Miami, FL – February 6, 2016 – National YoungArts Foundation celebrated the art of jazz and skate with YoungArts alumnus Jason Moran (1993 Winner in Jazz). Kicking off the evening with the Salon Series, sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Moran and iconic street skater Mark Gonzales explored the synergies of music and skate, and the value of improvisation and innovation, in an intimate talk moderated by Garth Ross of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. After the talk, a full house of creatives, skaters, supporters, community leaders and arts enthusiasts made their way to the YoungArts Plaza for an Outside the Box performance, where hundreds gathered around a carved-out half bowl, half-pipe ramp to watch the musicality of skaters perform to Moran and his jazz band, The Bandwagons. Featuring Miami’s best street skaters organized by Joel Meinholz and Ian O’Connor, Jay Ramps helped bring the concept to life, and STARR Catering Group served up hotdogs, pretzels and beverages.

Both Salon Series and Outside the Box events were complemented by a private meet-and-greet reception with Moran hosted by Deutsche Bank at the YoungArts Jewel Box, with guests including Angela and Louis Birdman, Christy Complo, Ira and Carole Hall, Alice Laughlin, Freddy Menjivar, Veronica Miranda, Toni and Carl Randolph, Ruth Shack, Scott Shuffield, and Mario Cader Frech and Robert Wennett.