The Stories Of Vizcaya
In 2018, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens began engaging with long-time Black residents of Coconut Grove to explore their shared Bahamian heritage. Through these conversations, we learned that many elderly residents were deeply concerned about preserving their personal histories amid rapid neighborhood changes. The First Forum Motivated by this sense of urgency, Vizcaya dedicated three years...
Every year, Vizcaya receives thousands of visitors who are intrigued by the array of historical décor and objects of centuries past. Upon entering the Entrance Hall, they are greeted by a pair of ornamental vases that Vizcaya’s patron, James Deering (1859-1925), acquired in July of 1916. Both marble objects are modeled after celebrated antique vases...
The central courtyard of Vizcaya’s Main House is one of our more unique landscapes and, as such, comes with its own challenges. According to the museum’s archival records, full-size trees were initially planned to be planted in the courtyard in 1916. However, photographic evidence suggests that they were removed a few years later, likely because...
Global warming and climate change are global phenomena, but there are many things we can do as individuals to help mitigate their effects. Or, shall we say, help mitigate our own carbon footprint. If you’ve got a case of the green thumb, then you may be unaware that some of your gardening habits could be...
The candelabra found in Vizcaya’s Living Room is an interesting object. It is mainly composed of 11 stackable elements, the oldest of which dates from the first or second century A.D., and later pieces from as late as the seventeenth or eighteenth centuries. Researchers have also identified it as one of the ancient marvels found...
By Rebecca Peterson Inspiration In 2015, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens held a symposium on American artist Robert Winthrop Chanler (1872 – 1930). Chanler was one of several contemporary artists commissioned to create work for the estate. He produced an “undersea fantasy” fresco for the ceiling of Vizcaya’s swimming pool and a folding screen that adorns...
This is a landmark year for Vizcaya. The museum is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the formal gardens, which were completed in 1922. While Vizcaya’s gardens are known to be among the most elaborate in the United States, this is not only due to their natural wonders. These exemplary green spaces also hold historic significance...
With support from the Janet Traeger Salz Charitable Trust, Vizcaya launched a new educational program, Creative Vizcaya, that connects students with local artists to participate in art-making workshops. In May 2022, the program served a total of 210 students from Booker T. Washington Senior High School, Miami Norland Senior High School, Miami Springs Senior High...
This larger-than-life stone sculpture dates to the eighteenth century and has been welcoming visitors to the entrance Piazza at Vizcaya since 1916, the year construction for the main house was finished. Like all other objects and furniture in the house, the statue was acquired by James Deering with the savvy eye of his artistic director,...
In celebration of Pride Month, we would like to highlight Louis A. Koons Jr. (1881-1929). Born in Massillon, Ohio, Koons was employed at Vizcaya between 1916 and 1921 as clerk and assistant to Artistic Director Paul Chalfin (1874-1959). He helped document Vizcaya’s object collection through the card catalogue with his beautiful penmanship. The card catalogue...
