Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center features works by Tropical Botanic Artists

Simpson's Apple Cactus (Harrisia simpsonii): Watercolor by Kathleen Konicek-Moran. Simpson's Apple Cactus (Harrisia simpsonii): Watercolor by Kathleen Konicek-Moran

The Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center located at
35 E. Quay Rd., Key West is hosting an art exhibit by the Tropical Botanic Artists from January 15 to March 26, 2014.

Co-curated by artist Kathleen Konicek-Moran and everglades botanist Jimi Sadle, special exhibition features original portraits of plants discovered in the south Florida tropical wetlands now known as the Florida everglades by botanists in the 19th and 20th centuries, and given common and scientific names that reflect the identities of those intrepid explorers. Early botanists braved the biting insects, large reptiles, and poisonous plants that made this unique ecosystem one of the country’s last frontiers of botanical exploration in order to document these species and discover how plants were used by the wetland's native peoples.

Tropical Botanic Artists is a collective of local watercolorists established in Miami, Florida, in 2006 to pursue the beauty of tropical plants through art. Its members come from all walks of life and each brings a unique viewpoint to the botanical subjects they portray. For more information, please visit www.tropicalbotanicartists.com, or contact Kathleen Konicek-Moran at konmor@comcast.net or Susan Cumins at 305-447-1400 or scumins@bellsouth.net.

The Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center is open Tuesday–Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and admission to the Center and art exhibit is free.