Earth • Air • Water: Biscayne National Park Gallery Exhibit Features Fiber Art by Melani Kane Brewer

“Nature has always been an important theme in my artwork and in my life,” said Brewer.

Carribean Octopus by Melani Kane Brewer

News Release Date: December 29, 2016

Contact: Gary Bremen, 305-230-1144 x007

HOMESTEAD, Fla. --- The newest exhibit in Biscayne National Park’s Dante Fascell Visitor Center Gallery features twenty-one pieces of three-dimensional fabric art created by South Florida fiber artist Melani Kane Brewer. Earth • Air • Water highlights wildlife found in the area’s four national parks, and is the final show in a series celebrating the National Park Service Centennial. The exhibit is open from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM daily, and runs through February 19, 2017. A full moonrise reception featuring refreshments and a talk by the artist will take place from 7:00 – 9:00 PM on Saturday, January 14, 2017. Admission to the show and the reception is free.
 
Brewer’s works can take hundreds of hours to complete. Minuscule pieces of fabric, threads and yarns are meticulously assembled into incredibly detailed depictions of animals and their habitats. “The works beg to be touched, just to prove to one’s self that they are not really tree bark, feathers or flowers,” said the Gallery’s curator, Park Ranger Gary Bremen. “Of course, we ask that people not touch the work, but it is SO tempting.”
 
“Nature has always been an important theme in my artwork and in my life,” said Brewer. “My two passions, art and biology, are used to create the imagery in my art. My signature style is three-dimensional art created from fabric. I prefer a realistic interpretation of each plant or animal, and having a background in biology makes that all the more possible.”
 
Earth • Air • Water is part of the park’s Community Artists Program, started in 1997 as an outlet for the works of 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. Additional support comes from donations by the show’s visitors.
 
For more information about Biscayne National Park visit nps.gov/bisc or follow the park on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram at “biscaynenps.”
 

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About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 413 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.