.jpg)
Artists in Residence in the Everglades (AIRIE), a Miami-based nonprofit dedicated to fostering dialogue between art and the environment, has announced its 2025–2026 fellowship cohort. The upcoming season coincides with the organization’s 25th anniversary and marks its largest group of fellows to date.
This year’s residents include Ashia Ajani, Hon. Elizabeth Baker, Daveed Baptiste, Shenny de Los Angeles, Sarah Doerfel & Vincent Scheers, Samuel Dominguez, Laurena Finéus, Havîn Hât, Julius Karoubi, Bex McCharen, Thandeka Mfinyongo, Lee Pivnik, Sterling Rook, Jewel Rodgers, Ackeem Salmon, Jean Shin, Coco Villa & Sheherazade Thénard, and David Rahahę•tih Webb. Spanning visual arts, performance, design, sound, and interdisciplinary research, the cohort brings together a range of practices that reflect AIRIE’s focus on environmental awareness and cultural engagement.
AIRIE received 500 applications from 38 countries—its most competitive process to date. Fellows were selected by a panel of artists, curators, scholars, and community leaders who prioritized critical, place-based practices. “The artists joining us in residence this season represent many disciplines and geographies and will engage us in dialogues that offer new points of departure when thinking about or engaging with nature, landscape, community, and artistic practice,” said AIRIE Board Chair Zoë McKenzie.
The residency takes place within Everglades National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognized for its biodiversity and the environmental challenges it faces. Fellows participate in research excursions with park rangers, Indigenous leaders, scientists, and historians to better understand the park’s ecological and cultural significance. These experiences form the foundation for projects developed during the residency.
“For 25 years, the AIRIE program has stood as a powerful reminder of the vital connection between art and nature,” said Everglades National Park Superintendent Pedro Ramos. “The Everglades—wild, subtle, and yet profound—have long inspired creative reflection, and AIRIE’s partnership with the National Park Service has nurtured voices that help us see these landscapes with new eyes.”
Since 2001, AIRIE has hosted over 190 artists, writers, musicians, and cultural workers. While rooted in South Florida, the program has gained national and international recognition for its contributions to both environmental discourse and contemporary art. The anniversary season offers an opportunity to reflect on the organization’s legacy and chart future directions grounded in its original mission.
The 2025–2026 cohort will be encouraged to develop projects that reflect the complexities of the region while engaging broader questions about ecology, community, and cultural memory. Through continued collaboration with local partners and public programming, AIRIE remains committed to expanding how we understand and respond to environmental change.
To learn more about the fellows or explore their work visit airie.org.
