ABOUT AIRIE

Joanna Kidd & Danielle Downing – “Passing Through” (2012), Animated Short Film

Artists in Residence in Everglades (AIRIE) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit operating in Everglades National Park (ENP) and the Greater Miami Area. We believe artists are essential problem solvers who can reveal new narratives and solutions for social and environmental change through their artistic storytelling. AIRIE supports a paid month-long immersive residency for artists in the park to explore the intersection of arts and the environment. In addition, AIRIE provides its own gallery space, organizes local events, and fosters community with a diverse team engaged in the Miami art scene. See more about who we are in the video below.

WHO WE ARE

MEET OUR TEAM

HISTORY OF AIRIE

AIRIE was founded in 2001 through the efforts of Donna Marxer and the Everglades National Park’s Chief of Interpretation, Alan Scott (Ret). Believing in the transformative power of the arts, they sought a way for South Florida artists to spend extended time in the Everglades. They hoped to bring attention to the magnificence it had to offer and further a message of the necessity of this landscape and the challenges it faces with changes in climate and surrounding land development.

Alan and Donna worked with the National Parks Service to establish AIRIE as an official partner of the ENP, operating in tandem with the Volunteers-in-Parks program to manage the artist residency. An agreement was made to allow AIRIE artists the use of an apartment originally built for Park staff in the 1950s, now known as the AIRIE Cabin.

In 2021, under the stewardship of Board Co-Chairs Esther Park and T. Robertson Carter, we did a deep dive into the ethos of AIRIE and began the work to explore how to make the outdoors and the National Parks, a space of belonging for all. We engaged a National Advisory and along with the Board, we reimagined AIRIE. For the 2022 residency, we received more than 500+ applications, an increase of 200+% from years prior*.


In our 25th Anniversary Season (2025–2026), under the leadership of Zoe McKenzie (Board President), Cornelius Tulloch (Global Artistic Director), Riyaad Seecharan (Strategic Chair), and T. Robertson Carter (Acting Director & Board Member), AIRIE expanded its narrative and impact to embrace both the |E|nvironment and |E|verywhere. As we celebrate the first 25 years of AIRIE, we step into an exciting new era in 2026—one that engages with diverse voices and stories from beyond the Everglades and into environments across the globe.


Since its founding, AIRIE has welcomed over 250 artists, writers, curators, choreographers, musicians, and creatives into its residency program, enriching the national and international arts landscape with powerful interpretations and stories rooted in the Everglades—and now expanding beyond.

*estimated increase

MISSION STATEMENT

Artists in Residence in |E|verglades, |E|nvironment, and |E|verywhere (AIRIE) supports and uplifts the arts and cultural heritage of the Everglades’ subtropical wilderness—and global environments beyond—by empowering artists to explore and deepen their relationship with the natural world. Through creative and critical engagement, AIRIE’s mission is to illuminate new perspectives and reveal pathways toward a more connected and sustainable future

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Executive Committee 2025 / 2026

BOARD PRESIDENT (2025 | 2026)
Zoë McKenzie

BOARD MEMBER + ACTING DIRECTOR
T. Robertson Carter*

SECRETARY
Riyaad Seecharan*

TREASURER
HISTORIAN

Valerie Ricordi*

VICE-CHAIR
Tommy Ralph Pace

FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE
T. Robertson Carter
Gavin McKenzie

FINANCE + TECHNOLOGY
HUMAN RESOURCES CHAIR

Riyaad Seecharan

LEGAL COUNSEL
Grant S. Smith
Jonathan Truppman*

BOARD
T. Robertson Carter
Sandy Dorsainvil
Tyler Emerson-Dorsch
Linda Levy Goldberg
Trina Harris
Gavin McKenzie
Zoë McKenzie*
Alejandro De Onis
Tommy Ralph Pace
Felecia Hatcher Pearson
Valerie Ricordi
Karen Rundlet
Riyaad Seecharan*
Grant S. Smith*
Jonathan Truppman*

Members

HONORARY TRUSTEES
Kathleen Morris

CO-FOUNDERS
Donna Marxer°
Alan Scott

EMERITUS
Esther Park*
Lisa Fernandez>>
Donna Fields>>
Helen Toomer
Evette Alexander

*Indicates Former Board Chair or Co-Chair
°Indicates Deceased
>> Board Committee Advisor

AIRIE CABIN RESTORATION
Updated Interiors January 2025 -

Thank you to Steve Levin
In Honour of John Tanayschuk
For the furniture donation to the AIRIE CABIN

Additional Gratitude

The Sacred Space Miami, Kathryn + Dan Mikesell, Elisa Turner + Eric Smith, Coconut Cartel, Rosie Gordon Wallace + Roy Wallace, Wynwood Brewing Company, Howard Herring, Paradise Farms, Ronald Schrager + Wendy Hart - Donna Fields + Steven Brooke - Steve Levin - Christine + Duncan Messado - Nichole Levy + Jason Roberts - T. Robertson Carter + Christopher Carter - Esther Park + Omar Clementson - Mina Hosseini + Riyaad Seecharan - Neil Robertson - Gordon Myers - Julian Marley - Tile Allemann + Jonathan Truppman - Joanie Johnson + Marco Faggi - John Joseph Lin - James Lin - Nasir Dean aka Note Marcato - Blake Anthony Johnson, Deborah Ductant + Grant Smith - Tommy Ralph Pace - Felecia Hatcher Pearson + Derick Pearson - Jessica Sirmans - Cornelius Tulloch - Germane Barnes - Reggie Chapple, Former National Parks Director of Philanthropy

Cover art by 2012 AIRIE Fellows Joanna Kidd and Danielle Downing titled Passing Through