Annual Highlights
September 2024 - September 2025
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR
Lorie Mertes. Photo by Matias J. Ocner.
Dear Friends,
I’ve been thinking about the term “coming back to center” lately – the act of reconnecting with what is truly important, even when everything else feels chaotic. Despite this past year’s ups and downs with long-term, sustained support from Federal, State and County funding removed, threatened, or in question moving forward, we’ve stayed focused on what we do, who we serve, and why we do it – which all comes down to our artist-centered mission.
For 27 years, Locust Projects has served as a blank slate for artists to experiment and push their practice. We have built a track record of helping artists realize complex ideas on a large scale, which
often lead to new directions and opportunities. Guided by a culture of “yes” and providing 24/7 access and residencies, we support the realization of new art in ways most museums and galleries either can’t or won’t.
In our largest space to-date, we have exponentially helped artists work on a scope and scale like never before. Our artists tell us all the time that Locust Projects is a place where their voices are heard, experimentation is prioritized, collaboration is championed, and big ideas are realized. THIS keeps us centered and focused on how we can support artists and connect them and their work with the public in innovative ways.
To that end, last year we welcomed our first Deputy Director as well as our first Art + Digital Innovation Manager who have helped make Locust a lively hub to gather with an exciting calendar of INCUBATOR programs and artist-led workshops/performances. We also marked big anniversaries in 2025 with LAB and WaveMaker Grants - two programs that make a big impact every year.
All we do is thanks to our Board of Directors and their vision and leadership, and all the donors who support us - every person who gives, attends, and champions what we do has an impact - and we are immensely grateful.
Warmly,
Lorie Mertes | Executive Director
WATCH NOW! Artists Share Their Stories
MAKING
WAVES: Celebrating 10 years of WaveMaker Grants with $690,000 in incubator grants to 139 Miami artists!
WaveMaker 10th Anniversary Splash! Party. Photo by World Red Eye.
MAKING ART HAPPEN
CREATE OPPORTUNITIES & INVITE RISK TAKING
Supporting local, national and international artists at all career stages, Locust Projects is the only Miami organization dedicated to producing and presenting ambitious and experimental site-specific installations by local, national and international artists. We are distinct in inviting artists to create large-scale installations and providing them with curatorial guidance, artist fees, production budgets, and two to ten week residencies.
We foster connections to Miami’s arts community and the public through free public programs and free admission. Since 1998, Locust Projects has presented more than 225 commissioned projects by over 500+ local, national and international artists and collectives.
Daniel Arturo Almeida and Adrian Edgard Rivera, The Elephant Never Forgets. Opening Night at Locust Projects by World Red Eye.
Daniel Arturo Almeida & Adrian Edgard Rivera: The
Elephant Never Forgets
September 7November 2, 2024
Drawing from ‘la vecindad,’ the iconic setting of ‘El Chavo,’ and other historical and contemporary references from the artists’ experience of Mexican and Venezuelan mass media, the immersive installation traced Latin American media history to lay bare the socio-political intricacies of memory through themes of transnational telecommunications, piracy as access/agency, the public broadcast theatrics of authoritarianism, constructed memories, and soft power.
The Elephant Never Forgets was a Knight Digital Commission and was supported in part by Funding Arts Network.
WATCH NOW!
the Scenes
the Artists
Behind
with
LIZN’BOW: Niñalandia Skycoaster
September 7November 2, 2024
Niñalanida Skycoaster was a multimedia experience by LIZN’BOW where participants embarked on a VR rollercoaster ride based on the artists’ Niñalandia Mixed Reality Multiverse, a queer-futurist post-apocalyptic version of Miami which brings together ideas from their nearly decade long collaboration.
Liz and Bow’s 2006 Buick Rendezvous customwrapped in a hyper-maximalist digital collage became the participants roller coaster cart. Once inside they were transported into a virtual theme park experience. The immersive gallery installation also featured projected animations and a sound score, creating an environment where physical and digital realms united.
Niñalandia Skycoaster was a Knight Digital Commission.
WATCH NOW!
Behind the Scenes with the Artists
Tianguis Flea Market
Tianguis Flea Market was inspired by the rich culture of Mexican flea markets and marionette making, a major influence on The Elephant Never Forgets exhibition.
The market featured local Miami makers, artists, and vendors bringing their creative energy in a daylong celebration of the fall exhibitions’ closing.
Closing Talk
Vendors and attendees gathered in the DiLL for an Artist Talk with exhibiting artists in a panel moderated by Executive Director Lorie Mertes. The event was a celebration of art, culture, and community.
ON THE WIRE: Performance Activation
by Carlos Fabián Medina
Through a satirical and personal lens, multidisciplinary artist Medina traced his media-saturated upbringing in Caracas, Venezuela, inviting the audience on a visceral journey through memory, mass media, and identity. The event was held in conjunction with Little Haiti Little River Art Days.
Alexandre Arrechea: Herramienta Desnuda (Bare
Tool)
November 23, 2024January 23, 2025
A simple gesture—a stone skipping across water—transformed into a profound reflection on the ripple effects of individual actions. Arrechea carefully crafted each element, from the circular wooden forms that echo water’s ripples to a wall projection of a video of his son, whose movements amplify the metaphor of cause and effect. Bare Tool turned Locust Projects’ Main Gallery into an immersive space for exploring social impact and interconnectedness.
This exhibition was a Knight Digital Commission. Lead Presenting Sponsor: María Bechily and Scott Hodes.
WATCH NOW!
Behind the Scenes with the Artist
ALBA TRIANA: Dialogue with the Primordial Sea
November 23, 2024January 23, 2025
With meticulous attention to detail, Triana assembled copper coils and electronic components, constructing an immersive environment where magnetic spheres levitate and sway in response to invisible electromagnetic fields. Guided by a probabilistic code generated by tiny Arduino microcontrollers, each movement aimed to reflect nature’s delicate balance between order and chaos, evoking the beauty and unpredictability of self-organizing systems.
Dialogue with the Primordial Sea was a ‘Curator’s Pick,’ selected by Executive Director Lorie Mertes from artist applications to the 2024 Knight Digital WATCH NOW! Behind the Scenes with the Artist
Miami Art Week Press Preview
To kick off Miami Art Week, Locust Projects and Alexandre Arrechea invited local and national press to tour the exhibitions before regular gallery operating hours.
Guests included Journalist and Social Media Guru Robin Cembalest and Executive Director-Curator of ArtNexus Space Francine Birbragher.
Closing Talk
Alba Triana and Rodolfo Peraza engaged guests in a thought-provoking conversation moderated by Locust Projects’ Art + Digital Innovation Manager Andrew McClees. The discussion delved into how artists use technology to reveal unseen forces like magnetic fields and digital networks, exploring their unique approaches to connecting digital and natural systems through artistic practice.
Miami Art Week Meet the Artists Party
Locust Projects celebrated Miami Art Week with a lively Meet the Artists Party. Guests experienced Alexandre Arrechea’s immersive installation, inspired by the poetic gesture of a skipping stone, alongside Alba Triana’s kinetic sound work in the Project Room.
Over 350 attendees—including artists, collectors, curators, and patrons—gathered in Locust Projects’ Little River space, enjoying creative cocktails by Gramps featuring Helix 7 Vodka, while Miami’s own Afrobeta provided a soundtrack of electronic Latin funk. The evening offered an engaging opportunity for the community to connect with the artists and celebrate contemporary art in Miami.
Jaye Rhee: Fragile Terrain
February 13 - April 05, 2025
Rhee’s installation challenged perceptions of reality and digital representation examining humanity’s evolving relationship with technology. With her construction of a “fake beach,” based on an image from a Google search prompt of Miami Beaches, she tapped into an empty signifier that invited viewers to project their own imaginations, creating a dissonance between what is seen and what is felt.
Fragile Terrain was supported by the Knight Foundation’s Digital Commissions initiative. Additional funding was provided by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea, Korea Arts Management Service, and the Fund for Korean Art Abroad. The exhibition was also supported in part by Samwha Paper.
WATCH NOW! Behind the Scenes with the Artist
Wendy Wischer: Open Water
February 13April 05, 2025
An immersive, multi-media installation reflecting on the ocean—both the vast seas and the ocean that resides within us. Through nonlinear storytelling, sound, and projected video, it explored the vulnerability of loving something as it fades away. The ocean’s surface remains unchanged, but beneath lie secrets, beauty, and wildness we are losing, leaving mysteries forever undiscovered.
Open Water was a Knight Digtal Commission.
WATCH NOW! Behind the Scenes with the Artist
VAMOS A LA PLAYA
Jaye Rhee and members of the Miami Sound Choir deconstructed Righeira’s 1980s Vamos a la Playa, a song that disguises an apocalyptic vision of nuclear disaster beneath its bright, carefree melody.
This performance complemented Rhee’s exhibition, Fragile Terrain, where she reimagined the ocean’s expanse through delicate, pixelated paper forms. Extending this inquiry into sound and performance, she invited the audience to consider how places both real and imagined take shape through longing, nostalgia, and fiction.
Performers:
Soprano: Gabby Kane
Alto: Oly Vargas
Bass: Alex Fever
WATCH NOW!
Vamos a La Playa
Performance Video
OPEN WATER MEDITATION
Open Water Meditation was an immersive experience that explored our connection to water, both within our bodies and in the world around us.
Visitors experiened a guided meditation, a participatory water ritual, and a healing sound performance led by Wisher and Octavio Campos, participants engaged in a journey that was both personal and collective.
Tomas Vu:
Blackstar 16/25/60
April 26 - July 19, 2025
Blackstar 16/25/60 was a monumental installation inspired by David Bowie’s cultural and artistic legacy as a genreblending “mixer.” The third and final project in Vu’s Bowie-inspired trilogy envisioned a world overrun by nature, serving as both a warning of the future and a sanctuary for survival. At its core was a geodesic dome inspired by futurist architect Buckminster Fuller. Inside, a vinyl sound deck of LPs from 1967–2016 invited visitors to shape the installation’s sensory landscape through movement and sound, transforming the space into a living embodiment of Bowie’s spirit of collaboration and reinvention.
This exhibition was a Knight Digital Commission.
WATCH NOW! Behind the Scenes with the Artist
As part of his exhibition, Tomas invited the public to submit and host their own events activating the dome. The artist encouraged screenings, jam sessions, or listening parties inspired by the exhibition.
Two events curated by Houndstooth Cottage—the husband-wife duo of Maitejosune Urrechaga and Locust Project’s own Program & Events Coordinator Tony Kapel—Cashmere Kitties wa a mind-expanding, consciousness-warping satellite music festival that brings together sounds and scenes that don’t normally mingle.
INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION
CELEBRATING 15 YEARS IN 2025, Locust Art Builders: Summer Art
Intensive for Teens, aka LAB, is a unique five-week pre-college program for high school students with an interest in art, design, and exploring creative careers.
LAB promotes contemporary art and project-based learning as a means to encourage creativity, critical analysis, and problem solving, while building communication skills. LAB extends Locust Projects’ 27year commitment as an incubator of new art and ideas, by supporting experimentation and innovation in artistic practice with the next generation of South Florida artists.
Locust Art Builders: Summer Art Intensive for Teens 2025 is made possible through lead support from: Susan and Richard Arregui; Diane and Werner Grob; The Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, The Children’s Trust; The Kirk Foundation, and INCUBATORS Friends of the Next Generation. In kind support provided by Miami Design Shop.
LOCUST ART BUILDERS (LAB) 2025
On June 16, 2025, fourteen students from seven high schools across Miami met for the 15th year of Locust Art Builders Summer Art Intensive for five weeks to collaboratively build an exhibition in our Project Room.
This year’s LAB was led by an ensemble of Mentor Artists, longtime LAB Lead Mentors, Loni Johnson and Chire Reagans; Rodolfo Peraza (MUD Foundation), Eric Hupe, and Cynthia Cruz, who provided hands-on workshops and digital curriculum; and technical support from Miami Design Shop.
Students experimented with multiple types of tools and media to support their vision, and received feedback during weekly skills-building workshops and the annual Mentor Meet + Greet Brunch. The students’ ideas came to life as they collaboratively built an immersive installation they titled HYPERVIGILANCE.
“This program inspired me creatively by holding me accountable. Usually I get artist’s block whenever I work on a big project but being in a group made me realize that I must do my part in order to create an exhibition we are all proud of. I feel more empowered to experiment in my work in the sense that I am now interested in working with more large-scale ideas.”
— 2025 LAB Student
The 2025 Locust Art
Builders Exhibition: HYPERVIGILANCE
July 19 - August 02, 2025
“Hypervigilance is an exhibition we created to explore what it feels like to grow up in a world where we’re always being watched. From school hallways to social media, surveillance shows up in both obvious and subtle ways—through cameras, algorithms, judgment, and expectations. For us, Hypervigilance is about the constant pressure to be seen, to perform, and to conform.”
- 2025 LAB Students
WATCH NOW! Behind the Scenes with LAB Students
COLLEGE
INTERNSHIPS
Every year our LAB Collegelevel Summer interns are tasked with all aspects of creating a documentary video for LAB and a blog overview of the student’s LAB experience from their perspective to their final project assignment. Capturing daily activities and moments, their video gives a behind-the-scenes look at one of Miami’s most impactful teen summer art pre-college programs. Published on our YouTube Channel and Closer Look Blog it also gives our interns an incredible professional achievement to list on their resumes.
Julian is a rising senior at Miami Arts Charter studying Visual Arts. Julian’s passions include collecting vinyls and CDs and experimenting with different artistic mediums.
CLICK HERE to check out the Closer Look blog posts from this year’s LAB!
Ric is a rising senior at Miami Arts Charter in the Visual Arts department. Ric enjoys working with character art, visual and sound design in video games, and occasionally dabbles in acrylic painting. Working at Locust Projects was their first time working with photography or videography!
This year’s interns were Julian Henriquez and Ric Calix.
HIGH SCHOOL
INTERNSHIPS
Locust Projects annually provides internships to current high-school students who seek an in-depth learning experience of exhibitions, events, and development activities of a celebrated non-profit contemporary art organization.
This year’s 2024/2025 high school interns were Maren and Dipolo.
LAB BFA: New World
School of the Arts /dis·place·meant/
May 10 - May 31, 2025
Locust Projects partnered with New World School of the Arts’ ART+TECH Lab to present multimedia installation /dis·place·meant/. Over the course of several weeks, 14 student artists developed and tested their projects at Locust, working between the Digital Innovation Lounge + LAB (DiLL) and the 625-sqft Project Room, using the space as a platform for testing, experimentation, and handson production.
Created under the guidance of NWSA Professor Alisa Pitchenik Charles as part of her Imaging Processes course, and produced in collaboration with Locust Projects’ Art + Digital Innovation Manager Andrew McLees, the exhibition featured works shaped through on-site prototyping, critique, and access to tools and techniques at the intersection of art and technology. The resulting installation blends augmented reality (AR), artificial intelligence (AI), photogrammetry, 3D printing, and projection, exploring layered expressions of displacement across memory, identity, and spatial experience.
LAB MFA: Parinaz
Moghadampour Oasis
June 13 - July 5, 2025
LAB MFA is a commissioned exhibitions and residency annual Open Call to current MFA students nationally as part of Locust Projects commitment to supporting the next generation of artists each summer.
Oasis was a fictional world brought to life through Leap Motion, Kinect, and MIDI controllers. The installation critiqued media-fueled consumerism and its environmental impact through interactive, poetic experiences.
Oasis was a Knight Digital Commission. It was supported in part by The School of Communication and multimedia Studies at Florida Atlantic University.
2025 Teaching Artist Summer Studio Residents: Sofia
Valiente & Marie Franco
July - October 2025
For the third consecutive year, we shared our home with Teaching Artists by providing free studio space during the summer through our Summer Studio Residency program.
Our residents have 24/7 access to studio space to work, produce, think, and create; all within walking distance of the creative community of Little River’s makers, cultural institutions, artist communities, and galleries.
Locust Projects Summer Artist Studio Residency was featured in the Biscayne Times by Josie Gulliksen, highlighting how this program has become a vital resource for Miami’s teaching artists—giving them the room, time, and support to grow their practices.
ADVOCATE FOR ARTISTS AND CREATIVE PRACTICES
Supporting Miami-based artists with a number of resources helping to sustain their creative careers including incubator grants and professional development workshops and opportunities, including:
10 YEARS OF WAVEMAKER GRANTS - A national regranting program of the Warhol Foundation, WaveMaker incubator grants has awarded more than $690,000 to 139 of Miami’s visionary artists since 2015 supporting new, publicly accessible projects in nontraditional spaces across Miami-Dade.
LEGALARTLINK - Miami-based Artists of all disciplines can empower and expand their careers with support from LegalARTLink’s pro bono legal services and professional development resources including online webinars and on-site workshops.
ARTIST FOCUS GROUPS - New annual gatherings to collect vital feedback
Art + Tech Visioning & Listening Workshop, February 2025.
2025 WAVEMAKER GRANTEES
WaveMaker grantees receive up to $6,000 each in three categories: New Work / Projects, Long Haul Projects, and Research & Development + Implementation. In the spirit of Locust Projects’ artist-driven mission, WaveMakers experiment and take risks, creating innovative work that is shared with the public in unconventional spaces.
The Cycle 12 WaveMakers are: Long-Haul Projects: Christopher Mitchell | Lucía Morales | Angela Rio | Gabriela Serra | Ermol Sheppard | Barron Sherer | Sofia Vailente; New Work / Projects: Roxana Barba | Sydney RoseMaubert; Research & Development + Implementation: Akia Dorsainvil | Gabriel Soomar | Teri Watson.
The 2025 selection panel included: Donnie Cervantes, Program Director at Warhol Regional Regranting Partner, Ho’ākea Source at the Pu’uhonua Society, Honolulu, O’ahu, Hawai’i; Yanira Collado, Artist, 2024 WaveMaker Grantee; Rebecca Pauline Jampol, Co-Director at Warhol Foundation Regional Regranting Partner, Co-director at Project for Empty Space that powers the Newark Artist Accelerator in Newark, New Jersey; Claudia Mattos, Associate Curator of New Media Art at The Bass Museum of Art, Miami Beach.
WaveMaker Grants are made possible by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts’ Regional Regranting Program, a network of 36 partner organizations across the country. Learn more about the 2025 WaveMakers here.
2025 WAVEMAKER
SPLASH PARTY
On a sultry September night, Locust Projects’ celebrated the 10th anniversary of WaveMaker Grants at the annual Splash! Party, lighting up the poolside at The Vagabond Hotel.
The Wednesdays with + WaveMakers & INCUBATORS celebration brought together past and our 2025 WaveMakers, exhibiting artists, local curators, board members, and INCUBATOR donors for a night of Miami magic at one of MiMO’s most beautifully restored landmarks.
Guests swayed to sounds by Pressure Point (WaveMaker Akia Dorsainvil), sipped bespoke cocktails crafted with CHARWAR agave and MEP juices, and lounged beneath the palms. The first 50 arrivals scored a limited-edition beach towel designed by 2024 WaveMaker grantee Lee Pivnik—perfect for poolside glamour.
LEGALARTLINK
Founded as LegalArt in 2003 and administered by Locust Projects since 2017, LegalARTLink has been a vital resource in supporting artists to protect their work and empower their careers.
In the 2024-25 fiscal year, LegalARTLink handled a total of 114 cases across various legal areas totally more than $510,000 in pro bono legal services and professional development workshops to Miami-based artists. The services addressed urgent and evolving needs of our community.
Q3 2024: 32 matters
Q4 2024: 12 matters
Types of Cases Handled:
Contracts: 34 / 30%
Copyright: 46 / 40%
Q1 2025: 34 matters
Q2 2025: 36 matters
Business/Nonprofit Governance and Formation: 10 / .09%
Dispute/Litigation: 8 / .07%
Trademark: 8 / .07%
Family: 1 / .01%
First Amendment: 1 / .01%
Employment: 3 / .03%
Student Loans: 2 / .02%
Trusts and Estates: 1 / .01%
LegalARTLink: Business Structures & Contracts Program
A free two-day program presented byDLA Piper LLP offering Miami artists practical legal guidance on business formation and contracts. Art law expert Diego R. Figueroa-Rodríguez led an evening talk covering best practices for structuring creative businesses and navigating basic agreements. The following night, artists participated in a hands-on clinic with DLA Piper pro bono lawyers to address their own business and contract questions. Part of Locust Projects’ ongoing LegalARTLink initiative, the program connected artists across disciplines with essential resources and professional legal support.
ART + TECH VISIONING & LISTENING WORKSHOP
With support from the Knight Foundation Digital Innovation Initiative, Locust Projects partnered with Cézanne Charles and John Marshall of Rootoftwo to assess the current landscape of digital experimentation in contemporary art. The collaboration involved mapping existing resources, identifying gaps, and engaging participating artists through interactive exercises and structured discussions. Insights gathered from this process are informing the development of future initiatives aimed at strengthening support for artists working at the intersection of technology and contemporary practice.
ACTIVATE CONVERSATIONS ON NEW ART AND IDEAS
Locust Projects believes art and artists are essential to society. We inspire curiosity in new art and the exchange of new ideas through our free public programs and partnerships with local artists and peer organizations.
Community Hub -Locust Projects shares its space and resources with many community partners and nonprofits to turn big ideas into collective impact.
The DiLL - The Knight Digital Innovation Lounge + Lab presents new, existing or works-in-progress focusing on a range of artistic practices that embrace digital innovation.
Locust Late @ The DiLL
Since 2023, Locust Late @ The DiLL has hosted more than 35 artists and educators and welcomed over 750 attendees for intimate artist-run workshops and performances. The program serves a broad spectrum of interests including: interactive TouchDesigner tutorials; AI for artist productivity and video game design; video mixing for live performance; the history (and future) of expanded cinema in contemporary art; designing virtual rollercoasters using 3D software; sound design and live audio experimentation using modular synthesis and code; digital animation; holography and immersive imaging; and collaborative approaches to movement, sound, and digital storytelling.
Since September 2024, under the direction of Art + Digital Innovation Manager Andrew McLees, the program has expanded in scope while finding its stride, increasing attendance, and establishing itself as a novel model for peer-to-peer arts programming and exchange in the region. Each event now serves as both a showcase and a laboratory where artists and audiences connect through shared curiosity for knowledge and a love of experimental new art and ideas.
Community Hub
Locust Projects’ space allows us to welcome and support our community by serving as a presenting parter/venue to various events large and small. In the past year we have partnered with several friends who needed space to host their events, including INC (International Noise Conference), 2BNonprofit, FIU, and New World School of the Arts, and Little Haiti Little River Art Days.
Staff provided exhibition tours to classes from local and international schools. We were also happy to welcome Funding Arts Network cultural commeraderie supporters during The Elephant Never Forgets for a special tour led by Lorie Mertes.
GETTING SEEN
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6.5k followers
304 subscribers
Locust Projects is deeply grateful for the continued recognition in the press this year. Being featured in leading publications has helped amplify our mission and connect us with wider audiences. We thank these outlets for their support and for shining a spotlight on the artists and programs that make our community vibrant.
FUNDRAISERS AND FRIENDRAISERS
Building on our vision to provide contemporary visual artists the freedom to experiment with new ideas by creating a culture of “yes,” Locust Projects offers many opportunities to support our exhibitions and programming in impactful and direct ways.
Locust Projects relies on funding from annual fundraisers such as Spring Fling and Annual Benefit Dinners, as well as from support from INCUBATORS and individual donors.
ANNUAL BENEFIT
DINNER: The Ripple
Effect
Locust Projects hosted its Benefit Dinner: The Ripple Effect honoring Sheldon & Florence Anderson and Diane & Werner Grob, and the ripples of impact they have had — on both Locust Projects and on Miami — as generous champions of the arts and inspiring civic leaders. The evening, held at Locust Projects, was hosted by Event Chairs Ximena Caminos; Marianne and John Devine, Debra Scholl and Dennis Scholl.
120 guests gathered within Alexandre Arrechea’s installation Herramienta desnuda (Bare Tool) in the Main Gallery. The night served as its premier along with Alba Triana’s sound installation Dialogue with the Primordial Sea in the Project Room.
The night included an Art Auction with works donated by Arrechea, Alba Triana and Ximena Caminos and The ReefLine donating a prototype by Carlos Betancourt and Alberto Latorre followed by a Paddle Raise to support Locust’s Summer Art Intensive for Teens. Guests received a memento designed by the artist for everyone to hold within their hand – a stone engraved with ripples echoing the sculptures from the artist’s installation.
NOVEMBER 2024 BENEFIT DINNER SUPPORTERS
FRIENDS OF THE HONOREES
Florence & Sheldon Anderson
Sarah Arison/Arison Arts Foundation
Diane & Werner Grob
Diane & Robert Moss
FRIENDS OF THE ARTISTS
Ximena Caminos in honor of Teresita Betancourt
Elizabeth Green
Diane & Alan Lieberman
Luisa Lignarolo & Sergio Cernuda
Anna Mora
FRIENDS OF LOCUST PROJECTS
Theresa & Juan Alonso, Northern Trust
Susan & Richard Arregui
Tracey Robertson Carter & Christopher Carter
Marianne & John Devine
Valerie Dillon & Daniel R Lewis
Alejandra & Luke Palacio
Hal Philipps & Greg Kendall
Faye & Jeff Roth
Debra & Dennis Scholl
Amy Pollack
FRIENDS
John Allan Anderson
Marie Elena Angulo
ArtCare Conservation
Bank of America
María Bechily & Scott Hodes
Robert Borlenghi
Mireille Chancy Gonzalez
Jill Ginsberg | Rene Gonzalez
Robin Hill
Deborah Hoffman
Paul Rene Jacober & Mauricio del Valle
Youngmee Kim
Jeff Krinsky
Rhoda Levitt
Doreen Lima
Marika Lynch & Adrian Villaraos
Ross McCalla
Lorie Mertes
Gail Meyers
Stewart Merkin
John Abodeely, Oolite Arts
Cricket Taplin
The Miami Foundation
Mindy Solomon
Deborah Spiegelman
Clara & Juan Toro
Munisha Underhill
Maitejosune Urrechaga
DONATIONS
Tony Argiz in honor of Florence &Sheldon Anderson
Chris Armstong
Nicole Kristine Chipi
Sydney Carpel & David Schaecter
Debra & Barry Frank
Carole Hall
Danny Kolker
Patricia M. Paper
Karen Weiner Escalera
Lawrence C. Weinstein in honor
Diane & Werner Grob
AUCTION DONORS
Alexandre Arrechea & LNS Gallery
Alba Triana
The ReefLine
EVENT IN-KIND SPONSORS
Miami Herald / El Nuevo Herald
Le Basque Catering
Dry Farm Wines
Lin Projects
Jacober Creative
Spring Fling: Space Oddity
Locust Projects’ hosted its Annual fundraiser Spring Fling: Space Oddity–Homage to David Bowie inspired by Tomas Vu’s exhibiton. It was a cosmic celebration with more than 400 donors, artists and community gathering in Locust style and inspired by the legendary David Bowie. The night marked the premiere of Tomas Vu’s Blackstar 16/25/60.
Guests enjoyed the exhibition, t-shirt silkscreening by the artist, fabulous fashion, and incredible music with live performances by Jay Thomas X Zjolie, an energetic lip sync by Adora, and music by DJ Jack Listens, plus a lively Silent Art Auction comprised of works contributed by top collectors and 50+ Miami artists.
Guests came as Ziggy Stardusts, Major Toms, Space Oddities, and a few Labyrinth-worthy Goblin Kings—making the night as fashionably out-of-this-world as the exhibition.
INCUBATORS
The INCUBATORS donor program flourished this year with unforgettable experiences— from artist-led exhibition tours and curated dinners to conversations with boundarypushing creatives and the new monthly Wednesdays with ___ + Locust Projects series. Members enjoyed insider access to Locust Projects Meet the Artists at openings; ArtVentures to private collections, galleries, and artist studios; artist-designed dining experiences; unique gatherings that highlight and collaborate with Miami’s freshest cultural finds; exclusive Miami Art Week passes and much more!
Thank you to everyone that opened their homes, studios, galleries and hearts with us for so many special experiences with our Locust family.
Click here to become an INCUBATOR today!
Wednesdays with + ___________
Locust Projects
On the third Wednesday of each month, INCUBATORS, artists, community cultural staples and trendsetters gathered for fun events with featured guests including David Sinopoli founder of III Points for live music and DJs; unique fun with exhibiting artists such as a dance off with LIZN’BOW and ping pong with Alexandre Arrachea; an artist chat with past WaveMaker and host and producer Alex Nuñez and John Caignet, founder of Jolt Radio; Max Pierre in conversation with 2025 WaveMaker Akia Dorsainvil; a bring your own vinyl night under Tomas Vu’s dome with Lolo Reskin, founder of Sweat Records; and a movie night with Dennis Scholl and Kareem Tabsch. Guests enjoyed conversations, music and unique activities as well as specialty cocktails.
Artist Dinners
INCUBATORS were offered exclusive access to intimate artist designed dinners inspired by their work and cultures with Miami artists and hosting galleries including Rafael Domenech at Andrew Reed Gallery; Tomm El-Saieh in his studio co-hosted by Central Fine and founder Diego Singh; and Alba Triana thanks to JP Morgan for unforgettable nights of conversation and insights to the artists influences. Guests received a special gift from the artist as part of the experience.
ArtVentures
INCUBATORS enjoyed multiple ArtVentures throughout the season to wonderful locations including a private tour of NADA during Miami Art Week; cocktails at private collection visits to welcome exhibiting artists including the design rich home of Bruce Patrick and Travis London; a special tour of the distinctive private collection of founding board member, Jorge Garcia and Angel Perez; and an Artist Studio visit with Gonzalo Fuenmayor for brunch and a behind-the-scenes look into his practice and a hands-on charcoal drawing class.
2024-2025 SUPPORTERS
CORPORATIONS and FOUNDATIONS
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
The Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners
The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts
Florida Department of State Division of Cultural Affairs
Ruth Foundation for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts
The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation/The Related Group
Burberry
Funding Arts Network
Cowles Charitable Trust
Goldman Sachs Gives
Kirk Foundation
Miami Salon Group
Northern Trust
Sidley Austin LLP
JP Morgan Private Bank
UBS Bank USA
VIA Art Fund
Wege Foundation
IN-KIND
Andrew Reed Gallery
Art Basel Miami Beach
Bacardi
CHAWAR
DLA Piper
Dry Farm Wines
Gander & White Shipping
Hagerty Garage + Social
Helix Vodka
I’ve Been Framed
Jacober Creative
Kalexy Graphics and Signs
Le Basque
Lin Projects
MEP
Miami Design Shop
Miami Herald
El Nuevo Herald
The Vagabond Hotel
Topo Chico
INCUBATOR FUND DONORS
CHANGEMAKERS
Anthony Abraham
Florence and Sheldon Anderson
Sarah Arison/Arison Arts Foundation
Susan and Richard Arregui
Elizabeth Bailey and Paul Kennedy
María Bechily and Scott Hodes
Jorge Garcia and Angel Perez
Diane and Werner Grob
Diane* and Robert Moss
CHAMPIONS
Juan Alonso
Ximena Caminos
Tracey Robertson Carter and Christopher Carter
Marianne and John Devine
Debra and Barry Frank
Elizabeth Green
Jennifer and Brian Heller
Elizabeth Petersen Hoelle and William Hoelle
Tom Healy and Fred P. Hochberg
Diane and Alan Lieberman
Stewart Merkin
Anna Mora
Amy and Richard Pollack
Jordan Reyes
Debra and Dennis Scholl
Beryl Silver and Bradley Gross
Michele Tortorelli and Thomas Kearns
ADVOCATES
Eduardo Ojeda
John J. Pinto
Luisa Lignarolo and Sergio Cernuda
EXHIBITIONISTS
Linda K. Adler
Bonnie and Peter Bernstein
Sherrie Billings
Carol Damian
Kenneth C. Griffin
Soledad and Justin Lowe
Lorie Mertes
Cynthia O’Keefe
Nedra and Mark Oren
Alejandra and Luke Palacio
Vivian Pfeiffer
Dorothy and Aaron Podhurst
Stefanie Reed/Art Basel Miami Beach
Angelica Semmelbauer
Mindy Solomon
Munisha Underhill
Jennifer Webber
Miles Wilkin
Antonia Wright
GRATITUDE
GRANTS
Locust Projects received more than $600,000 in funding from grants in 24-25.After being cut from the State budget in 24-25, Locust was funded for $150,000 in FY 25-26, for which we are immensely grateful. Miami-Dade County’s budget, substantially cut in the Mayor’s proposed budget, was approved by the County Commission to uphold ADV support for the 25-26 Fiscal Year. This has been essential general operating funding elevating small and mid-sized organizations in Miami. For the first time in more than a dozen years, we were declined for NEA funding for 25-26.
Announced in fall 2025, Locust Projects has received $100,000 spread over two years as its first CreARTE grant from The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation to support a relaunched Talks with leading curators and new Artist Speaker Series—that activate the new space as a hub for gathering, deepen community connections, and build lasting networks between artists and audiences across Miami.
2024-2025 Grant Highlights
• $200,000 from the Knight Foundation towards a 3-year Digital Innovation Initiative grant of $750,000 over three years (2023-2025)
• $100,000 from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Arts for WaveMaker grants
• $50,000 from the Ruth Foundation for the Arts for general operating
• $50,000 from VIA Art Fund towards the 2026 premiere of Edison Peñafiel’s De Profundis Clamavi ad Astra
• $40,000 from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Arts for Exhibitions and Programs
In fiscal year 25/26 Locust Projects receives major support from: The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation; The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts; The Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, The Children’s Trust; the State of Florida through the Division of Arts and Culture and the National Endowment for the Arts; The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation; Diane and Robert Moss; Ruth Foundation for the Arts; VIA Art Fund; Diane and Werner Grob; Susan and Richard Arregui; María Bechily and Scott Hodes; WEGE Foundation; Funding Arts Network; Cowles Foundation, Kirk Foundation; and the INCUBATORS.
THANK YOU FOR GIVE MIAMI DAY 2024!
Locust Projects received vital support to keep our mission in motion through our core programs, raising $70,555!
With your help, Locust Projects surpassed its goal and ranked - 1st on the leaderboard out of mid-sized visual arts organizations - 34th out of 399 mid-sized organizations
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
John Devine, chair
Juan Alonso
John Allan Anderson
Richard Arregui
Elizabeth Bailey
María Bechily
Tracey Robertson Carter
Westen Charles, founder
Rafael Domenech, artist
Debra Frank, secretary
Elizabeth Green
Diane Grob
Brian Heller
Avra Jain
Marika Lynch
Christopher Lomax
Ross McCalla
Stewart Merkin
Anna Mora
Jaime Odabachian
Elizabeth Petersen Hoelle, treaesurer
Amy Pollack
Andrew Reed
Debra Scholl, past board chair
Mette Tommerup, artist
Oliver Watkiss
Elizabeth Withstandley, founder
EMERITI
Linda Adler
Paul Berg
COOPER, founder
Dawn Adels Fine
Jorge A. Garcia
Doreen Lima
Steven Lanster
Diane Moss*
Munisha Underhill
HONORARY
Adler Guerrier
Antonia Wright
LOCUST PROJECTS STAFF
Executive Director
Lorie Mertes
Deputy Director
Munisha Underhill
Chief Preparator and Director of Facilities Operations
Tom Mickelson
Communications and Content Manager
Sid Wolf
Events and Programs Coordinator
Tony Kapel
Art + Digital Innovation Manager
Andrew McLees
Development Associate
Antoine White
LegalARTLink Director, PT
Allyn Ginns Ayers
*Deceased
List as of September, 2025
Annual Highlights Designed and Compiled by Sid
Installation
All event images by
Wolf.
Cover image: LIZN’BOW: Niñalandia Skycoaster, opening night. Photo by World Red Eye.
images by Pedro Wazzan
World Red Eye and Logan Fazio.
