brief resume
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Donna Torres
Miami based artist
toseeclearly.com
EDUCATION
Master of Fine Arts, Painting and Drawing
Florida International University. Miami, Florida. May 2001.
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Painting
Florida International University, Miami, Florida. May 1994.
Certificate in Botanical Illustration
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Miami, Florida. 1985 – 1986.
Bachelor of Liberal Arts, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico. April 1978.
EMPLOYMENT
Adjunct Professor, Painting. School of Art and Art History. Florida International University. Miami, Florida. July 2000 – July 2003, August 2005 – 2023.
Botanical Art Instructor. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Coral Gables, Florida.
October 2001 – 2019.
Adjunct Professor, Drawing. Art Department. Miami Dade College. Miami, Florida. August 2002 – December 2005
ARTIST RESIDENCY
CSWR Research Affiliate and November Artist in Residence. Center for the Study of World Religions, Harvard University. September_December 2025.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
Plant Talk. Print and textile installation.1 er Simposio Psiconauta. Utopia y Ebriedad (1st Psychonaut Symposium. Utopia and Inebriation). Conguillío National Park, Conguillío, Chile. December 11 _ 16, 2023.
The Radiance of Proximity. Miami International Airport. Miami, Florida. October 2023 – April 2024.
Caminos y Enlaces (Pathways and Connections). Sala Gasco Arte Contemporáneo. Santiago, Chile. December 2022.
Toxic Treatments: Modern Medicine from Ancient Wisdom. Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science. Miami, Florida. May 2018.
Ancient Conversations. Museum of Sacred, Magic and Medicinal Plants. Cusco, Perú.
November 2013.
Distant Wanders. Close Enchantments. The Art Gallery at Government Center. Miami, Florida. June 2008.
Glimpses and Wonders. Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center Gallery.
Key Biscayne, Florida. July 2007.
To see clearly. Museo Arqueológico R.P. Le Paige. San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.
June 2003.
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
The Three Amigas. Anne Kolb Nature Center. Hollywood, Florida. February 2026.
mel bokner (notes on value). [NAME] Publications Gallery. Miami, Florida. February 2025.
Elements of Alchemy. Moksha Arts Collective Gallery. Miami, Florida. December 2024.
Floribunda. Florida Native Plant Society. Cork Arts District. Jacksonville, Florida.
April 2024.
Nothing Lasts Forever. [NAME] Publications Gallery. Miami, Florida. January 2024.
Chamanismo. Visiones fuera de tiempo. (Shamanism. Visions outside of time). Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino. Santiago, Chile. December 2022 - June 2023.
Fruition: Seeds, Pods, and Fruits of Florida Native Plants. Tropical Botanic Artists. (traveling)
Pompano Beach Cultural Center. Pompano Beach, Florida. October 2022 _ January 3, 2023.
Glenn Hubert Library, Florida International University Biscayne Bay Campus, Miami, Florida. October 4, 2021 _ November 21, 2021.
Biscayne National Park, Dante Fascell Gallery, Homestead, FL, March 5 _ June 6, 2021.
Ecopharma. Fiducentro. Torre Verde #49. Pereira, Colombia. April 2022.
Honoring the Woman. Milander Center for the Arts. Hialeah, Florida. March 2002.
Pollinators. Tropical Botanic Artists. (traveling)
Miami International Airport. Miami, Florida. March 2022.
Anne Kolb Nature Center, Hollywood, Florida, February 1_ 22, 2022
The Keys History & Discovery Center, Islamorada, Florida, September 17 _ January 16, 2022.
Ocean Sotheby's, Islamorada, Florida, October 1 _ December 27, 2020.
Bailey Contemporary Arts, Pompano, Florida, June 5 _ August 25, 2020.
Glenn Hubert Library, Florida International University Biscayne Bay Campus, Miami, Florida. October 1, 2019 _ January 13, 2020.
Biscayne National Park, Dante Fascell Gallery, Homestead, Florida, January 31 _ May 12, 2019.
Encounters: Friend or Foe? Portraits of plant and animal interactions of Biscayne National Park. Tropical Botanic Artists. (traveling)
The Gato Building, Florida Keys Council of the Arts, Key West, Florida, June - October 2017.
The Keys History & Discovery Center, Islamorada, Florida. March 27 - June 30, 2019.
Biscayne National Park, Dante Fascell Visitor Center Gallery, Homestead, Florida. March-May 2017.
Anne Kolb Nature Center, Hollywood, Florida. July 2018.
Glenn Hubert Library, Florida International University. Biscayne Bay Campus, Miami, Florida. December 2018.
Mujeres: Ecos del pasado, voces de hoy (Women: Echoes of the Past, Voices of Today). Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino. Santiago, Chile. December 2020.
Tropical Madness. Wirtz Art Gallery. South Miami, Florida. March 2018.
Orchid Passion. 2018 Tamiami International Orchid Festival. Miami, Florida. January 2018.
Golden Gate to Garden Gate _Small Works. American Society of Botanical Artists. San Mateo, California. October 2017.
Fairchild Artists in Bloom. Garden House. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Coral Gables, Florida. April 2017.
Gardens by Moonlight: Vizcaya Village Edition. Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Vizcaya Village. Miami, Florida. January 2017.
Lost Village in conjunction with the Contemporary Art Program, Lost Spaces and Stories of Vizcaya. Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Vizcaya Village. Miami, Florida. December 2016.
Inner Visions: Sacred Plants, Art and Spirituality. The Richard F. Brush Art Gallery & Permanent Collection. St. Lawrence University. Canton, New York. October 2016.
Small Eden. Deering Estate. Miami, Florida. September 2016.
Festival internacional de arte visionario, urbano ancestral, diversidad y sustentabilidad. (International festival of visionary art, urban,ancestral, diversity and sustainability). Universidad de Caldas Manizales, Colombia. May 2016.
Fairchild Artists in Bloom. The Garden House at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Coral Gables, Florida. May 2016.
The Orchid of Desire. Tamiami International Orchid Festival. Miami, Florida.
January 2016.
Tamiami Trail: In the Beginning. Portraits of plants found along the Tamiami Trail. The Gallery at Kona Kai. Key Largo, Florida. January 2016.
Entheosis. Moksha Art Fair 2015. Delinquent Design Gallery. Miami, Florida. December 2015.
Small Works. American Society of Botanical Artists. Coconut Grove, Florida. October 2015.
Into the Wild. Miami Dade College (MDC) Galleries of Art + Design. Kendall Campus. Miami, Florida. September 2015.
Dali and Me. Mac Fine Art. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. June 2015.
In Deep with Diatoms. Biscayne National Park. Dante Fascell Visitor Center Gallery. Homestead, Florida. August 2015.
Inner Worlds: Sacred Plants, Art and Spirituality. Brauer Museum. Valparaiso University. Valparaiso, Indiana. January 2015.
Bizarre Botany. Coral Gables Museum. Coral Gables, Florida. August 2014.
Botanical Exploration in the Everglades. Miami Main Library. Miami _ Dade Public Library System. Miami, Florida. August 2014.
Art and Shamanism. Moksha Art Gallery. Miami, Florida. July 2014.
Magical Peru: Between Worlds. South Gallery, Miami International Airport. April 2014.
SELECTED SEMINARS (last 10 years)
Plants nativas y acuarelas al aire libre (Native Plants and watercolors in plein aire). Love the Everglades Organization. September 22, 2025.
Botanical Art with Donna Torres. Workshop and demo. Miami International Airport. August 7 and 20, 2025.
Painting Visions in the Everglades. A plein air watercolor experience led by Donna Torres. Love the Everglades Organization, November 24th, 2024.
Drawing and Painting the Plants of Vizcaya. Wild Vizcaya. Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. Miami, Florida. January 2024.
Workshop in watercolor. Vizcaya Late: Educator Appreciation Night. Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. Miami, Florida. September 2022.
Botanical Illustration Workshop. Fruits and Flowers. Shady Palm Art Gallery. Marathon, Florida. January 2019.
Painting Poisonous Plants. Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science. Miami, Florida. July 2018.
Botanical Illustration Workshop. Shady Palm Art Gallery. Marathon, Florida. April 2018.
MakerSPACE Workshop. Abstract art in watercolor. The Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum at Florida International University. Miami, Florida. November 2017.
Botanical Illustration. The Art Studio. Marathon, Florida. August 2017.
Botanical Illustration: Learning to really see & portray plants. Botanical Dimensions Ethnographic Library. Occidental, California. May 2017.
Drawing the plants of Vizcaya. Bio-Blitz 2017. Sponsored by National Geographic. Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. Miami, Florida. April 2017.
Orchids: A Workshop in Botanical Illustration and Pencil Drawing. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Coral Gables, Florida. February 2016.
Painting the Curiosity Cabinet. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Coral Gables, Florida. March 2016.
Tropical Trees. American Society of Botanical Artists. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. October 2015.
SELECTED SEMINARS ABROAD
Conguillio Painting and Drawing Workshop. 1er Simposio Psiconauta. Utopia y Ebriedad (1st Psychonaut Symposium. Utopia and Inebriation) Conguillio National Park. Chile. December 2023.
Guest Artist. Botanical Illustration Certificate Program. Universidad Católica de Chile. Santiago, Chile. May 2018.
The Wasiwaska Garden. A workshop in drawing and painting. Wasiwaska Research Centre for the study of psychointegrator plants, visionary art and consciousness, Florianopolis, Brazil. April 2017.
Visiting Professor. University of Magallanes. Identity at the End of the World Program. Course on the history of botanical explorers and exploration in South America. Punta Arenas, Chile. October 2015.
Scientific Illustration with the students of the Río Seco Rural School. Río Seco Natural History Museum. Río Seco, Chile. October 2015.
Botanical Art Workshop. University of Magallanes. Two-day workshop with the artisans of Puerto Natales. Puerto Natales, Chile. October 2015.
Botanical Art Workshop. University of Magallanes. With the students of the American Corner. Punta Arenas, Chile. October 2015.
The Wasiwaska Garden. A two-part workshop in drawing and painting shamanic plants. Wasiwaska Research Centre for the study of psychointegrator plants, visionary art and consciousness, Florianopolis, Brazil. August 2015.
Botanical Art Workshop. Wasiwaska Centre for the Study of Psychointegrator Plants, Visionary Art, and Consciousness. Florianópolis, Brazil. July 2011.
Text and Image: The Artist Book. Wasiwaska Centre for the Study of Psychointegrator Plants, Visionary Art, and Consciousness. Florianópolis, Brazil. July 2011.
ILLUSTRATION PROJECTS
Gelcich, Benjamin and E. Figueroa. Plantas Psicoactivos de Chile (Psychoactive Plants of Chile). Fundacion Lobeliana: Pucon, Chile. Forthcoming.
McKenna. D. (Editor) Ethnopharmacologic Search for Psychoactive Drugs [ESPD 55]. Synergetic Press. Santa Fe, New Mexico. Forthcoming.
Ott, Jonathan. 2025. Ayahuasca Analogues: Pangæan Entheogens. Natural Products Co: Mexico DF, Mexico.
Ott, Jonathan. 2025. Shamanic Snuffs or Entheogenic Errhines. Natural Products Co: Mexico DF, Mexico.
Torres, Constantino Manuel and Donna Torres. 2024. La ayahuasca, el yagé y otras bebidas psicoactivos. Sus orígenes y su historia (Ayahuasca, yage and other psychoactive brews. Origins and History). Pehuen Editores: Santiago, Chile, 2025.
Gelcich, Benjamin, Jonathan Ott, and E. Figueroa. 2024. Hongos Psicoactivos de Chile (Psychoactive Mushrooms of Chile). Fundacion Lobeliana: Pucon, Chile.
Shulgin, Alexander. 2023. The Nature of Drugs: History, Pharmacology, and Social Impact (Volume1 & 2). Synergetic Press: Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Cultura y Droga, no. 30, 2020. Universidad de Caldas. Manizales, Colombia. Cover art.
McKenna. D. (Editor) 2018. Ethnopharmacologic Search for Psychoactive Drugs [ESPD 50]. Synergetic Press. Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Big, Bad Book of Botany. Michael Largo. William Morrow. New York, New York, 2014.
SELECTED AWARDS AND HONORS
Corral & Cathers Artist Fund Grant, Coral Gables Foundation, 2023.
American Society of Botanical Artists Grant for Individual Artists, 2003, continued in 2005.
INTERVIEWS
Meet Donna Torres. Bold Journey. May 21, 2024
https://boldjourney.com/meet-donna-torres-2/
SHOUTOUTMIAMI. December 16, 2020.
https://shoutoutmiami.com/meet-donna-torres-painter-and-illustrator/
Voyage MIA. Check out Donna Torres Artwork. May 2,2018.
http://voyagemia.com/interview/check-donna-torress-artwork/
VIDEOS
Arts at MIA – Donna Torres: The Radiance of Proximity. A short film by Jorge Graupera.
https://youtu.be/c7OlzBPIZZY?si=uDckwOt3Y2RsK5sO
MBUS Art talk with Donna Torres. Miami Beach Urban Studios.
https://youtu.be/_0YSieHslbw?si=29_t08143Gg-_lIW
ESSAYS
Plants & Places. Considerations and procedures for mounting an exhibition 4,000 miles from home. Donna Torres with Susan Cumins. The Botanical Artist. Journal of the American Society of Botanical Artists. Vol. 29, Issue 2. June 2023.
Botanical Art at the Edge of the World. Botanical art and plant exploration in Chilean Patagonia. Donna Torres. The Botanical Artist. Publication of the American Society of Botanical Artists. Volume 22 Issue 1, p.16_17. March 2016.
The Art of Botanical Illustration. The Tropical Garden. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Winter 2016. p.19.
REVIEWS
The Botanical Illustrations of Donna Torres: An illustrative journey into The Nature of Drugs. Fernanda Baraybar. Synergetic Press. March 2023.
https://synergeticpress.com/blog/books/the-botanical-illustrations-of-donna-torres/
La observación minuciosa de la naturaleza plasmada en el arte botánico de Donna Torres (The meticulous observation of nature in the botanical art of Donna Torres). Maria Jesus Ossa. ellalabella.com
Art review: 'Into the Wild' exhibit at MDC Kendall Campus explores forces of nature. George Fishman. October 2015.
https://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/visual-arts/article41377077.html
COLLECTIONS
Paintings and drawings in private collections in the United States, Canada,
Germany, Mexico, Brazil, and Chile.
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Florida International University. Miami, Florida.
Steven and Dorothea Green Library. Florida International University. Miami, Florida.
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
American Society of Botanical Artists, 2004 - present
Tropical Botanic Artists, 2006 – 2023, Co-founder
July 2025
