The MDC Museum of Art and Design (MOAD) is Miami Dade College's flagship institution dedicated to the presentation and exhibition of visual art and design, housed within the National Historic Landmark Freedom Tower at Miami Dade College in Downtown Miami. MDC MOAD provides access to unique cultural, historical and educational exhibitions that enrich the greater community while building and preserving an expansive permanent art collection, Freedom Tower archives, and newly established design collection.
Constructed in 1925 as a home for The Miami News, the Freedom Tower at Miami Dade College was modeled after the Giralda Cathedral Bell Tower in Seville, Spain. Striking in its architectural detail with its octagonal tower and richly ornamented facade, it remains one of South Florida's most distinctive historic buildings. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 2008.
The mission of MDC MOAD is to provide open, critical, and collaborative frameworks for artistic experimentation and interdisciplinary risk-taking that explores the intersections of art, design, and other art forms with cultural action. The Museum advances Miami Dade College's core values, contributing to the intellectual life of the college, engaging students and audiences from the community and the world beyond.