END-OF-YEAR CAMPAIGN IN FULL SWING!

As the year draws to a close, ARTSail invites all ocean lovers to join us in supporting our mission to protect our waterways through the transforming power of art, science and activism. Your end-of-year donation fuels groundbreaking projects that tackle climate change and pollution, inspiring action and innovation for a more sustainable future.

Every contribution helps us amplify creativity and advocacy, empowering artists, scientists, and communities to safeguard our planet for generations to come. TOGETHER we can make waves that truly matter!

DONATE TODAY and help us reach and surpass our $10,000 goal!

WATERSCAPES: A TALE OF TWO WETLANDS - From the Everglades to the Venice Lagoon and back

We are thrilled to announce the completion of Phase 1 of Waterscapes: A Tale of Two Wetlands, ARTSail first project in Europe.

Waterscapes is a multidisciplinary project that brings together, artists, curators, marine biologists, activists, teachers, policymakers, national and international, non-profit organizations to work with youth and, the public at large on both sides of the Atlantic. The project kicked off with a two-week residency that brought conservation artist Deborah Mitchell to Venice to investigate similarities and differences between the Venice Lagoon and the Florida wetlands.

Mitchell’s residency in Venice was organized in collaboration with artist and activist Roberta Da Soller. Da Soller’s extensive knowledge of the lagoon’s fragile ecosystems, her activism within the Comitato No Grandi Navi (No Large Ships Committee), and her wide network of scientists and researchers focused on environmental issues, such as researcher Debora Bellafiore, made her the ideal partner for ARTSail.

STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES ABOUT THE NEXT PHASES OF THE PROJECT!

This project was supported in part by the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners. And by Cristina Boeri and Brad Hallock.

DISCOVER THE MIAMI BEACH NEAR SHORE REEF @ the MBPL on Tuesday June 25

As Ocean Month wraps up, don’t miss the special event at the Miami Beach Public Library on Tuesday June 25! Join Miami Beach resident and environmental advocate David Grieser and Dr. Allyson DeMerlis of The University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science, as they discuss a hidden gem in our community! The conversation is moderated by Ombretta Agro’ Andruff, ARTSail.

The evening will begin with a tour of the exhibition "Become Ocean," curated by Ombretta Agro’ Andruff and on display until August 31st. This will be followed by an insightful presentation in the Auditorium, highlighting the importance of coral reefs, particularly the resilience of urban corals. The presentation will also introduce the Miami Beach Near Shore Reef, a hidden gem in our watery backyard that many residents and visitors are unaware of.

This free event is open to everyone, so come and join us! Our local reef is depending on us!

Location: Miami Beach Public Library, 227 22nd Street, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Time: 6:00-7:30PM

SAVE THE DATE - 4th ANNUAL WORLD OCEAN CELEBRATION, JUNE 8 2024

Join us for the 4th Annual World Ocean Day Celebration!

We are thrilled to invite you to our 4th Annual World Ocean Day Celebration, where we will come together to honor and protect our planet's most precious resource: the ocean. Presented by Ocean Bank, and coordinated by ARTSail and Blue Scholars Initiative, more than 20 local and national organizations and artists are collaborating to make this another unforgettable day of community engagement and volunteer impact. Let's come together to celebrate the beauty and importance of our shared ocean and commit to taking action to safeguard it for future generations. Don't miss this opportunity to be a part of a global movement for ocean conservation.

Please note that some events require registration/tickets

SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 2024

8:00AM - 12:00PM

35TH STREET BEACH

COLLINS AVE & 35TH STREET, MIAMI BEACH

~ Public FREE Event ~

WATER RECREATION AND ENGAGEMENT:

8:00AM - 9:00AM

• 30min Ocean Mile Challenge Exhibition Swim with Full Circle Coaching >>> REGISTER <<<

8:30AM - 9:30AM

• Pilates on the Beach with Pilates for the People >>> REGISTER HERE <<<

9:00AM - 10:00AM

• Ceremonial Paddle-Out with Surfrider Miami (personal paddle-craft required) >>> REGISTER<<<

• Youth Ocean Swim Instruction with Breathe and Splash Swim School and Mermaid Merle >>> PARENT/GUARDIAN CONSENT <<<

COMMUNITY SERVICE AND IMPACT:

10:00AM - 12:00PM

• Beach Cleanup with Clean Miami Beach and The International SeaKeepers Society >>> REGISTER <<<

• Dune Restoration with Surfrider Miami >>> REGISTER <<<

• Water Quality Testing with Blue Water Task Force and EarthEcho International

OCEAN ART:

Ocean flags designed by Maria Useche, Tidal Tapestry: Exploring Sea-Life Patterns

8:00AM - 12:00PM

• Tidal Tapestry: Exploring Sea-Life Patterns by Maria Useche, former YoungArts recipient

• Weaving with Water by Deborah Mitchell, in collaboration with Breakthrough Miami, Overtown Youth Center, and The Motivational Edge

Photos from workshops led by Deborah Mitchell with the assistance of Gabi Lecusay

We can’t wait to see you on the beach!

Water station provided so BYO reusable bottle. Event hydration, in refillable aluminum bottles, courtesy of Open Water.

REDUCE - REUSE - RECYCLE

---

5:00PM - 9:00PM

UM ROSENSTIEL SCHOOL

4600 RICKENBACKER CSWY, KEY BISCAYNE

~ Public TICKETED Event ~

Come join us for an exciting evening celebrating female leaders in marine conservation and exploration! Our panel of sheroes will share their inspiring stories and insights into the world of ocean conservation. Following the panel discussion, we will be screening ocean films, in collaboration with the San Francisco-based International Ocean Film Festival, that showcase the beauty and importance of our oceans. Don't miss this opportunity to be inspired and educated by some incredible women in marine science!

For this fourth edition, we are bringing together an exciting panel to draw attention to the powerful advocacy of women from South Florida, from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities, who are making waves in Florida and beyond. The participating speakers are: Lisa Beal, Professor of Oceanography in the Ocean Sciences department at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science; Karlisa Callwood, marine scientist educator, Nat Geo Explorer, fisheries expert; Anya Freeman, Founder and CEO, Kind Designs; Deborah Mitchell, conservation artist and Master Naturalist; Cyan Simmons, Ocean Conservancy Ports & Communities Liaison. The panel will be moderated by Ombretta Agró Andruff, Founder and Executive Director, ARTSail Residency and Research Initiative.

During the cocktail reception, guests will enjoy Weaving with Water, a magical performance choreographed by Dale Andree, Executive Director of NWD Projects, featuring Mary Spring, Sunyoung Pak, Barbie Freeman, TJ Anderson, Natalie Rodrigues, Ray Robinson, and Pedro Ortiz, and props designed by Jenny Llewellyn Jones. Photographic sculptures from the Within the Tapestry project, created by artist Deborah Mitchell and inspired by Florida's natural marvels mixed with historical references, along with quilts from the Weaving with Water series, will also be on display.

5:00PM - 6:00PM

• SALT Waterfront Cocktail Reception with Ocean Art & Water Dance performance choreographed by Dale Andree, NDW Projects Director.

6:15PM - 9:00PM

• Sheroes of the Ocean Panel

• International Ocean Film Festival (film program can be found HERE)

---

---

---

---

---

ARTSail FEATURED AT 2024 GULF OF MEXICO CONFERENCE, TAMPA, FL

We were thrilled to be invited to participate in the Gulf of Mexico Conference 2024, held in Tampa Feb 19-23, 2024. ARTSail was involved with the planning of the Workshop organized by the National Academy of Sciences “Science + Art Collaborations: Engaging Communities in the Gulf on Feb 19th; and presented on Feb. 20th at the session “The Power of Art and Science in a Changing World” alongside Dustin Angell, from Archbold Biological Station, Florida; and Cammie Hill-Prewitt from A Studio in the Woods, Louisiana. The panel was moderated by conservation artist Deborah Mitchell.

FLORIDA STATE PARK ART CAPSULE COLLECTIONS LAUNCH ON JAN 31

ARTSail is thrilled to announce our collaboration with the Live Wildly Foundation and the Florida State Parks Foundation to highlight the rich biodiversity of the Sunshine State. Through a direct call initiated by ARTSail, two Florida-based artists/collectives, Deborah Mitchell and AMLgMATD, were selected to design merchandise to celebrate five Florida State Parks. The Collections will be unveiled on Wednesday January 31 at 5:30PM at the Florida Historic Capital Museum in Tallahassee.

15th Annual SE Regional Climate Leadership Summit, Nov 16-17, 2023

ARTSail will collaborate with two other fantastic organizations, BFI and AIRIE, to create art activations for this year's 15th Annual Southeast Florida Regional Climate Leadership Summit, hosted by the Miami Beach Convention Center in November 2023. ARTSail will present a collaboration between choreographer Dale Andree of NWD Projects and artist and master naturalist, Deborah Mitchell; and an installation by artist and publisher Amanda Keeley.

Additional artists presenting works are: Joyce Billet, Nick Gilmore, Loni Johnson, Lee Pivnik, and a collaboration between Rev. Houston Cypress, Claudio Marcotulli, Laurencia Strauss and Alex Tigertail-Baks.

The Annual Climate Leadership Summit is a major regional event hosted by the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact to share knowledge, showcase climate action, engage leadership across sectors, and mobilize the collaboration needed to tackle this significant challenge at scale. This year's theme Transformative Climate Action will inspire innovation in every field ranging from electrification and equity, to engagement, green infrastructure and more.The summit attracts innovative thinkers and leaders from the business, government, academic, and  nonprofit community to exchange dialogue and ideas on expanding the region’s capacity to respond to climate challenges and build climate resilience. 

For more information about the Summit click HERE and to register click HERE.

This programming is supported by Miami-Dade County's Office of Resilience with assistance from the Miiami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs' Arts Resilient 305 Program.

3rd Annual World Ocean Weekend Celebration, June 3-4, 2023

Please join us for the 3rd Annual World Ocean Weekend on June 3rd & 4th, a celebration designed to raise awareness around our one world ocean through community engagement and volunteer impact. Presented by the W South Beach, and coordinated by Blue Scholars and ARTSail, more than 20 local and national organizations are collaborating to make this another unforgettable weekend.

SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2023

8:00AM - 12:00PM

COLLINS PARK BEACH

22ND STREET, MIAMI BEACH

~ Public FREE Event ~

WATER RECREATION AND ENGAGEMENT

8:00AM - 9:00AM

• 30min Ocean Mile Challenge Exhibition Swim with Full Circle Coaching >>> REGISTER <<<

8:30AM - 9:30AM

• Pilates on the Beach with Pilates for the People >>> REGISTER <<<

9:00AM - 10:00AM

• Ceremonial Paddle-Out with Surfrider Miami (personal paddle-craft required) >>> REGISTER <<<

• Youth Ocean Swim Instruction with Mermaid Merle >>> PARENT/GUARDIAN CONSENT <<

COMMUNITY SERVICE AND IMPACT

9:00AM - 12:00PM

• Citizen Science Beach Blitz with The International SeaKeepers Society and GEN2050

10:00AM - 12:00PM

• Beach Cleanup with The International SeaKeepers Society and Clean Miami Beach >>> REGISTER <<<

• Dune Restoration with Surfrider Miami and Frost Science MUVE >>> REGISTER <<<

ART AND EDUCATION

8:00AM - 12:00PM

• A Liquid Wanting by Marina Zurkow and Anna Rose Hopkins & Become Ocean Art Flags by Marina Zurkow in collaboration with Una Chaudhuri. Download A Liquid Wanting HERE and join the collective performance at 10am.

• Ocean Art Murals by Linda Cheung & Jamie Nolan, in collaboration with youth from Miami-Dade Community Organizations

9:00AM - 12:00PM

• Marine Debris Art & Education with Frost Science MUVE

• Microplastic Investigation with Oceana and GEN2050

• Youth Storytelling with Wavy Adventures

• Water Quality Testing with Blue Water Task Force and EarthEcho International

• Plastic Free Cities with Ocean Conservancy, Debris Free Oceans and Big Blue & You

We can’t wait to see you on the beach!

Water stations provided so BYO refillable bottles. Event shade, under the umbrellas, courtesy of Boucher Brothers and TUUCI.

5:00PM - 9:00PM

W SOUTH BEACH

2201 COLLINS AVE, MIAMI BEACH

~ Public TICKETED Event ~

IMPACT SPEAKERS AND FILMS >>> PURCHASE TICKETS HERE <<<

5:00PM - 7:00PM

• Sheroes of the Ocean Panel (ASL Interpretation) & Reception

  • Jamora Arroyo-Jefferson - Environmental Advocate, Miami Waterkeeper Junior Ambassador

  • Linda Cheung - Artist and Founder / Creative Director, Before It’s Too Late

  • Carlee Monique Jackson Bohannon - Director of Communications, Minorities in Shark Sciences

  • Jennifer Jacquet - NYU Visiting Professor, Department of Environmental Science and Policy - Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric & Earth Science

  • Rumya Sundaram - Director of Environmental Science and Operations Manager, Key Biscayne Community Foundation

7:00PM - 9:00PM

• International Ocean Film Festival

SUNDAY, JUNE 4, 2023

11:00AM - 4:00PM

PHILLIP AND PATRICIA FROST MUSEUM OF SCIENCE

1101 BISCAYNE BLVD, MIAMI

~ Public TICKETED Event ~

EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT

11:00AM - 4:00PM

• World Ocean Day programming with the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science

PRESENTING SPONSOR:

CELEBRATION SPONSORS:

Art Activations commissioned for the 2023 World Ocean Weekend are funded in part by a grant from Miami-Dade County, 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.

ACTIVATION SPONSORS:

SUPPORTING SPONSORS:

COLLABORATING PARTNERS:

Screening at Film Gate on Feb 22

Thrilled to share that this fascinating short film by Alex Markow capturing artist Christina Pettersson’s residency with ARTSail was selected to be screened at the Social Justice Film Festival organized by Film Gate Miami.

Recently released interview for the Eco-Friendly podcast with our founder

Thrilled to share a recently released interview conducted by a young and firrec activist Jamora Arroyo-Jefferson

Celebrate the Four Season and the wonders of Nature at the New World Symphony

Take an artistic journey through the four seasons with an immersive performance that aims to evoke a sense of urgency for preserving the beauty of our Planet through a collective call to action. ARTSail partners with NWS fellow Benjamin Cruz to present a magical evening in the stunning setting of Frank Gehry-designed New World Center.

More info HERE.

Just released! ARTSail presents Christina Pettersson

A powerful recap of Christina Pettersson's residency with ARTSail highlighting expeditions uncovering the complexities of the environmental and human challenges of Lake Okeechobee and upper Everglades regions.

Saturday Dec 3 - Book Launch of Water Ecologies for our Shared Future

Happening at Untitled Art Fair, Podcast area, at 5pm

Curator and writer Blanca de la Torre, and artist and activist Christina Pettersson, come together to create an ode to the rich and diverse ecosystems that make South Florida such a unique and threatened treasure. Through de la Torre’s inventive and witty storytelling and Pettersson’s superb ability to draw complex landscapes, Water Ecologies for our Shared Future will capture its readers and help them fall in love with South Florida’s history and its complexand at-risk biodiversity.

During the book launch, Exile Books will host a talk with the artist and Ombretta Agro' Andruff, Executive Producer of ARTSail. A limited collectors edition of the publication will be on sale during the event and at Exile Books booth.

LIMITED SEATING! RESERVE YOUR SEAT NOW!

Tuesday August 16, Sheroes of the Ocean conversation at the East Hotel Miami

ArtSail is delighted to partner with the East Hotel to host a networking event as part of the Ideas To Wake Up To series for an evening with ideas, cocktails and light bites!

Creativity and business rely on each other – and thrive together. Just as creatives must take on a business mindset to grow, entrepreneurs and the corporate world need creativity to shake things up to innovate.

Moderated by Ombretta Agró Andruff of ARTSail, "Sheroes of the Ocean" is an informal conversation with two inspiring Ocean Warriors who are using their powerful skills in filmmaking and athletic powers to share with the public at large the beauty and fragility of marine ecosystems and the impact of human behavior on them.

Through stunning above and below water images and evocative storytelling, Dr. Shireen Rahimi uses her camera to enhance our emotional connection to the wonder of the natural world, often highlighting some of the threats that endanger its very existence.

Estonian swimming champion and real-life mermaid, Merle Liivand, uses her powerful stroke and mermaid tail to bring attention to how plastic is destroying our oceans and shorelines and the flora and fauna that inhabits them.

Together they will engage in a stimulating conversation highlighting the problems and offering solutions to ensure that we all do our part to preserve and restore our Blue Planet.

Friday June 17, EVERGLADES RISING screening at ArtServe

Join us on Friday June 17 for the last event organized in conjunction with the exhibition Pa-Hay-Okee: The Land of Grassy Water.

ArtServe in collaboration with ArtSail presents a special evening of poetry, film, and conversation as part of the Pa-Hay-Okee: The Land of Grassy Water, a Florida Everglades-focused Exhibition.

The film by Natural History Filmmaker, Richard S. Kern, "Everglades Rising" explores the habitats and inhabitants of the Everglades bio-region, a vast wilderness area whose eastern boundary hugs the sprawling urban landscape of Miami. Audiences will learn about how the watershed has been altered, the threats faced by invasive species, and the looming effects of climate change.

The evening will open with a poetry reading and performance by peacebuilder, poet, and educator, Pedro Barilari.

The film screening will be followed by Q&A with Director and Exhibition Curator Ombretta Agró Andruff.

REGISTER HERE

Celebrate 5 amazing Sheroes of the Ocean with us! June 12, 2022

On Sunday, June 12th from 5-9pm, ARTSail Residency and Research Initiative hosts an evening of inspiration beginning with “Sheroes of the Ocean”. Moderated by Ombretta Agró Andruff of ARTSail, "Sheroes of the Ocean" is an informal conversation with five influential Ocean Warriors representing some of the most engaging non-profits that span the fields of conservation, education and the visual arts. Participating speakers include:

• Meredith Bass, Blue Scholars Initiative

• Beatriz Chachamovits, Modeling the Reef artist

• Ana Teresa Fernandez, On the Horizon artist

• Lauren Reilly, MUVE at the Frost Museum of Science

• Maggie Winchester, The International SeaKeepers Society

The inspirational panel will be followed by a cocktail reception and 90-minute screening program of ocean focused films, organized in collaboration with the San Francisco-based International Ocean Film Festival.

2022 World Ocean Weekend Celebration

2022 World Ocean Weekend Celebration

Saturday, June 11, 2022 8:00 AM

Sunday, June 12, 2022 9:00 PM

W SOUTH BEACH 2201 Collins Avenue Miami Beach, FL, 33139 United States (map)

Location: 

W SOUTH BEACH 2201 Collins Avenue Miami Beach, FL, 33139 United States (map)

Pa-Hay-Okee: the Land of 'Grassy Water' - A conversation, April 14 at ArtServe

Pa-Hay-Okee The Land of Grassy Water: A Conversation with artists Deborah Mitchell, Jenna Efrein, Christina Pettersson, and Organizing Representative for the local Sierra Club Chapter, Diana Umpierre.

Join us on April 14th for a lively conversation with three of the artists participating in our latest exhibition, Pa-Hay-Okee: the land of ‘grassy water’, Deborah Mitchell, Jenna Efrein, and Christina Pettersson. 

They will share with us what drives them to use their creative skills to communicate the beauty of the natural environment that surrounds us and the urgency to preserve and restore it. Our fourth speaker, Diana Umpierre, will bring an activist perspective to the conversation through her role as Organizing Representative for the local Sierra Club Chapter. 

The conversation will be moderated by Ombretta Agró Andruff, ARTSail Executive Director and the curator of our current exhibition. 

We encourage our attendees to stay for the opening reception of the Pa-Hay-Okee exhibition following this discussion, running from 7 pm to 9 pm. 

Location: 

ArtServe, 1350 E Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304

Free Parking

REGISTER HERE

Curatorial Walkthrough of C(h)oral Stories exhibition on Saturday April 9 at 2:30PM

Join us for a curator-led tour of the exhibition, starting promptly at 2:45 PM.

Location: Art & Culture Center, Hollywood, 1650 Harrison Street, Hollywood, FL

Pa-Hay-Okee: Land of 'Grassy Water' opens at ArtServe on April 14, 2022

Location: 1350 E. Sunrise Boulevard, Ft. Lauderdale, FL  33304.  Call (954) 462-8190 or email information@artserve.org.

In recognition of Earth Day, ArtServe will open an environmental art exhibit on Thursday, April 14 titled “Pa-Hay-Okee—Land of Grassy Water” dedicated to the urgency of preserving and restoring Florida’s fragile ecology and Everglades ecosystem. With support from Funding Arts Broward, Pay-Hay-Okee kicks off on April 14 with an artist panel discussion from 6 to 7 p.m. followed by an opening reception and preview of the exhibit’s artworks from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The idea for Pa-Hay-Okee, a Seminole Tribe phrase meaning “grassy waters,” originated in a powerful online discussion hosted by ARTSail and ArtServe in 2020 with environmental activist Robert Mitchell that explored the environmental complexities of the Lake Okeechobee region and addressed how artists can actively help spur action on social and ecological, resiliency and sustainability issues impacting Florida communities.

Since then, Andruff has conducted expeditions through the Everglades and Lake O. region, interviewing activists, scientists and environmental experts to better understand the challenges faced by the Kissimmee-Lake Okeechobee-Everglades watershed, as it was originally known.

Together with Andruff, ArtServe curator Sophie Bonet has gathered an impactful collection of multi-disciplinary works and performances designed to inspire meaningful discussion, along with public understanding and appreciation for the plight and beauty of the Florida wetlands. Exhibiting artists include Priscilla Aleman, Alissa Alfonso, Elisabeth Condon, Jenna Efrein, Simon Faithfull, Tom Grill, Lucinda Linderman, Deborah Mitchell, Christina Pettersson and Laurencia Strauss.

 “Pa-Hay-Okee” artists have captured the beauty, fragility and diversity of the Florida wetlands and the flora and fauna that inhabits them in unique and profound ways. The artists’ contributions span a variety of media, from lens-based work by Faithfull and Strauss, to fiber work and tapestries by Alfonso and Linderman, along with powerful multi-media installations and drawings by Pettersson, Mitchell, Efrein and Aleman, and delicate watercolors by Condon.

Pa-Hay-Okee will feature installations and engagements that promote ecological awareness and explore threats to Florida’s environment, while drawing a sense of urgency to the human impact on South Florida’s fragile ecosystem. Among those works is Efrein’s giant installation of plastic bags that physically overwhelms the viewer, unequivocally imparting the crushing devastation of single-use plastic bag pollution as merely a single component of environmental destruction.

Pa-Hay-Okee concludes on Sunday, June 26 (final day by appointment only).  ArtServe will host a closing reception on Friday, June 17 featuring a screening of Everglades Rising, by acclaimed film maker and activist Richard Kern, a Q&A with the film maker will follow.