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“Diatomaceous Dreams,” a show of Native Miamian Rick Cohen’s found-object assemblage sculptures inspired by single-celled aquatic plants, is the newest exhibit in Biscayne National Park’s Dante Fascell Visitor Center Gallery. The exhibit is on display from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Sept. 12.
Cohen uses bottle caps, marbles, jewelry-findings, plates and other objects in large and intricate patterns that are reminiscent of the plants that provide up to half of the oxygen we breathe.
Special events associated with the exhibit include an opportunity to meet the artist and view actual diatoms under a microscope at a timed-entry reception with social distancing on Sunday, June 27, from 1 to 3 p.m.
Diatoms are single celled organisms surrounded by a cell wall composed of silica.
“Their architecture can be complex and aesthetically beautiful, and is what inspired me to create my art,” Cohen said. “I’m not attempting to recreate biologically accurate models but rather present through assemblage sculptures my interpretation of the fascinating shapes and structures of these important life forms.”
Several of the works on display contain plastic seashore flotsam and jetsam, recovered from the shoreline of Biscayne National Park.
“Diatomaceous Dreams” is part of the park’s Community Artists Program started in 1997 as an outlet for the works of artists who are inspired by the beauty of Biscayne National Park. Over the years, the gallery has hosted more than 60 shows featuring photography, paintings and drawings in a variety of media, fiber, clay, printmaking and sculpture.
The program is made possible by The Alliance for Florida’s National Parks, with additional support from the Biscayne National Park Institute.
For more details about the exhibit, visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/bisc or contact park ranger Gary Bremen at 305-338-6584. For regular updates from the park, follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @BiscayneNPS.
Within sight of Downtown Miami, Biscayne National Park protects a rare combination of subtropical islands, mangrove shoreline, biodiverse coral reefs, and 10,000 years of human history. The park is 95 percent water and encompasses the northernmost Florida Keys, so most of the park is accessible only by boat. Home to a vast array of species, visitors to Biscayne might encounter sea turtles, dolphins, sharks, stingrays, and the West Indian manatee.
