AIRIE Summer Salon
Wolfgang and Melinda Wild, Any Muench
Susan Feliciano and Elisa Turner
Jeremy Shubrook and Lisa Fernandez
Jay Flynn
Valerie Grace Ricordi, Dan Kimball and Daniel Milewski
Cheryl Milewski, Nina Johnson-Milewski, Dan Milewski and Richard Milewski
Dancers Ana Mendez and Shira Abergel
Skip Snow, Lin Loughheed and composer Gustavo Matamoros
Artist Prudence Gill and her mother
Dr. Karl Muench, Dr. David Andrews & Isabelle Andrews
Kevin Bowles-Mohr, of Everglades National Park and Neal Hecker, WPBT Channel 2
Emma Galler, Deborah Mitchell, Christy Gast, Valerie Grace Ricordi
The AIRIE (Artists in Residence in Everglades) Summer Salon was held at the home of Valerie Grace Ricordi, AIRIE Board Member, Everglades lover, and arts activist. Situated on the original Haden mango plantation, a stone’s throw from the house where environmentalist and Everglades advocate Marjory Stoneman Douglas wrote River of Grass, Ms. Ricordi’s historic Coconut Grove home was the perfect setting to enjoy a live performance by current artist in residence Ana Mendez, an audio installation by Gustavo Matamoros and work from the AIRIE collection. Joining Ms. Ricordi on the host committee were Christy Gast and Deborah Mitchell.
AIRIE offers artists the opportunity to get to know the ecology of the Everglades by being immersed in it. By shadowing scientists in the field, hiking through the pinelands, kayaking through mangroves, and exploring Cape Sable and the 10,000 Islands, artists find the inspiration to create new work. They develop a deep understanding of the Everglades’ ecological importance, and then share their perspective through their work and creative public programs.
Photos by Tracy Niedermeyer
