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Exhibition by Dani Amaro – Soundscape Field Station AiR
March 23 - March 30
From March 23 – 30, 2025 at Canaveral National Seashore Apollo Beach, Dani Amaro will display her site-specific, tactile sound sculpture titled Our Window, made from Sargassum (seaweed) and materials representing the cultures of Florida, such as Sankofa ironwork. She states, “sargassum is known to filter out unwanted debris from our oceans as well as provide refuge for marine life such as shrimps and sea turtles. One is invited to draw parallels and contemplate the similar functions of preservation, protection, intimacy, and shelter that Sankofa ironwork provides to the many homes of historically displaced peoples.” Amaro’s approach to environmental storytelling combines the process of sustainably creating textiles from organic materials to broaden her practice by exploring new ways audiences can tangibly experience music. She is a trained jazz musician and music teacher in Miami, Florida who shares her heritage across distance from the Global South to Florida.
On view: Sunday the 23rd, Thursday the 27th – Sunday the 30th
1-4PM at the Doris Leeper House, Apollo Beach, Canaveral National Seashore. Free with park admission.
Artist Statement by Dani Amaro
Utilizing the voice as an instrument to explore experimental realms of modern folklore and storytelling, I weave together elements of vocal percussion, improvisation, and harmonic choral modalities in composition. I find home, and the greatest well of inspiration in the strong yet whimsical sounds of the natural world, oftentimes performing in tandem with my looping pedal and traditional percussion instruments. Through working in multi-disciplinary collaborations, such as involving choreography and theater, I aspire to highlight the interconnectivity across mediums. By delving into bodies of work that reflect intergenerational themes of catharsis, one can process indigestible collective emotions such as trauma, grief, joy, etc. within a shared created community. This provides essential tools in navigating the dimensions of my multi-faceted diasporic experience, while informing every step and expression of my musical transdisciplinary practice. Currently, I am researching the process of sustainably creating textiles from organic materials to broaden my practice by exploring new ways audiences can tangibly experience music.
Our Window
This site-specific piece reflects themes of the home, and invites audiences to actively participate in, and reflect on the intimate sonic stories they hold. These curtains encompass a hand-made bio-textile, derived from Sargassum found along Miami and Florida’s coastline. On the curtains are Sankofa ironwork iconography, resembling a common wrought iron barred window that is found in both South Florida, the Caribbean, and the Global South, thus connecting these vast places particular to my heritage across distance. As Sargassum is known to filter out pollutant debris from our oceans, as well as provide refuge for marine life, one is invited to draw parallels and contemplate the similar functions of preservation, protection, intimacy, and shelter, Sankofa ironwork provides to the many homes of historically displaced peoples. The symbolic iron work is electro conductive, playing songs when touched and interacted with. These compositions are made from a blend of meditative looped vocals and mirrored field recordings from diverse locations recorded during my time in this residency. Homage is paid to Doris ‘Doc’ Leeper, an instrumental figure in establishing the Canaveral National Seashore through environmental arts activism. In adorning her historic house windows with stained glass bio-textile, it further conveys this historic site as a secular sacred space of convening, creativity, and storytelling.
More details about this residency, visit https://atlanticcenterforthearts.org/home/soundscape-field-station/
The ACA Soundscape Field Station, a partnership between Atlantic Center for the Arts and Canaveral National Seashore, announces transdisciplinary sound artist, Dani Ferreira Amaro as its 2025 artist-in-residence. This residency program invites musicians, composers, and ecologists to find innovative approaches that promote creative expression of a healthy and balanced soundscape for current and future generations. Atlantic Center for the Arts has over 45 years of experience in producing artist-in-residency programs that attract distinguished artists from all over the world. This residency coincides with the 50th anniversary of the National Park Service designation of Canaveral National Seashore as protected by the federal government. The artist will honor this momentous occasion in her donated creative work to the park.
ACA Soundscape Field Station at Canaveral National Seashore is funded by contributions from individuals, private foundations, and educational institutions. Recent support was given by Friends of Canaveral, Atlantic Center for the Arts, the City of New Smyrna Beach, the Cultural Council of Volusia County, individual donors, and made possible by Canaveral National Seashore.
