Miami Design District Marks 10 Years with Gargantua’s Thumb

Katie Stout Gargantua’s Thumb Miami Design District

Brings Play to Public Art

The Miami Design District is officially turning ten—and celebrating the milestone in the most imaginative way possible. To mark the 10th anniversary of its Annual Design Commission, the District has selected acclaimed multidisciplinary artist Katie Stout as the art recipient, unveiling a whimsical, larger-than-life public art installation titled Gargantua’s Thumb. Extending well into Spring, the project transforms the neighborhood into a playful, surreal landscape where

design, fantasy, and public interaction collide.

The Katie Stout Gargantua’s Thumb Miami Design District installation continues the District’s decade-long tradition of commissioning site-specific works that reimagine urban space while inviting the public to linger, explore, and engage. Presented in collaboration with the Design Miami Curatorial Lab, the anniversary commission is also featured at the 20th edition of Design Miami’s flagship fair, reinforcing the District’s global role at the intersection of art, design, and culture.

Born in Portland, Maine and based in New York, Katie Stout is known for her bold, irreverent approach to form and function. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, Stout has built a career around subverting expectations—pushing everyday objects just past the point of comfort to challenge how we experience beauty, luxury, and utility. Her iconic ceramic girl lamps have become emblematic of this philosophy, blending craft, humor, and social commentary with deep references to art and design history.

Katie Stout Gargantua’s Thumb Miami Design District: Where Function Meets Fantasy

At its core, Gargantua’s Thumb is about blurring boundaries—between sculpture and furniture, intimacy and monumentality, precision and imperfection. The installation is composed of a series of large-scale sculptural benches, fabricated in collaboration with ALTBLD, and installed throughout the Miami Design District.

Each piece begins life as a miniature clay animal, hand-sculpted by Stout and intentionally marked by fingerprints, distortions, and irregularities that come from working at a small, personal scale. These clay figures are then digitally scanned, dramatically enlarged, and milled in durable, perennial materials designed for public use. The result is a collection of fantastical, oversized forms that feel both familiar and dreamlike.

Visitors can encounter a dog-shaped bench, a whale-inspired fainting sofa, and a frog-like perch that invites people to sit, lean, lounge, and play. Rather than asking viewers to simply observe, the installation encourages physical interaction—turning public art into a shared, lived experience.

“I want to highlight the tension between intimacy and monumentality,” Stout explains. “This project celebrates the rawness of the handmade while offering a playful encounter and a moment of respite for the public.”

A Dreamlike Streetscape Comes to Life

Anchoring the installation is an interactive carousel located at the heart of the Miami Design District. Serving as a whimsical centerpiece, the carousel adds movement and delight to the urban environment, reinforcing the sense that the neighborhood itself has become part of the artwork.

Above street level, hundreds of colorful orbs—each embedded with flora- and fauna-inspired figures—will be suspended throughout the District’s trees. Together, these elements transform the streetscape into a fantastical environment of motion, color, and wonder, blurring the line between city and dream.

Learn more about the District’s public art initiatives at https://www.miamidesigndistrict.net

A Decade of Transformative Design

Since its inception, the Annual Design Commission has been a defining feature of the Miami Design District, inviting visionary artists and designers to reinterpret public space through immersive installations. Each commission is thoughtfully woven into the neighborhood’s architecture, pedestrian pathways, and green spaces—becoming a temporary yet unforgettable part of the urban fabric.

“Year after year, the Miami Design District commissions a beautiful public art project for all to enjoy,” says Grela Orihuela, Senior VP of Fairs at Design Miami. “We are thrilled that Katie Stout was awarded the commission and look forward to seeing the project come to life in Miami this December.”

Debuting at the height of Miami Art Week and remaining on view well into the new year, Gargantua’s Thumb offers a cultural anchor during the city’s most celebrated creative season. It’s an invitation to slow down, sit for a moment, and reconnect with the joy of play—right in the middle of one of the world’s most design-forward neighborhoods.

For more on Design Miami and its flagship fair, visit https://www.designmiami.com

As the Miami Design District celebrates ten years of groundbreaking commissions, Katie Stout Gargantua’s Thumb Miami Design District stands as both a tribute to the past and a joyful leap into the future—where public art isn’t just seen, but felt, touched, and shared.