VOICES OF THE RIVER OF GRASS / @voicesoftheriverofgrass

Voices of the River of Grass will display artworks from their exhibition Disruptive Flow. Two indigenous artists Cayla Willie from the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, and Daniel Tommie from the Seminole Tribe of Florida will be performing live artistic demonstrations.

The artist participants are all of indigenous ancestry, their artworks and photographs invite us to participate and live the different cultural backgrounds that define them. They are expressions of ideas and also social statements of what is happening around us.

Featured Artists:

Camisha Cedartree, Amaris Cruz-Guerrero, Rev. Houston Cypress, Gunny, Aaliyah Johnson, Lisette Morales McCabe, Mae’anna Osceola-Hart, Alejandra Rubio, Daniel Tommie, Cayla Willie.

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Voices of the River of Grass is a non-profit that promotes Indigenous artists, and artist’s from Indigenous ancestry through diverse and creative platforms.

Through art we communicate, unite and educate the public on ecological and social issues, bringing out the inner strength of indigenous traditions.

Voices of the River of Grass is taking down the barriers of preconceived walls that build the artistic community. Become part of a new wave in the arts.

As the Miccosukee community honors their Lunar Calendar by planning ahead for the approaching New Year festivities, it’s a time to celebrate cultural traditions of song, story, and traditional agricultural practices. The textile arts of our indigenous hosts have evolved a practice of abstraction that was born independently but at the same time as other Western and European artists were innovating their own approaches to this method. Renée Manyari, Otter Clan, is arguably one of the most respected indigenous textile artists of the region, and she has coordinated a scintillating fashion show, to be paraded throughout the lush gardens of this unique South Florida landmark. A decolonial declaration of joy.

[dNASAb] / @dnasab

“Presenting works from an ongoing series titled “Faux Ecologies + Artificial reefs of the Nature-verse” which are hyper-mediated sculptures of reclaimed materials inspired by the growth of natural ecosystems, I see a unique opportunity to highlight the synergy between my visionary art and the lovely environments of the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. The Vizcaya Museum provides the perfect platform to showcase my illuminated sculptures, which are not only visually stunning but also convey an important message about the need for conservation and preservation. I am particularly drawn to the dichotomy between the materials used in the Vizcaya estate and those found in the waste-gyre of hyper-consumption and planned obsolescence. By integrating my art into the estate and gardens, I aim to create a dialogue that raises awareness about the importance of conservation and sustainable living. My sculptures, made from reclaimed materials, such as marine debris, dead corals, sea-fans and sponges I find decaying on the beach will be juxtaposed against the pristine beauty of the architecture and gardens; which were predominantly made with the calcified fossils of dead corals; creating a visually stunning contrast that is sure to spark conversation. I believe that this collaboration will result in a powerful and inspiring exhibition that engages visitors and promotes a deeper understanding of the relationship between art, history, and the environment.”

[dNASAb] has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture from Florida State University and has received numerous awards and scholarships, including an International Summer Residency at the Experimental Television Center, Owego, NY (2006), {where he worked with the “Wobulator,” Nam Jun Paik’s pioneering video synthesizer}, Artist Honoree at the BRIC Contemporary Art Gala and a scholarship at Harvestworks Digital Media Arts Center. He produced a solo installation of new works at Volta, New York (March, 2011), and a solo exhibition in New York with Frederieke Taylor Gallery (2010). He presented his work in the “Art Salon” Art Basel Miami Beach 2009. In 2014 [dNASAb] created multiple living coral reef sculptures for Bloomberg World Headquarters at 731 Lexington Avenue NYC “Sculpting Life, A re-contextualization of the living marine reef ecosystem.” The artist’s work has been published in the Washington Post, Sculpture magazine, Art Papers magazine, ART 21, and Reuters Television. He has exhibited his work worldwide, including New York, Moscow, Basel, Berlin, Seoul, Netherlands, Austria and Paris, and has collaborated with major companies such as Microsoft, Apple and Bloomberg. He has lived and worked in Brooklyn, NY, for 20 years and in 2017 set his attention to transforming a South Florida home into his studio and showroom. The artist’s work is a fusion of the current and future, as he explores the unknown effects of technology on humanity and the environment, while also imagining a utopian future where life continues to flourish among and in unison with technology.

REV. HOUSTON R. CYPRESS, OTTER CLAN / @love_the_everglades

“Poetry is the foundation of my multidimensional practice – artistic, spiritual, coalition-building. My Miccosukee roots urge me to sing to the land as a matter of protocol, of respect, and joy. I’m also inspired by Bob Marley who encourages us to ‘chant down Babylon’ in the beautiful struggle for dignity in the face of oppression. I invite friends and family to join me in dismissing the colonial matrix of power with our own joyous choreographies of word-sound-power inspired by the fecundity of this land. I believe that gender diversity is just one of the streams of sustenance that will help us to divine and honor the wisdom that is inherent in the natural world to which we belong. I invite you to join me in creating portals between worlds.”

Houston believes that when it comes to environmental conservation, indigenous rights are everyone’s rights, and that creative solidarity with nature means expanding our praxis of “chosen family.” He in-joys bringing communities together through art and technology. He serves on the Miccosukee Tribe’s Environmental Advisory Committee, and also their Festival Committee. He’s been serving the Love The Everglades Movement for 10 years – an environmental nonprofit concerned with indigenous solidarity, action, art, multifaith coalition-building, and reciprocity with nature. He presented at Institute of Contemporary Art Miami’s Art + Research Center, and contributed to their Digital Commissions. He also recently co-created a short film, executive produced by Superblue and Nowness. Recent artist residencies include the Heat Exchange, the Thread Residency, the Oolite Arts Studio Residency, and the Ringling HAT Residency. Houston received the Everglades Coalition’s 2022 Grassroots Activism Award; the 2022 Marjory Stoneman Douglas Poetry Award from O, Miami and the Biscayne Nature Center; and The Ellies 2022 Social Justice Award from Oolite Arts. He and Gunny also helped to produce the first 2LGBTQ+ Pride Festival on Miccosukee homelands.

Every person, regardless of age or member status, is required to have a ticket and will not be admitted without one. Tickets must be purchased in advance and are not sold at door.

Making a donation to Vizcaya Museum and Gardens does not grant entry to this program. Health and safety regulations remain in place. This program is rain or shine.

All refund requests must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on March 13, 2023. No-shows and late arrivals are not eligible for a refund.

For general admission, make a refund request on the Eventbrite sales page.

To cancel member tickets, email chris.rodriguez@vizcaya.org.

Vizcaya members get discounted tickets to community programs like this! They also get unlimited free daytime visits to the estate and other great perks.

Learn more about these perks and check out the membership options by clicking below.

By entering Vizcaya’s premises, you consent to your likeness being captured in photos, videos or audio as well as the release, publication, exhibition and reproduction of these. For more details, see the Film and Photography Notice.