By AIRE staff

AIRIE and Everglades National Park will kick off Fresh AIRIE: Artists’ Experiences in a World Heritage Site, at the Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Homestead Campus.  This traveling exhibition features works by more than 30 artists as part of the Everglades National Park’s AIRIE Collection, including painting, photography, video, audio composition and poetry. An opening reception and panel discussion will take place on Thursday, Nov 14.  The art work will remain on display at the Homestead Art Space through Dec. 13. Exhibition highlights include work by Mark Dion and Dana Sherwood, Gustavo Matamoros, Trong Gia Nguyen, Christopher Reiger, Jules Buck Jones, Susan Silas and AIRIE Founder Donna Marxer.

“It is important to expose the campus and local community to the unique destination landscape, located within our reach, and known worldwide as the River of Grass. Art education is a critical part of the academic equation and creates an atmosphere that inspires learning and innovation,” said MDC Homestead Campus President Dr. Jeanne Jacobs.

Free and open to the public, the opening reception begins at 5 p.m. followed by a panel discussion from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The panel discussion will open with a welcome by Dan Kimball, Everglades National Park Superintendent.  Panelists include writer Bill Maxwell, composer Gustavo Matamoros and Linda Friar, Everglades National Park’s Chief of Public Affairs, who will share their experiences living and working in a World Heritage Site.

“Everglades National Park is proud of our World Heritage designation,” said Superintendent Dan Kimball. “This recognition highlights the international importance of this unique resource as one of the globe’s most significant cultural and natural areas. Aspects of this very special place have been captured by talented artists and I hope that all will take time to experience this unusually engaging and creative depiction of the World Heritage values of the park.”

The exhibition is made possible through a generous grant from Robin Tauck of Tauck Romano Innovative Philanthropy, and AIRIE programs are supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation through the Knight Arts Challenge.

The Fresh AIRIE exhibit will travel to four South Florida universities, including a special showing at the park’s Ernest Coe Visitor Center Gallery.

A complete list of exhibiting artists and writers includes: Donna Marxer, Charles Meyers, Mollie Doctrow, Frank DuVal, George Forrest, Abigail & Michael Houw, Marion Belanger, Susan Klein, Annie Louder-Helmericks, Jing Zhou, Christine Brenner, Deedra Ludwig, Karen Glaser, Jules Buck Jones, Malcolm Lightner, Lisa Elmaleh, Cameron Gillie, Christopher Reiger, Bill Brody, Shannon Beuker, Jason Stemple, Danielle Austen, Mark Dion and Dana Sherwood, Joanna Kidd and Danni Downing, Wendy Call, Trong Gia Nguyen, Harumi Abe, Rebecca Reeves, Susan Silas, Gustavo Matamoros, Wendy Call, Roger Mitchell, Michael Hettich, Anne McCrary Sullivan, Mary Kate Azcuy, Diane Woodcock and Karla Merrifield.

Thursday, Nov. 14: opening reception from 5-6pm; panel from 6-7:30pm at the Homestead Art Space (500 College Terrace)

This is the first in a series of Fresh AIRIE: Artists’ Experiences in World Heritage Site exhibitions. Current Schedule for Fresh AIRIE: Artists’ Experiences in a World Heritage Site

• Miami Dade College in Homestead, FL – opens to the public on November 11, VIP Reception and Panelists on November 14.  Closes on December 13, 2013.
• The Earnest Coe Visitors Center, Everglades National Park, Homestead FL- Spring 2014
• Florida Atlantic University- Fall 2014
• Museum of Florida Art and Culture at South Florida Community College, Avon Park, FL- Winter 2014/2015