The Stories Of Vizcaya
If you search Vizcaya on Google Earth, you’ll see a lush green space in the middle of Miami’s urban core. Those 50 acres, part of the original 180-acre James Deering estate, have been preserved as Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, a mix of formal gardens, a rockland hammock, a mangrove shore, and an exquisitely restored historic
With support from the Janet Traeger Salz Charitable Trust, the second annual event, Creative Vizcaya, occurred in March 2023. Inspired by Vizcaya’s rich historic art collection, architecture, and design, Creative Vizcaya connects students with local artists to participate in art-making workshops. The program served 275 students from Booker T. Washington Senior High School, Everglades Preparatory
The Rich and Forgotten History of Black Coconut Grove podcast is a collaboration between legacy residents of Coconut Grove, a small community in Miami, FL, and Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. Through history, stories of triumph and perseverance and hopes for the future, as told by legacy residents, we’ll learn how heritage is powerful and empowers
Gaston Lachaise Lachaise (1882–1935) joined the Vizcaya project in mid-1920 as the formal gardens were nearing completion. A prominent sculptor, he was commissioned to create sculptural work on top of decorative columns for the Marine Garden. This garden marked the transition from the formal gardens to the more natural and wild Lagoon Gardens that no
In 2018, Vizcaya initiated conversations with Black legacy residents of Coconut Grove about our shared connections to Bahamian heritage. We learned that elderly Grove residents were concerned about recording their history considering both their age and how quickly their neighborhood was changing. As a result of this connection, for three years Vizcaya has been engaged
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
