nwsa.mdc.edu - "Art from the Garden Exhibition" inspired by the Kampong Gardens. New World School of the Arts stude

Art from the Garden, a striking art exhibition inspired by the lush
Kampong gardens in Coconut Grove, captures nature’s wonders

MIAMI--- Drawing inspiration from the beautiful Kampong Gardens, in Coconut Grove, the visual arts college students from New World School of the Arts [NWSA] will

present Art from the Garden. In collaboration with the venue, the breathtaking exhibition features works of art inspired by nature’s wealth of exotic flora found within.

The opening reception of Art from the Garden is on Friday, April 16, 2010, from 5:00 PM – 8:30 PM. Kampong - Schokman Education Center. 4013 S. Douglas Road, Coconut Grove, FL. Opening reception is free and open to the public. The work will be on display through Saturday April 17th. Further information: 305-237-3620 or at nwsa.mdc.edu.

NWSA visual arts faculty Aramis O’Reilly, Susan Banks, Alisa Pitchenik, and Maria Martinez-Cañas first introduced the group of college artists to the Garden during last autumn, when most flora undergoes its most dramatic color and texture transformation. After spending a day amid the stunning foliage, characteristic of the Kampong Gardens, the NWSA students and faculty created their own interpretation of nature’s gifts, represented through photography, drawing, painting, and ceramics.

Conceived by NWSA faculty Georgette Balance, Art from the Garden is a collaborative fundraising initiative to benefit students of the visual arts division at NWSA, as well as the Kampong. Selected pieces will be available for purchase during the opening reception.
About the Kampong: Located on Biscayne Bay in Coconut Grove, The Kampong contains a fascinating array of tropical fruit cultivars and flowering trees. The garden is named for the Malay or Javanese word for a village or cluster of houses. Some of the first plantings there came from Indo-Malaysia, brought there by the renowned explorer/horticulturist who introduced these species to the United States and who owned the property in the early 1900s. In 1916 Dr. David Fairchild, who introduced some 30,000 varieties and species of plants into the United States, along with his wife Marian, purchased the property and named it The Kampong - a Malay word for a village, or a cluster of dwellings for an extended family. In 1928 the Fairchilds built a house (designed by Edward Clarence Dean) that still exists at The Kampong, and made it their permanent home after David Fairchild retired. Fairchild remained at The Kampong until his death in 1954. Thirty years later the garden entered into the National Register of Historic Places.
About NWSA: A Florida center of excellence in the visual and performing arts, New World School of the Arts, located in downtown Miami, provides a comprehensive program of artistic, creative and academic development through a curriculum that reflects the rich multicultural state of Florida. With programs accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art, Dance, Music and Theater, NWSA offers four-year BFA and BM college degrees, as well as the high school diploma. Through its rigorous curriculum and conservatory-style teaching NWSA empowers its students to become leaders in the arts. New World School of the Arts was created by the Florida Legislature in 1984 as a center of excellence in the performing and visual arts. It is an educational partnership of Miami Dade County Public Schools, Miami Dade College and the University of Florida.

Photo caption: New World School of the Arts college senior Natalia Manrique, [Untitled], Ceramic.

# # #