Art and nature involved – Fort Myers Florida Weekly

Mangroven have a moment.

With their thick, confused branches and partially submerged roots, mangrove plants in the southwest of Florida and on subtropical coasts around the world are a frequent sight. They are also a strong symbol for ecological networking.

These robust plants offer hundreds of species a significant habitat, filter pollutants from the brackish waters in which they thrive, and protect the coastal lines from increasing waters when the climate heats up. They even have their own special day, July 26, which was referred to by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization as an international mangrove day.

“They also offer us space for contemplation, reflection, relaxation and mental health,” said Dianne Brás-Feliciano, curator of a new multimedia art exhibition, “in the mangroves: Florida Landscape through installation” in the Baker Museum in Naples. “Although they don't have to do anything for us, do it.”

Brás-Feliciano, who came to Baker's employees in May 2023, has created a specially driven exhibition that was recently opened and is about the idea of ​​entangling in nature.

“The whole concept of the show is that we are all intertwined. We are all involved,” she said. “So you can't say that you don't take care of the surroundings because you are part of it.

The show shows nine artists from all over South Florida, whose work is deeply embedded in our natural environment. Their paintings, drawings, prints, photos, videos and sculptural installations celebrate the beauty of the Everglades landscapes and creatures and at the same time express a profound concern about ecological threats with which the region is exposed. Until September 21, the show is one of the most ambitious exhibits that can be seen on site this year, both for the quality of the work of art and for its warm message.

Local art

“What makes this project unique is that nine contemporary artists work in our rooms in a local way,” said Courtney McNeil, director and main curator of the Baker Museum. “Our team worked with the artists for many months to ensure that we could bring their vision to life in a way that would work in our respective rooms.”

For example, Nathalie Alfonso came with several assistants from the Miami area, not only to install her work, but also to create them on the spot. She and her team spent a week on the second floor of the baker and created an abstract drawing directly on a gallery. With colorful pastels, they pulled a 56 -foot long mural that causes the huge horizontality of the Everglades.

As with Alfonso's piece, many other works in the exhibition are very large. It is as if the artists could react no other than to the outrageous of the Everglades, which today consists of around 1.5 million tomorrow wetlands, river systems, hardwood hammocks, mangrove forests and cypress smells in Südflorida from the Gulf Coast to the Atlantic.

The Miami artist Dery Cowdy contributed a three-part oil painting with a size of nine x 13 1/2 feet, huge for working on paper. The gold-ttelled image ranked in silver leaf paper shows wooden storks that finely pick through an aqueous landscape. It has a rich, bright quality that it looks like it is part of an esteemed memory.

“During the Covid pandemic, I took long walks through the Everglades and looked for pictures,” said Cowdy on her website. “The concentration on external reflections led to inner reflection and deepened my connection to the (the) environment.”

The artist and educator Beatriz Chachhamovits has created a multimedia installation that invites the audience to immerse themselves in the sea life of coral reefs. A few years ago, she moved from Brazil to Miami, where she was enchanted by the sparkling, rainbow chewing beauty of underwater plants and creatures during her first snorkeling experience. Since then, when she was immersed in the underwater life, Chachhamovits has become increasingly aware that the damage to her beloved reefs by coral bleach is caused due to warming water, acidification of the ocean and other types of pollution.

Your installation waves with colorful plexiglass excerpts from fish and different coral types. Ceramic sculptures of underwater shapes are housed in plate -like “curiosity cabins”, which show their fascinating forms and textures. In addition, a new series of complicated drawings in colored pencil shows imaginary female figures in underwater settings on translucent parchment paper. She calls her “Curandeiras”. The word refers to traditional Brazilian folk healers who use plants and other natural substances to treat diseases. Her Curandeiras embody the hope that the health of marine waters can be restored by combating climate change.

Indigenous voices

When she started organizing this exhibition, Brás-Feliciano believed that it was important to include the perspectives of people who live in the country in Everglades. She worked closely with members of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indian in Florida, including William J. Oscola, secretary of the Miccosukee Business Council, who contributed an introduction to the show available in autumn. She also advised Kevin Cunniff, Chief Sustainability Officer of the tribe.

“All voice should be heard,” she said. “We try to think about solutions.

The work of art by Houston R. Cypress, a member of the Otter clan of the tribe and an advocate of the local arts and culture, is included in the show. An ordained minister who describes his calling as “loved ones of the Everglades”, his lyrical five -minute film entitled “… what duration …” is shown in the gallery. In it, he and a colleague visit the Miccosukee Reserve and other Everglades countries, “speak to the world and listen deeply for their answer”, as he says in his story.

The writer and photographer Lisette Morales McCabe, based in Naples, has dealt with her camera with her camera into the cultural life of traditional communities in Immokalee for many years. Some of her large photographic pictures are on the show, including a strong photo of the Miccosukee educator and environmentalist Betty Oscola. McCabe often examines the Big Cypress National Preserve and other remote areas, which helps her find a spiritual balance through a connection to nature.

“I feel very, very lively in the Everglades,” she said. “When I see the light, when I see the water, I feel a connection to a higher performance.”

Brás-Feliciano has also been involved in the Everglades since she moved to Naples almost two years ago.

“You can find me there on most weekends,” she remarked, touching her husband and 8-year-old son at places such as the Fakahate Beach Preserve State Park or the crew ends up in the districts of Southern Lee and Northern Collier. “So I will be renewed to start working again, hopefully to think about the things we can reach.”

Special programs

On March 21st at 6 p.m., the museum organizes a panel discussion with three artists who take part in the exhibition. Introduced by William J. Oscola from the Miccosukee -Stamm, Jennifer Basile, Amalia Caputo and Gretchen Scharnagl, will discuss the role of environmental representative in their creative practice. Tickets cost $ 25 and include entry to the museum on the same day.

Art after hours on March 26th offers the baker free admission from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., with live music in the courtyard and food and drinks offered for sale. ®

In knowledge

The Baker Museum

· Where: 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples

· Hours: Tue.-sat., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sun, 12 p.m.

· Permit: Adults, $ 10; Students and active military (with ID), 5 US dollars; Snap EBT card holder, $ 1; Free for members and children from the age of 17.

-Janice T. Paine is an art and cultural writer based in Naples