Bridging Past Present and Future: Reflecting on our Centennial
FALL 2018
Vizcaya's founder, James Deering, was Vice President of the farm equipment manufacturer International Harvester. Deering first occupied Vizcaya as his winter home on Christmas Day, 1916, and he enjoyed the property until his death in 1925. More than twenty-five years later, Vizcaya became a public museum due to the efforts of his nieces, Barbara Deering Danielson and Marion Deering McCormick. Today, one hundred years after Deering took residence, Vizcaya still stands strong, thanks to the support of a dedicated and generous community of individuals and organizations. In late 2016, we began a festive and active year of celebrating Vizcaya's centennial while also preparing for the future of this Miami landmark and gathering place. We paid tribute to the creative, passionate and resilient men and women who built, preserved and activated Vizcaya, and we launched important programmatic and governance initiatives to better serve our visitors and our community in the years ahead. Through the centennial and beyond, we are focusing on Vizcaya's enduring value as a place that bridges past, present and future and contributes to the vitality and sustainability of our region.
TABLE OF CONTENTS A Century of Culture Sharing History and Creating Memories Joining Forces to Overcome Adversity
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A Year of Recognition and Support New Governance for Ongoing Success Thank You to Vizcaya's Supporters
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Revitalizing the Vizcaya Village
A CULTURE From its inception, Vizcaya reflected James Deering's interests in art, history and the natural environment and in doing so, anticipated the internationalism and creativity for which Miami is known today. Deering filled Vizcaya with art and antiquities from around the world, and he commissioned new works from living artists to complete his vision. Laborers and craftsmen of diverse backgrounds built Vizcaya, including Bahamians who applied their shell craft to the exquisite garden grottos. Across South Miami Avenue from the Main House and gardens, Deering built the Vizcaya Village. The Village housed Vizcaya's staff, while its facilities, such as a farm complete with cattle, poultry and greenhouses, helped support the estate. Vizcaya quickly became a Miami hot spot—a place that exemplified waterfront living in Miami, where Deering entertained his guests and to which the public was regularly invited to explore the gardens and grounds. After Deering's death, his nieces worked to ensure Vizcaya's future and its accessibility to the public. In 1952, they conveyed the estate's buildings, grounds and art collections to Dade (now Miami-Dade) County, beginning Vizcaya's new chapter as public museum and gardens. Because it is both uniquely beautiful and emblematic of Miami, Vizcaya has, since then, attracted millions of locals and visitors from around the world for educational, cultural and social experiences. Vizcaya's immersive qualities—uniting art, history and the natural environment— position it as a key resource to learn from the past, understand the present and help shape the future. CENTURY OF
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SHARING HI STORY AND CREATING MEMORIES
Vizcaya's centennial events included diverse creative programs that brought the community together to celebrate the past, honor the present and plan for the future. Vizcaya is best known for its ingeniously designed Main House and gardens, but those features are only part of the estate. Throughout its one hundred years, Vizcaya has witnessed and made history, resulting in a rich tapestry of stories. The centennial provided the perfect opportunity for sharing such stories and for advancing our vision of Vizcaya as an inclusive and innovative cultural hub. PUBLICATIONS AND EXHIBITIONS We partnered with The University of Chicago Press to publish Big Bosses: A Working Girl's Memoir of Jazz Age America , the poignant 1930s' memoir of Althea McDowell Altemus, who worked as James Deering's private secretary at Vizcaya in the late 1910s. Edited by University of Miami historian Robin Bachin, this book project held an important place in our efforts to learn more about Vizcaya's diverse past. Big Bosses provides unprecedented insight into life at Vizcaya and the challenges that working women faced in early twentieth-century America. Vizcaya hosted several Big Bosses' events to honor Altemus and her contribution to Vizcaya and to reflect upon the relevance of her experiences to society today. Vizcaya has been presenting site-specific art installations through the Contemporary Arts Program (CAP) for ten years. Our centennial CAP exhibition, Lost Spaces and Stories of Vizcaya , held May 2016–October 2017, presented insight into forgotten and/or unexplored aspects of Vizcaya through projects by eleven South Florida artists/artist teams. Vizcaya shared these art projects with the public through well- attended programs and events during Art Basel and the entire year. Additionally, Vizcaya proudly commemorated one hundred years of contemporary art and ten years of CAP with a publication documenting creative activity, past and present, at the estate. In addition to the projects by professional artists, through CAP Lab, Vizcaya partnered with Florida International University and the University of New Mexico to create a corollary exhibition of student work exploring the “lost” history of the Vizcaya Village. A few of our most important centennial events and activities are discussed here.
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THE VIZCAYA VILLAGE Many of Vizcaya's previously unexplored stories unfolded in the Vizcaya Village, which was critical to Vizcaya's identity and operations in Deering's time. During the centennial, we threw open the gates to the Village and welcomed the public to engage in lively dialogue about our vision for this property. More than four thousand visitors attended three free Open Houses over the course of the year to explore the charming historic campus, participate in hands-on art-making and farming activities, learn about the staff who lived and worked in the Village, and provide feedback on our plans to revitalize the Village as a center for community-based programming. Several other programs also reactivated the Village, including an evening of “Edible Odes” (poems about Florida's food) as part of the O, Miami Poetry Festival; student art exhibits investigating the history of the Village; and, in partnership with New York- based artists Processional Arts Workshop, a week of public art-making culminating in a dramatic nighttime lantern procession for one thousand people inspired by the 1922 farm diary of Vizcaya's garden supervisor I. N. Court. These programs demonstrated the Village's exciting programmatic potential.
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SCIENCE AND THE ENVIRONMENT During the centennial, we expanded our commitment to exploring aspects of Vizcaya's complex relationship with the natural environment, an integral element of our mission. In 2017, Vizcaya launched its participation in BayDrift, a partnership with scientists of the Consortium for Advanced Research on Transport of Hydrocarbon in the Environment at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science. Using eco- friendly drift cards, the ongoing project tracks the flow of debris in Biscayne Bay with the goal, in part, of understanding the origins of litter in our mangroves. In April 2017, Vizcaya hosted its second annual BioBlitz, a 48-hour event in which over 350 mostly student participants joined scientists to study Vizcaya's rich biodiversity, identifying and recording animal and plant species throughout the estate. Our interest in elevating the study of science at Vizcaya also led us to join the Plant Collections Network, through which we committed to being a North American repository for preserving and researching a specific variety of staghorn fern as well as other genera of plants.
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STUDENTS AND FAMILIES Outreach to children and families is a central aspect of our work, and we successfully ramped up this activity in our centennial year, with the goal of establishing a new baseline for broader youth engagement. During this year, more than five thousand students had the opportunity to enjoy Vizcaya through Miami-Dade Public Schools' Cultural Passport and Museum Education Program partnerships and other programs. Thanks to generous donor support, Vizcaya provided free admission to approximately three thousand students and free bus transportation to about fifty Miami-Dade County schools, most of which represented underserved communities. In addition, Vizcaya launched a new monthly family program during the centennial, and each month the museum provided a community-based organization with one hundred free family passes, building on a several-year tradition of ensuring accessibility. Vizcaya also established a regular program for hosting summer camps, accommodating more than 650 campers ages five to eighteen during the summer of 2017, with many of these groups receiving free bus transportation and admission.
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Vizcaya has stood the test of time, having survived one hundred years of Florida hurricanes, and the estate persevered again during the centennial year with the strike of Hurricane Irma in September 2017. The Main House's poured-in-place concrete construction fared well against the strong winds. The storm surge was another story. Saltwater, seaweed and debris inundated the estate's gardens, flooded the Main House basement and Café and Shop, and the wind caused extensive damage to the rockland hammock. The Barge, Tea House and boat landing all sustained significant damage that will take time and financial resources to repair. The community rallied in support of Vizcaya. More than five hundred volunteers helped clear debris from the gardens and grounds. The three-week-long labor of love allowed Vizcaya to reopen to the public twenty days after the storm, on October 1, 2017. This outpouring of help demonstrated our community's passion for Vizcaya, and Hurricane Irma has only strengthened our resolve to play a leadership role in discussions on resiliency and climate change in South Florida. JOINING FORCES TO OVERCOME ADVERSITY
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REVITALIZING THE VIZCAYA VILLAGE
The historic Vizcaya Village, nestled beneath large banyan trees, is located across South Miami Avenue from the Main House and gardens. The Village was a bustling part of the estate, providing resources required to serve Deering and his guests. Eleven buildings remain in the Village and are included as part of Vizcaya's National Historic Landmark designation. The Village is in need of renovation after having been largely vacant for years, and during the centennial Vizcaya formalized plans for the Village's complete revitalization. Vizcaya will restore the historic Village buildings and landscapes to create new spaces, new stories and new programs for community learning and enjoyment. The Village revitalization will provide public access to the campus of historic architecture and native plants and to the stories of those who lived and worked there. It will enable Vizcaya to offer enhanced visitor services and amenities. Additionally, Village programming will feature community-based urban farming initiatives that link the property's agricultural past to current interests in farm-to-table and healthy eating. Just steps from public transit and the future Underline, the Village will welcome pedestrians, joggers, cyclists, school groups and families. Vizcaya developed this plan for the Village revitalization in partnership with M.C. Harry Associates and Quinn Evans Architects. The Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners approved Vizcaya's visionary plan to restore, repair and revitalize the Village. The approval was granted midway through the centennial year, on July 6, 2017. Activity is already underway to implement the first of three phases.
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MISSION STATEMENT Preserving Vizcaya's cultural and environmental resources to engage people in connecting with the past, understanding the present and shaping the future.
VISION STATEMENT Vizcaya is an enduring, inclusive and innovative place that inspires people to embrace the cultural vitality and environmental sustainability of the world around us.
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Vizcaya's centennial continued the upward trend in visitation that we have experienced for the past decade—with a thirteen percent increase in visitation over the prior year. During the centennial year, 311,000 people experienced the history and beauty of the estate, a testament to Vizcaya's enduring and inclusive sense of place. This year, Vizcaya was honored to receive significant recognition for its research, preservation and programmatic accomplishments. The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works awarded Vizcaya the prestigious Ross Merrill Award for exemplary work and commitment to the preservation and care of its cultural property. The Ross Merrill Award is given to a single U.S. museum or library each year; the prior recipient was Harvard University. Vizcaya also was a Shortlist Award recipient of the J.M. Kaplan Fund's 2017 Alice Award for the book Robert Winthrop Chanler: Discovering the Fantastic , co- published by Vizcaya and The Monacelli Press in 2016. Documenting the life and work of Chanler, a high-profile early twentieth-century artist who created Vizcaya's extraordinary “under-the-sea” Swimming Pool Grotto mural, the publication was honored along with books produced by New York University, Saint Louis Art Museum and the Bard Graduate Center. The publication has helped re-establish Chanler's notable place in the history of art and reaffirmed Vizcaya's commitment and responsibility to restore the Swimming Pool Grotto in the years ahead.
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Vizcaya was one of twelve museums nationally to receive a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to explore new ways that technology can connect people with art. Vizcaya was already using 3D modeling to document vulnerable elements of the estate, such as the Chanler Swimming Pool Grotto mural and the bayfront Barge. The Knight Foundation grant enabled us to build on this work and use interactive digital media and 3D prints to make these physically inaccessible spaces virtually accessible to our visitors and online audience. Vizcaya's technology initiatives are planned in conjunction with our community-based Technology Advisory Committee, which formed in our centennial year. We are proud that Vizcaya's two centennial-year grant applications to the Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources to support rehabilitation of the Main House roof and conservation of the Chanler Swimming Pool Grotto mural were each ranked number one in their respective Historic Preservation Special Category and Small Matching grant programs. We are grateful to all of those responsible for recognizing the importance and supporting the preservation of Vizcaya for the past century. We give special thanks to our many friends who provided financial support during the centennial through generous donations, memberships and participation in our Annual Vizcaya Ball and Preservation Luncheon. It is with your assistance that Vizcaya will continue to thrive.
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For more than sixty years, the County ensured Vizcaya's survival and managed it as a public museum. Vizcaya's ongoing evolution as a complex cultural resource and our ambitious plans for the revitalization of the Village led Vizcaya's stakeholders and County officials to conclude that the landmark's ongoing success would be most effectively accomplished through a new governance structure, whereby the County would continue to own Vizcaya's buildings, grounds and art collections, and a non- profit entity would be responsible for its operations. The Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners approved this new governance structure during the centennial year. On October 1, 2017, in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Irma, Vizcaya began its new life as a non-profit organization under the management of the 501(c)(3) Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Trust, Inc. (VMGTI). Building upon existing volunteer and staff leadership, VMGTI is committed to advancing Vizcaya's role as a place of learning and exchange that contributes to the vitality and sustainability of our community. VMGTI and Miami- Dade County are close partners in this strategic effort to preserve this national treasure and make it ever more alluring, engaging and relevant for the millions of children, students, families and adults who will enjoy Vizcaya in the years ahead. NEW GOVERNANCE FOR ONGOING SUCCESS
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Vizcaya extends its deepest appreciation to each individual, foundation, corporation and governmental agency that supported the organization and its operations during fiscal year 2016–2017. It is through your generous support that Vizcaya was able to achieve the accomplishments highlighted in this report. It is a pleasure to recognize the following donors who contributed $1,000 and above, including James Deering Society donors, as well as members at the $250 level and above, who joined or renewed between October 1, 2016 and September 30, 2017. THANK YOU TO VIZCAYA’ S SUPPORTERS
DONORS
Brett Abess Jayne and Leonard Abess Africair, Inc. Lourdes Almagro Araujo Artefacto Atwater Kent Foundation Audrey Love Charitable Foundation Pearl Baker Katz Trish and Dan Bell Yolanda and Jeffrey Berkowitz Samuel J. Boldrick Betty M. Brandt Eilah Campbell-Beavers Roxanne and Marsden Cason The Charles N. & Eleanor Knight Leigh Foundation Chauncey and Marion D. McCormick Family Foundation Amanda Church
David A. Klein Foundation Deering Foundation Gabriela R. Delgado Swanee and Paul DiMare The Duchossois Family Foundation Douglas Elliman
Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture The Foundation of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation Patricia and Phillip Frost Gibraltar Private Bank & Trust Company Andrea and Andrew Greystoke Barbara and Jose Hevia Stella M. Holmes Daysi Johansson John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Cathy L. Jones Kaufman Rossin J. Megan Kelly Maricruz and Michael Latner Aida T. Levitan and Fernando Petit Lido Jewelry, Inc.
City National Bank Graciela Cordeiro
The Cowles Charitable Trust The Danielson Foundation Heide and Jose Dans
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DONORS CONTINUED
Lladró USA, Inc. Marile and Jorge Luis Lopez Lopez-Cantera Charitable Foundation Catherine Anne Markert Christina and David Martin Mondriaan Fund Munilla Family Foundation Nievera Williams Landscape Architecture Northern Trust Bank Carly and Steve Patterson RLA Conservation of Art + Architecture, Inc. The Rosenstiel Foundation
Gladys Rustan-Hernando Staci J. Rutman Suzanne and Eugene Sayfie Stephen M. Strachan Lydia Touzet Silvia Trinidad The Villagers, Inc. Josie Wang Alexa and Adam Wolman Suzy Buckley Woodward Zickler Family Foundation
JAMES DEERING SOCIETY
Laurel Allen Mary and Donald Altemus Lourdes Almagro Araujo Kay and Robert Apfel Alice and Esteban Arguelles Gabrielle and Frank Armstrong Art Basel Miami Beach Hal F. Birchfield Samuel J. Boldrick Melanie and Doug Broeker Bobette and Doug Campbell Ed Casado Graciela Cordeiro Judy and Hugo Corrales Beverly Danielson
Diane S. Heller Ann L. Henderson
Joel Hoffman and John Stuart The Holzer Family Foundation House of Huston Foundation James Deering Danielson Foundation/ Charles Seitz Sallye Jude Irene M. Kaynor Maricruz and Michael Latner Elizabeth Lotspeich Terri and John Mason Barnaby Min Beth Ann and Tony Morgenthau Museo Vault Tanagra and Martin Netsky Velma and Paul Papier Raul Rodriguez Susan and Robert Shelly Lorraine and Stephen Sonnabend Andrew C. Ware Westminster Barrington Foundation William A. Siekman Foundation
Roxanne and John Davies Ekaterina and Juan Delgado Robert C. Dinerstein Do Unto Others Trust, Inc. Maria and Bud Farrey Jeanette Goodman Teresa and Bill Hansen Marcia Hayes and G. Daniel Prigmore Kathy Heinly
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CONSERVATOR AND PRESERVATIONIST MEMBERS
Lisa and Cassidy Abbott Fazia Ali and Brian Smith Marcia and Ricardo Alvarez Diana Arteaga Natalia and John Bailly Tania and Christopher Baros Jennifer Chaney and Randall Snyder Evelyn Chesney Michael Costello Maureen Cullinan and William Pelham David Dajani and Ron Isriel Colombe de Lastours and Patrick Rivet Isabella and Fernando Fanucchi Pamela Garrison Sorelly Gill and Louis Martos Mirta Gonzalez and Alfredo Horta Nancy and Robert Green Joy and Charles Intriago Remko Jansonius Linda Gail Levy and Jose Maria Armesto Marta and Jeff Liroff Christina and David Martin
Claudia Mendez and Francisco Touron Tamara and Richard Morgenstern Gale and Glenn Patron Francoise Pratt Yuliia and Matthew Richard Robert L. Roth Stephanie Samandar and Jeff Settembrino Michelle and Alan Sandler Yolanda Sardinas Diane Sepler Valeria and Andrew Simon Donald G. Smith Carlos Sosa Denis and Samuel Spencer Blum Melissa Stanford and Steven E. Davis Margaret Stookey Flippy and Harold Tanenbaum Silvia Trinidad Ana Tris and Javier Gonzalez Allison Claire Wertheimer Wendy Wolf Michael Yu
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GOVERNANCE Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Trust
Stella M. Holmes Cathy L. Jones* Megan Kelly Inson Kim Donald A. Kress* William Meyersohn* Barnaby Min Josefina Mobley* Jeffrey A. Rynor Harry Tapias* Jose A. Villalobos
Rayfield M. McGhee, Chair* Shawn Khosravi, Vice Chair* Carlton W. Cole, Treasurer* Laura C. Munilla, Secretary* Max Blumberg Angel Cabrera Franccesca Cesti-Browne Ruth Clyne Lyse Cuellar-Vidal* Mireille Chancy Gonzalez* Kathy Heinly*
*Also serve Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Trust, Inc. Board of Directors
VIZCAYA VOLUNTEER GUIDES ADVISORY COUNCIL
Bill McDonald, Stewardship Advisor Jo Mobley, Membership Support Advisor
Graciela Cordeiro, Membership Advisor Kathy Heinly, Trust Representative
Photographers: Miami-Dade County staff, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens staff, WorldRedEye.com, Ben Thacker, Bill Sumner and David Almeida. Vizcaya is operated by the non-profit Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Trust and owned and supported by Miami-Dade County.
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Help ensure that this majestic estate is around for another one hundred years for all to experience and enjoy!
Please donate today.
Your contribution will help advance our preservation efforts, educational programming and support everyday maintenance of this American treasure. Make your charitable donation at www.vizcaya.org/donate or mail the completed form below to:
Annual Fund, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, 3251 South Miami Avenue, Miami, FL 33129.
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o Yes, please add me to Vizcaya's mailing and email distribution lists for the latest programming information and other news. (Vizcaya will never rent, sell or share your information.) For more information, please contact the Advancement Division at (305) 860-8420. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. REGISTRATION# CH42283
3251 South Miami Avenue Miami, Florida 33129
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens 3251 South Miami Avenue, Miami, Florida 33129 305-250-9133 | vizcayainformation@vizcaya.org | www.vizcaya.org
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