Deering Estate Artist-in-Residence (AIR) Season Finale Exhibition
The Deering Estate announces the Deering Estate Artist-in-Residence (AIR) Season Finale Exhibition at Fruit and Spice Park, opening on Sunday, November 16, 2025.
Consistent with Charles Deering’s vision, the Deering Estate Artist-in-Residence Program (AIR) seeks to continue the legacy of art patronage by supporting artists who work in various disciplines and media. The AIR Program offers professional visual, literary, performing, and cross-disciplinary artists the opportunity to pursue innovative projects and studio work, connect with other artists, and engage the public while interacting with the historical, architectural, intellectual, archeological, and natural elements of the Estate’s inspiring environment. Since 2006, the Deering Estate has welcomed over 150 shared and collaborative residencies representing a broad scope of contemporary and traditional artistic practices.
The 2025 Deering AIR’s have made it their mission to reinvent past works and create new works during their residency. The history of the estate grounds is vast, filled to the brim with stories of overlooked peoples, past civilizations, powerful flora and fauna, all which challenge viewers to step out of their comfort zone. The Deering Estate has a monumental significance to the history of Miami. The beauty and grandeur of the waterfront historic homes and 460 acres of land, filled with unique ecosystems and one-of-a-kind organisms is so complex that narratives become untold, fading into the backdrop of history.
The artist’s self-imposed obligation to bring new life to characters, civilizations, flora, fauna and ecosystems forgotten permeates Deering’s Estate’s 2025 AIR group and the Deering Estate AIR Season Finale Exhibition.
Deering Estate at Fruit & Spice Park brings a unique natural and horticultural context to the AIR experience. Fruit & Spice Park is a Miami-Dade County one-of-a-kind tropical botanical garden showcasing over 500 varieties of exotic fruits, spices, herbs, vegetables, and nuts. Fruit & Spice Park offers immersive, sensory-rich programming: guided botanical tours, tasting experiences, educational workshops, and vibrant festivals such as the “Art in Bloom” event, which makes art accessible in a lush, interactive setting.
Deering Estate and Fruit & Spice Park, managed under the umbrella of Miami-Dade County’s Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces, embody the power of partnerships bridging distinct cultural, historic, and environmental venues. This collaboration enriches the community by allowing AIRs to present their work in a living laboratory of biodiversity, engaging new audiences and fostering cross-disciplinary dialogue where art, nature, agriculture, and education intersect.
Exhibiting artists: Dona Altemus, Enma Saiz, Karen Rifas, Gretchen Scharnagl, Carolina Zugina, Lissette Schaeffler, Tony Fernandez, Anna Goraczko, Jeanne Jaffe, Andres Cabrera-Garcia, Andrea Clement, Giannina Dwin, Meg Wallace and Yessica Gispert.
The opening reception for the Deering Estate AIR Season Finale Exhibition will be on Sunday, November 16th, 2025, from 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm. The Deering Estate AIR Season Finale Exhibition will be on display from Sunday, November 16, 2025 – Friday, January 16, 2026, at Fruit and Spice Park, 24801 S.W. 187th Avenue, Miami, FL.
RSVP FOR EXHIBITION OPENING ONLINE
About Fruit and Spice Park
The Preston B. Bird/Mary Heinlein Fruit & Spice Park is the only tropical botanical garden of its kind in the United States. The tropical climate of the 37-acre facility can be found nowhere else in the continental U.S. and hosts over 500 varieties of fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs, and nuts, and other commercially important plant specimens from around the world. Accredited by ArbNet and Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), Fruit & Spice Park is recognized globally for the significance of its plant collection, educational outreach, scientific research, and commitment to plant conservation as part of the world’s leading network of botanical gardens. Fruit and Spice Park is also designated as one of seven Miami-Dade County “Heritage Parks” which have a vital role in our community’s history, environment and in providing recreational and cultural experiences.
Visitors are invited to sample fruits at the tasting counter inside the Park Store or enjoy fallen fruit found along the trail. A complimentary tour is offered daily at 11 AM and 1:30 PM, free with admission.