Tropical Botanic Artists News 2015
Tropical Botanic Artists celebrate the complex beauty of diatoms
with In Deep With Diatoms exhibition
Exhibition at Biscayne National Park blends science and art to make microscopic plants
accessible to a wide audience
WHAT: Art Exhibition: In Deep with Diatoms
WHO: Tropical Botanic Artists www.tropicalbotanicartists.com
WHEN: June 5 – August 15, 2015 Exhibition
June 14, 1-3 pm: Meet the Artists reception and talk
WHERE Biscayne National Park, The Dante Fascell Visitor Center Gallery
9700 SW 328th St. Homestead, FL 33033
Hours: 10 am – 5 pm daily
Admission: Free
Phone: 305-230-1144, x 007 www.nps.gov/bisc
Contact: Gary A. Bremen, Park Ranger
Tropical Botanic Artists celebrate the complex beauty of microscopic plants
with In Deep With Diatoms exhibition
((May 26, 2015 – Miami) This exhibition of original watercolors by the Tropical Botanic Artists collective features portraits of diatoms found in the Florida Coastal Everglades Research Area. The paintings are the result of collaboration between the Miami artists and Dr. Evelyn Gaiser, Professor, Department of Biological Science & Southeast Environmental Research, Florida International University. Dr. Gaiser is principal investigator for the local Long Term Ecological Research (LTER).
Through original depictions of diatom genera found in the biological research area that extends from Central Florida to Biscayne Bay and Florida Bay, the artists are raising awareness of the importance of these microscopic one-celled aquatic organisms in the global ecosystem.
Besides being valuable indicators of changes in the environment, diatoms are a food source for a wide range of aquatic life. They produce 25 percent of the world’s primary oxygen (more than rain forests) and 40 percent of the world’s O2, critical for all animal life on earth. Diatoms also play significant roles in agriculture, industry and even in the visual arts, where their beauty and uniqueness have inspired artists in every medium, as shown by the works in this exhibition.
The 17 Tropical Botanic Artists whose diatom portraits are on display are: Margie Bauer, Kristi Bettendorf, Beverly Borland, Silvia Bota, Marjorie Brown, Marie Chaney, Jeanie Daniel Duck, Julio J. Figueroa, Bobbi Garber, Pauline A. Goldsmith, Leo Hernandez, Kathleen Konicek-Moran, Carol Ann Lane, Elsa Nadal, Laurie Richardson, Donna Torres, and Jedda Wong.
In Deep with Diatoms was been presented at the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum at FIU; at The Konza Prairie Biological Station in Manhattan, Kansas, in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Long-Term Ecological Research Network Science Council, which includes all North American and Antarctica LTER sites; and at the Deering Estate at Cutler.
The Tropical Botanic Artists collective was established in Miami, Florida, in 2006 to highlight the beauty of tropical plants through art. Its members come from all walks of life and each brings a unique viewpoint to his or her work. They share a love of the natural world and that fascination is reflected in their art. They hope that viewers will take a moment to observe and enjoy the wonders of nature and bring that enjoyment into everyday life.
Susan Cumins 305.447.1400 Member, Tropical Botanic Artists scumins@bellsouth.net
