Artists Corner

Every year we invite a Miami-based artist to help design the medal neck ribbon for the Life Time Miami Marathon & Half Marathon, Life Time Tropical 5K and Life Time Kids Run Miami races. Learn more about each artist and view their creations below.

Nicolas Vásquez is a Miami resident with Colombian roots, infusing his art with the vibrant energy of both worlds. As a multidisciplinary artist and designer, his creative journey is enriched by his background in architecture. Nicolas draws inspiration from nature, architecture, and the human experience.

Vásquez navigates between the digital realm of 3D art and the tactile world of traditional painting. This duality of mediums allows him to explore and represent his diverse influences in unique and captivating ways.

In addition to his individual work, Nicolas Vasquez is a co-founder of Vaco Studio, a creative hub that fosters collaboration and innovation among artists and designers. Through his art and his collaborative efforts, Nicolas seeks to connect with and inspire others, inviting them to explore the profound interplay between art, nature, architecture, and humanity.

“The medal band designs were inspired by Miami’s lush array of plant life powered by our city’s year-round tropical climate. I wanted to create a motif of 3D plant designs showcasing some of these plants with their intricate forms. I sought to capture the essence of Miami’s biodiversity by infusing the designs with an organic and vibrant energy, reflecting the life that surrounds the runners. Our city is known for its distinctive and captivating color palette, a harmonious blend of bright hues and smooth gradients. From the blues of the ocean to the pinks of a sunset, our bands celebrate the diverse colors that define the city. The shadows cast by the plant motifs on the bands interact with the sun shaped medal creating an illusion of a sunrise. We overlaid different parts of the map with race and mile markers on the bands, this offers runners a visual overview of the route they conquered as a reminder of their incredible journey through the heart of Miami.” – Nic

Internationally acclaimed artist Luis Valle aka El Chan Guri, was born April 16, 1977 in Managua, Nicaragua. At 2 years old his family exiled to the United States and re-located to Miami, Florida where he made his home. Growing up in Miami Luis excelled in the arts from an early age. In his teenage years Valle got his first taste of art on the streets doing graffiti under the moniker “GEARS”. He later went on to receive formal training from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida where he graduated with a BFA in Visual Arts. A few years later in 2001 he moved to New York City and received a Masters in Arts Degree from New York University.

Valle grew an affinity for New York, especially Brooklyn, but in 2006 the ever-growing Miami art scene especially in the Wynwood Arts District brought Luis back to where he grew up. Valle immersed himself in the local scene working closely with the community and organizations such as Arts For Learning Miami, the Miami children’s Museum, The Miami Dade Library Systems, Boys and Girls Club of Miami, The Overtown Youth Center, Dade County Public Schools, The Art Experience, Giants in the City and Irreversible Projects to name a few.

Valle has been an artist intertwined with the explosion of the art in Miami, especially in the mural, graffiti and street art scene of Wynwood. For the last decade, Luis has dedicated a large part of his work to the public art spectrum. His work can be seen throughout South Florida, in various cities across the United States, and many countries including: Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Haiti, Mexico, China, and India. His style can be easily recognized, as it is a blend of influences from indigenous cultures, psychology, shamanism, religion, spirituality, frequency, vibration and energy. You can find his work all over the streets of Miami, featured in many local establishments such as restaurants, bars, local schools and businesses, as well as adorning the walls of various local shopping centers such as Sunset Place, Midtown Shops, Aventura Mall and City Place Doral.

As well as an artist, Luis also grew up an athlete playing sports in Miami. He was ecstatic when given the opportunity to create the ribbon design for the 2023 Life Time Miami Marathon & Half medal. Paying homage to his beloved city, Valle chose to include aspects of nature, its sea life, cityscape and gorgeous skies. His goal was to create something beautiful that would remind the participants of the city where they ran their race.

Each year beginning in 2012, the Life Time Miami Marathon & Half medal neck ribbon has featured custom designs from a variety of inspirational and influential Miami-based artists. Holding to tradition, the 2022 neck ribbon pays tribute to these custom designs, featuring all creations since 2012.