No Vacancy: Lulu Sanchez, Palm Court Ship

Palm Court Ship: The Jury is Out at the International Inn by artist Lulu Sanchez was imagined for the historic bayfront glass pavilion of the International Inn. This immersive installation features a gathering of towering, hand-sculpted palm sculptures that glow from within. By day, the pavilion is a serene sanctuary; by night, it transforms into an otherworldly earthship, its viridian light mirroring the hotel’s iconic vintage neon sign for passersby crossing the bridge to Miami Beach. More than a visual oasis, the project is a heartfelt tribute to the subtropical landscape and the pioneering matriarchs of Miami’s art scene—specifically legendary artists Mira Lehr and Michele Oka Doner. In dialogue with the memory of form, the installation is deeply influenced by the legacy of public art projects that have activated the waters and shores of Biscayne Bay, where we are today and what the future holds. Lulu Sanchez (b. 1992, Miami Beach, FL) is an interdisciplinary artist and curator based in Miami. Working across sculpture, painting and drawing, Sanchez uses assemblage, urban archaeology and personal family archives to explore the intersections of popular culture, memory and the subtropical landscape. She treats observation as a spiritual tool and artwork as a conduit for connection. As a community organizer, Sanchez actively engages South Florida’s multigenerational creative scene. She manages the Artist Estate of her late uncle Adolfo Sanchez, organizes events at Swampspace gallery and hosts screenings in her studio. In collaboration with her alma mater, The Cooper Union, she mounts an annual Art Week exhibition, which grew from ten artists in 2024 to forty in 2025. Sanchez presented a solo exhibition at the NSU Art Museum in 2023, where her work is again featured in Close to Home (2026). Read more Toggle Installation