The Deering Estate

Painting a studio

(Done on October 6th, 2019)

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A group of students and I started the semester off by helping artist/professor, John Bailly paint his art studio at the Deering Estate. This took about 7 hours and professor Bailly provided us with lunch from a nearby deli called The Butcher Shop, they had the best pork sandwich I have ever eaten. After we finished we were able to sit by and watch the manatees in the water.

Mercury in Transit Event

(Done on November 11th, 2019)

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I continued to do the remaining amount of my hours at the Deering Estate as they had a variety of events to volunteer for. The event that I volunteered at was called the Mercury in Transit Event. This is when the planet Mercury passes between the sun and a larger planet making it more visible against the outline of the sun. This is the first time this is happening since 2016.

During the actual transit, the planet Mercury looks like a small black dot moving across the sun and lasts for about 5 hours. At the Deering Estate, they had various telescopes laid out with special lenses so everyone would be able to watch this happen. 

Since there were many visitors coming to the estate my responsibilities were to manage the flow of people coming in and out of the Richmond cottage and the Stonehouse. There were many children so it was my job to make sure they didn’t touch any of the furniture or run around the different rooms in the houses. I also was in charge of assisting people who wanted to use the “Otis Geared Push Elevator” which was a very old elevator, located in the Stone House and was used back then when Charles Deering was still alive. I was also able to show everyone the wine cellar Charles Deering had in the Stone house. This is where he kept all his alcohol during the Prohibition era. 

The Beauty behind The Deering Estate

The Deering Estate has become one of my favorite spots in Miami. I honestly do not understand how my friends and family have no idea where or what this place is. I am a very anxious and stressed out individual who is always on the go and the only time I truly feel calm and at ease is when I am sitting by the water in the Deering Estate. There are moments when the sky looks like its painted and on top of its beauty it also harvests so much history. The feeling of being in the Deering Estate is a special feeling that cannot be explained. You have to experience it for yourself. I love coming here and I will continue to volunteer here in the near future. 

Proof of hours

Contact Information:

• Vanessa Trujillo

• Vanessa.Trujillo@miamidade.gov