See Sides Mixed Media Art Exhibit

Bubble Algae

Maya Schonenberger

News Release Date: January 22, 2008

Contact: Gary Bremen, 305-230-1144, x3084

South Florida fiber artist Maya Schonenberger will open a solo exhibition of her work at Biscayne National Park’s Dante Fascell Visitor Center Gallery on Friday, February 8, 2008. See Sides features mixed media interpretations of many of the park’s lesser-known plants and animals. The show opens with a “Meet the Artist” reception from 7-9 p.m. on February 8, and continues daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through May 11. Both the show and the reception are free and open to the public. The Dante Fascell Visitor Center is located at 9700 SW 328 Street, 9 miles east of Homestead, Florida.

Schonenberger’s art uses multiple layers of fabric, fibers, paper, print material, paint and a variety of other materials to create an incredible impression of depth, color and texture. This show includes works from two of her older series, as well as new works created specifically for this show. Her “Stretched to the Limit” series features human figures in various yoga poses in natural settings. The “Urban Sprawl” series highlights South Florida’s expansive, and often destructive, growth, leaving behind large areas of concrete, asphalt and polluted waters. Her new works include interpretations of a variety of marine algaes including mermaid’s wineglass and bubble algae, as well as conch, sea slugs, anemones and more.

A native of Basel, Switzerland, Schonenberger has shown her work across the United States and Europe, where . She has been featured in several Quilt National touring exhibitions, as well as being published in two editions of Quilt National — The Best in Contemporary Quilts. She also teaches regularly in the U.S. and Europe. “As a sailor and snorkeler, I spend almost every weekend on the water enjoying the rich animal and plant life in the water,” say Schonenberger. “The beauty and quietness of the water fills me with strength and new ideas for my work.”

See Sides is part of the park’s Community Artists program, and is made possible by the South Florida National Parks Trust through the generosity of Miami-Dade County’s Cultural Affairs Division, The First National Bank of South Florida and Sedano’s Supermarkets.

For further information on the exhibit, call 305-230-7275.