In this personal talk, Andy shares his journey from working in restaurants to volunteering at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, where he trained under Dr. Jason Downing and his team. What began as curiosity quickly evolved into a deep commitment to orchids, conservation, and creating meaningful green spaces.

When the pandemic paused garden operations, Andy reconnected with his artistic roots. He began experimenting with materials such as charcoal used in orchid growing, which led him to merge art and horticulture into a new creative path. Since then, he has contributed to the development of the National Orchid Garden at Fairchild and has helped bring orchids into parks, schools, and public spaces across South Florida.

Today, Andy runs his own orchid installation and maintenance business, continuing to create living works of art while supporting Fairchild’s mission and collaborating with his mentor, Dr. Downing.

Come for the talk and stay for the Bass Museum’s Culture Crawl events happening the same evening.

Cristina will share insights from her time as an AIRIE (Artist in Residence in Everglades) fellow, offering a behind-the-scenes look at her creative research and field experience in one of Florida’s most unique ecosystems. Her talk will dive into the making of her works Ghost Orchid Fever Dream and Ghost Orchid Holograms, and expand into a broader conversation about the ghost orchid as a powerful symbol. Through her lens, the plant becomes a reflection of humanity’s relationship with nature, from patterns of extraction to the possibility of interdependence through conservation.

She will also explore the intricate relationship between ghost orchids and hawk moths as a model of interspecies symbiosis, and discuss her ghost orchid book, creative research, and process.

This is a rare opportunity to experience the ghost orchid through art, science, and storytelling. Come for the talk and stay to explore the museum.