarket to what it is today.
"I've worked with Nick Katz for many years, and Lot 11 is his passion project, alongside Richie and Danny Fuenzalida," shares Elsa Leiva, Lot 11's director of programming. "We are very community-based, and you get a very different experience because of the setting of where it is. It is open air. I think that being under the highway does add a lot of charm to this market. It's good for Lot 11, and it's also good for Let's Get Together to have this collaboration every month, but I think that Lot 11 definitely has helped him grow in a more rapid way than it was before. "
While OurMarket grows with each event, many vendors have been along for the ride in some way since the beginning. Nain, the artist responsible for orchestrating the Photo-Tent project, has known Torres since the days of their high school photography class. Planning to memorialize modern life in South Florida for years to come, Nain channels his talents for photography and printmaking into making his brainchild.
"I found out about OurMarket when Humberto held his first event at Cardinal Film Labs. It was intimate, and I fell in love with seeing people again after COVID because of it. I got involved when I came to them with an idea I had for an interactive art installation in July 2024, which I wanted to call Photo-Tent. They gave me the opportunity to debut it at OurMarket, and I've been holding it there ever since," Nain recalls. "The project is executed through a ten-foot-by-ten-foot mobile photo station. Guests come into a private booth, take four photos, and leave with two two-by-eight photo strips. Behind the scenes, we archive all the photos after the event is over, which will later turn into a series of photos dedicated to archiving the events and people of South Florida."
Aside from Photo-Tent, OurMarket offers other creative pursuits. In recent months, OurMarket has collaborated with Raw Figs for a guided figure drawing event, hosted a Halloween-themed film screening of Beetlejuice, and has housed several local music acts, ranging from DJ sets to jazz bands. It also hosts local thrifting and vintage vendors, perfect for unique and inexpensive gifts during the holiday season. And, when you need a break, there are several appetizing options for good eats to enjoy. At its core, it's an opportunity for people passionate about artistic self-expression to connect with other like-minded individuals while being pushed a little out of their comfort zone.
"Since the very first one, the music has been at the core of it, for sure," Torres says. "I realized that we provide a platform for people that aren't necessarily in the Miami scene to get introduced to things. I thought, What's a better place to share these artists? Whether it was DJs, and now with jazz, it's a great way to introduce people to different kinds of genres, rather than the typical Miami club or Top 40 radio songs. It's definitely at the core to provide a place where people can connect, whether through jewelry or clothing or even if it's just like a cool spot they found on Instagram Reels."
Let's Get Together will host its end-of-year OurMarket on Saturday, December 21, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. To close out 2024, OurMarket is implementing a unique bartering system where attendees can trade their goods for something pre-loved for the new year. Ticketed guests can exchange their items in the bartering zone, where volunteers will price items according to a token system, and guests can exchange the allotted tokens for goods. It is a prime opportunity to check out some cool pieces without stressing about adding further clutter to your home or contributing to additional waste.
OurMarket acts as a third space, invigorating the local economy and the exchange of ideas.
Let's Get Together photo
OurMarket at Lot 11 is a prime example of the value of third spaces, which reinvigorate local economies and promote the exchange of ideas.
"When it comes to OurMarket, their sense of design and care for the atmosphere bleeds through every aspect. Whether it's the flyers having an identity that I and many others can feel proud of or keeping things refreshing with jazz and other live performances and activations, it expands on the idea that it's more than just a market; It's a celebration of the arts and culture that exists within Miami, and it feels that way every time," Nain says. "It gave me the platform to perfectly launch my project in front of people I knew would care for the arts as much as I do."
OurMarket. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, December 21, at Lot 11 Skatepark, 301-349 NW Second St., Miami; instagram.com/letsgettogether.us. Tickets cost $7 to $10 via shotgun.live.
