This fall, The Leslie Hotel welcomes the work of Miami-based artist Kristen Thiele as part of Hispafest 2026, bringing contemporary art into one of Ocean Drive’s historic Art Deco settings.
On view from October 22 through December 10, 2026, the exhibition invites hotel guests, Miami Beach residents, and visitors to encounter Thiele’s work outside the traditional gallery environment.
Thiele’s practice draws from painting, photography, cinema, popular culture, and personal experience. Her work frequently explores questions of identity, memory, representation, femininity, and the images that shape how we understand ourselves and others.
Working through a visual language influenced by film and image culture, Thiele creates works in which familiar references are transformed, layered, and reconsidered. The resulting pieces often occupy a space between nostalgia and contemporary observation, inviting viewers to look more closely at the cultural images that become part of our collective memory.
The exhibition is part of Hispafest 2026, created by the Bright Foundation to connect diverse communities through art while supporting artists and celebrating creativity, cultural exchange, and shared experiences.
Nubia Abaji serves as curator, with Verónica Medina as Curatorial Collaborator and Cultural Host.
For The Leslie Hotel, presenting contemporary art within its historic Ocean Drive architecture creates a dialogue between Miami Beach’s cultural past and its evolving creative community. Guests may encounter art as part of their stay, while local visitors are invited to experience the hotel as a cultural space as well as a hospitality destination.
Kristen Thiele at The Leslie Hotel
October 22 – December 10, 2026
1244 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach
The exhibition is open throughout its run as part of Hispafest 2026.
