Deering Estate presents Tony Fernandez and Jorge Gonzalez-Graupera: Witnessing Eden exhibition

The Deering Estate is proud to present Tony Fernandez and Jorge Gonzalez-Graupera: Witnessing Eden curated by Liliam Dominguez. The exhibition will run from September 8 – November 10, 2024 in the Deering Estate Great Hall Gallery in the Stone House.  

This exhibition will showcase photographs by current Artists-in-Residence Tony Fernandez and Jorge Gonzalez-Graupera. The images displayed in the Great Hall will be in conversation regarding the unparalleled connection between nature and the observer. Each photographer will interpret the grandeur of the Deering Estate as botanist John Kunkel Small once expressed in his book From Eden to Sahara: Florida's Tragedy. Small’s writings, a lament and a call to action, speak of a landscape once lush and vibrant, now facing the ravages of human intervention and environmental neglect. He captures a time when Florida was a paradise on the brink, teetering between the untouched Eden it once was and the encroaching desert it risked becoming. In echoing these themes, Fernandez and Gonzalez-Graupera's photographs are more than just artistic expressions; they are visual essays that engage with the complex layers of history, ecology, and human impact.

An opening reception will take place on Sunday, September 8, 2024 at 4 pm. Please register online.  

An artist talk between the artists and curator will take place on Sunday, October 20, 2024 at 1 pm. Please register online. 

About the Artists
Tony Fernandez is a photographer who studied with Jerry N. Uelsmann at the University of Florida (BA), and with Aaron Siskind at the Institute of Design in Chicago (MFA). His interest in teaching took him to East Lansing, Michigan, where he completed the Ph.D. in Education at Michigan State University. His career as an educator spans four decades, having taught at the elementary, secondary, and college level. He began the Photography program at the New World School of the Arts in Miami, where he is still an adjunct instructor of Photography and Cinematography. His photographs are in the George Eastman House and The Cleveland Museum of Art.

Jorge Gonzalez-Graupera is an Emmy® Award winning director, director of photography, and editor. He has collaborated extensively with non-profits, museums, and institutions of higher learning, documenting their impactful initiatives. As a director, Jorge has spearheaded diverse projects, delivering exceptional content for esteemed organizations such as The Deering Estate, Florida International University, CMXNR, NPR, The Bass Museum, O, Miami, and numerous others. His film “John William Bailly: In Situ at the Deering Estate” has been awarded two 2023 Emmy awards for “Long Form Content” and “Best Audio.”

For more information, please visit the Deering Estate website. 

About the Deering Estate
Deering Estate, located at 16701 SW 72 Ave. in Miami, is a 21st Century house museum, cultural and ecological field station, and a national landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places, owned by the State of Florida and managed by Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department. Deering Estate is designated as one of seven Miami Dade County “Heritage Parks” which have a vital role in our community’s history, environment and in providing recreational and cultural experiences.

Cultural Arts Programming at the Deering Estate is made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, and The Deering Estate Foundation, Inc.

About the Deering Estate Foundation
For those who treasure the Deering Estate, who advocate for its preservation and wish to invest in its future, the Deering Estate Foundation provides opportunities for individuals and corporations alike to partake in membership, signature events, and one-of-a-kind experiences, all in service of providing vital funding and support to the Deering Estate. Through these efforts, the foundation fulfills its mission to uphold the legacy of Charles Deering's cherished 1920s-era property, to provide funding for the cultural, educational and recreational experiences it offers, as well as its significant scientific and archaeological endeavors to conserve its diverse flora, fauna and the eight native ecosystems that thrive on its 450 acres, and to ensure its longevity as a prized American heritage site. Established in 1989, The Deering Estate Foundation, Inc. is a community-based charitable 501(c) 3 Florida Corporation and the philanthropic partner of the Deering Estate.