Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Trust

Community engagementthe visitor experience and community partnerships, programs & interpretation departments engage a broad public through innovative and inclusive learning opportunities, including daytime visitation experiences and school and community programs. Visitation: Vizcaya welcomed 264,046 visitors through general admission, programs, and events from october 2021 through september 2022. Of these Vizcaya provided 12,568 complimentary tickets and 4,719 reduced-price tickets, serving veterans and active military members, individuals with a disability, public library patrons, culture shock miami participants, and snap ebt cardholders. Vizcaya also welcomed 2,372 groups for personal photography permits.weekly village farmers market: in partnership with nonprofit urban oasis project, the market featured an average of 22 vendors selling fresh, local food and produce and attracted hundreds of community members each week. School programs: Vizcaya completed an assessment of feedback from 3,804 students in grades 3-12 to improve school programs going forward. The new "creative Vizcaya" program invited 280 students from eight schools to participate in hands-on workshops with teaching artists. Vizcaya conducted four virtual "bahamian heritage" sessions in february, highlighting the contributions of black bahamian immigrants in the development of Vizcaya and coconut grove for 500 students.community programs: Vizcaya held monthly "lates" that welcomed approximately 5,000 community members to connect with each other, artists, and miami's history. Vizcaya and nonprofit illuminarts partnered to create a site-specific production of benjamin britton's gothic chamber opera "turn of the screw," welcoming 409 guests to two october performances. December saw holiday programs with live music and artmaking activities. In march, the "wild Vizcaya" family program explored biodiversity with local scientists. In june, Vizcaya again partnered with illuminarts to hold 12 workshops in which community members worked with artists to write poetry, make music, and create fashion for the culminating "participatory public art" event that drew 776 guests. Partnerships: Vizcaya continues its partnership with coconut grove neighbors; its three-episode podcast, "a rich and forgotten history of black coconut grove," was featured on wlrn's "sundial" program. Vizcaya formed an indigenous communities advisory committee to co-create a land acknowledgment statement and collect oral histories with support from fiu's wolfsonian public humanities lab. In may, Vizcaya held its first program in partnership with the jack and jill foundationan - an evening for families filled with artmaking, author readings and letter-writing activities.

Art and living collections managementthe art & artifact stewardship and horticulture & sustainability departments oversee research, care, conservation, exhibition, and interpretation of Vizcaya's art and living collections, including the historic interiors, the Gardens, and the grounds. The latter also oversees institution-wide sustainability initiatives.barge conservation: Vizcaya completed the repair of hurricane irma damages and initiated work on the four herm sculptures by alexander stirling calder. Plant collections: Vizcaya received two important plant collections including a duplicate of the world's largest cast iron plant collection. Staff accessed 2,226 unique plants. Rose garden: staff completed restoration of the historic rose garden, bringing roses back to Vizcaya for the first time in nearly a century. Sustainability: the environmental sustainability committee created an employee guide to sustainability and advanced numerous initiatives, including sitewide composting.

Facilities managementall capital and maintenance initiatives managed by the facilities department are directly related to the preservation of Vizcaya's campus of national historic landmark buildings and central to our mission. Custodial services are focused on maintaining public spaces for the benefit of visitors participating in educational experiences and events. Construction: work began on the village phase 1a and village superintendent's house renovation projects. Hurricane irma repairs were completed.exterior restoration: conservators completed an exhaustive sounding survey and repairs of all oolitic limestone elements on the main house, casino, and laundry building.

Vizcaya's safety & security, marketing & communications, technology & digital initiatives, and facility rentals departments provide other program services.safety & security services: provided 24/7 protection of art and living collections, buildings and grounds, daytime visitors, and evening program and event attendees. In august 2022, Vizcaya completed the installation of digital cameras and speaker systems inside the decorated rooms of the main house, enhancing our ability to recognize and address threats. Marketing & communications: engaged the public by encouraging participation through digital and other media. Key coverage included a feature in "miami herald" on the village restoration. Numerous outlets, including "time out miami and "elle magazine," ranked Vizcaya among the top places to visit in miami.technology & digital initiatives: provided interpretive services for the public on site and online. This year, Vizcaya completed new photogrammetry of the barge breakwater. Staff also launched the second season of the "beyond Vizcaya" storytelling project, featuring community-sourced stories on climate change and the natural environment. Vizcaya implemented a cloud backup service, expanded public wi-fi access, and conducted a network vulnerability analysis.facility rentals: Vizcaya accommodated 140 evening events, established a new approved vendor program, ceased allowing fireworks at evening facility rentals to protect the bay, and instituted new controls to benefit visitor experience. Other: in the summer of 2022, Vizcaya received its 10-year re-accreditation from the american alliance of museums and adopted an ambitious new strategic plan.