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Elliott Key Harbor and Campground Closed
Winds, surge and tides associated with Hurricane Sandy caused considerable damage to docks & boardwalk at Elliott Key. The harbor and campground are closed until further notice. University Dock remains open for day use only. More »
The Dante Fascell Visitor Center Gallery
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Artists have always played a crucial role in increasing awareness and inspiring stewardship of National Parks. Opened in 2002, the Dante Fascell Visitor Center gallery provides a space where contemporary artists, inspired by the beauty of Biscayne National Park and South Florida, can show their work. Past shows have included color and black-and-white photography, oil, acrylic, pastel and watercolor paintings, drawings, fiber, ceramics, collage and sculpture. Shows typically include a "Meet the Artist" reception, made possible by our sponsors. The gallery is open from 9:00 to 4:30 every day. For more information, please call the Dante Fascell Visitor Center at 305-230-7275. You can subscribe to the Gallery's e-mail list by sending a message here with the words ART LIST in the subject line.Open Through June2, 2013 Two Sides of Wild March 1 - May 31, 2013 
Two Sides of Wild
Copyright Carol Garvin and Cindy Russell
Two Sides of Wild, a collaborative show of paintings and photography by sisters-in-law Carol Garvin and Cindy Russell, is the newest show in Biscayne National Park's Dante Fascell Visitor Center Gallery. It features 27 images that portray both the park's wildlife and some of its wild history, including an elephant on Boca Chita Key, a fishing club on Elliott Key and the home of one of the park's most beloved former residents, Sir Lancelot Jones. The show runs from March 1 to May 31, 2013. A "Meet the Artists" Reception - featuring refreshments, an artist talk and a silent auction - will be held from 4:30 - 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 2, at the Dante Fascell Visitor Center located at 9700 SW 328 Street, 9 miles east of Homestead, Florida.
Biscayne National Park's diverse wildlife is rivaled only by its broad, varied and often raucous history. These two sides of "wild" served as the inspiration for this show. For 30 years, Carol Garvin (www.CarolGarvin.com) has been capturing magical scenes with her brush and watercolor paints. Her pieces instantly transport the viewer to a place of calm, tranquil beauty, and have been featured on posters, food labels, telephone book covers…and on the walls of some of the most prestigious art collectors in South Florida. For this show, Garvin visited parts of the park that once witnessed some pretty crazy stuff: wild parties at Stiltsville, elephant rides at Boca Chita, and ships wrecking on knife-edged reefs. While evidence of many of those scenes is scant, Garvin has brought them back to life on paper using extensive research in photo archives and in the corners of her own memories of enjoying these places over the decades.
Cindy Russell (www.Everglading.com) headed south to Miami from her rural Pennsylvania home after college, where she was introduced to Florida's wild lands by her aunt and uncle, and later by her husband Dave. Cindy was completely won over by the beauty of the flats and the diversity of life found there. Though employed at a Miami law firm, Cindy's passion is exploring anything and everything nature has to offer. When husband Dave began his career as a fly fishing, birding and nature guide, Cindy picked up a camera to help tell the story of the guiding business. Looking through the lens helped focus Cindy's attention on the intricacies of South Florida's amazing coastal ecosystems. Mentored by professional photographer and friend Oswaldo Saiki and her sister-in-law Carol Garvin, Cindy is now an avid nature photographer and is a Florida Naturalist, continuing her studies to become a Florida Master Naturalist through the University of Florida.
Two Sides of Wild is part of the park's Community Artists Program, started in 1997 as an outlet for the works of both established and emerging artists who are inspired by the beauty of Biscayne National Park. The program is made possible by the South Florida National Parks Trust through the generosity of Sedano's Supermarkets and the Miami-Dade County Division of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners. For more details about the exhibit, contact park ranger Gary Bremen at 305-230-1144, x007. For regular updates from the park, "like" us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/BiscayneNPS , or follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/BiscayneNPS. Opening June 7, 2013 Meet Your Biscayne Neighbours June 7 - September 2, 2013 
Portuguese Man o' War
Paul Marcellini
Paul Marcellini's Meet Your Biscayne Neighbours, a stunning exhibition of photographs of Biscayne National Park wildlife, opens to the public on June 7 in the park's Dante Fascell Visitor Center Gallery. Marcellini's work features intimate portraits of wild animals and plants photographed against a pure white background in a portable field studio that minimizes stress to the animal, many of which were saved from the by-catch of commercial fishing operations. The resulting images allow the focus to shift to each organism as an individual, highlighting all their details and intricacies. A "Meet the Artist" Reception - featuring refreshments, and a demonstration of the techniques used - will be held from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 9, at the Gallery located at 9700 SW 328 Street, 9 miles east of Homestead, Florida. The show is open daily from 9:00 to 4:30 through September 2, 2013. Admission is free. The show is part of the larger global Meet Your Neighbours (www.MeetYourNeighbours.net) photographic initiative that was cofounded in 2009 by Scottish photographer and writer Niall Benvie and American photographer Clay Bolt. "The project is dedicated to reconnecting people with the wildlife on their own doorsteps - and enriching their lives in the process," said Marcellini. "These creatures and plants are vital to people: they represent the first, and for some, the only contact with wild nature we have. Yet too often they are overlooked, undervalued." Paul Marcellini was born and raised in South Florida. Using the outdoors as an escape, he eventually went on to become a professional naturalist. Now a full time photographer, he specializes in landscapes and wildlife of Florida. Still pursuing a way to educate the public, he joined the Meet Your Neighbours photographic initiative. When not working on this project, you can find Paul selling his landscapes at the local art shows. Meet Your Biscayne Neighbours is part of the park's Community Artists Program, started in 1997 as an outlet for the works of both established and emerging artists who are inspired by the beauty of Biscayne National Park. The program is made possible by the South Florida National Parks Trust through the generosity of Sedano's Supermarkets and the Miami-Dade County Division of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners. For more details about the exhibit, contact park ranger Gary Bremen at 305-230-1144, x007. For regular updates from the park, "like" us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/BiscayneNPS , or follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/BiscayneNPS. Other Upcoming Shows Paintings by Shannon Crowell Paintings by Alex Yanes Photography by Constance Mier |
Did You Know?
Many sea turtles live in the waters of Biscayne National Park and often nest on the park's few sandy beaches. Park employees monitor nesting beaches each summer to protect new nests from raccoons and other predators. More...