‘Pollinators’ Showcases Original Works by Tropical Botanic Artists

Purple Thistle, created by Leo Hernandez, is one of 30 artworks on display at Keys History & Discovery Center in Islamorada, MM 82.
Purple Thistle, created by Leo Hernandez, is one of 30 artworks on display at Keys History & Discovery Center in Islamorada, MM 82.

ISLAMORADA, FL – Keys History & Discovery Center announces a new arts-meets-nature exhibit now on display through Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022. ‘Pollinators’ includes original works of art emphasizing the variety and variability of creatures that pollinate South Florida’s abundant native plants.

Focusing on these complex relationships, members of the Tropical Botanic Artists collective illustrated birds, butterflies, moths, bees, wasps, even aquatic zooplankton, with plants they pollinate. Informative labels accompany each work.

“The critical role of pollinators is familiar to farmers and home gardeners alike,” said Susan Cumins with the Tropical Botanic Artists. “In South Florida’s remaining uncultivated places – pine rocklands, hardwood hammocks, watery glades, and coastal mangroves – the connection between plants and their pollinators is crucial. These co-dependent relationships, though not always obvious, can be strong. Without one, the other will not survive.”

Keys History & Discovery Center is located on the property of the Islander Resort, is open Wednesdays through Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, visit www.KeysDiscovery.com or call 305-992-2237.

About Keys History & Discovery Center:

Keys History & Discovery Center is a world-class museum that preserves and shares the incredible history of our Upper Keys community and explores the unique ecology of the region. In addition to permanent exhibits on subjects such as Henry Flagler’s Over-Sea Railway, Legends of the Line, First People, Indian Key circa 1840, Keys flats fishery, and Coral Reef Exploration, the Discovery Center offers a lecture series, educating the public through presentations from a variety of expert speakers. The museum’s second floor features a state-of-the-art theater showing documentaries on topics like the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane and the building of Flagler’s Railway, as well as traveling exhibits, and the Jerry Wilkinson Research Library. The center, on the property of the Islander Resort, is open Wednesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

About Tropical Botanic Artists:

Artists with works in the Pollinators exhibition are Margie Bauer, Beverly Borland, Kristi Bettendorf, Silvia Bota, Susan Cumins, Jeanie Duck, Pauline A. Goldsmith, Diana Heitzman, Leo Hernandez, Carol Ann Lane, Elsa Nadal, Laurie Richardson, Donna Torres, and Jedda Wong. All are residents of South Florida. The Tropical Botanic Artists collective was established in Miami, Florida, in 2006 to highlight the beauty of tropical plants through art. Members come from all walks of life and each brings a unique viewpoint to his or her work. Their love of the natural world is reflected in their art. www.tropicalbotanicartists.com