NTBG to Open Free Art Exhibition in March, Paintings and Poetry by Geraldine King Tam and Reuben Tam

National Tropical Botanical Garden has announced the opening of a free art exhibition on March 28 entitled “A Rainbow Came Down.” The two-month exhibition will feature the works of renowned artists Geraldine King Tam and Reuben Tam and be open to the public most weekdays 10 a.m.-4 p.m., as well as during two special Saturday showings on April 2 and May 14.

Geraldine King Tam and Reuben Tam, husband and wife, were artists and prominent figures in New York’s arts scene from the 1940s-70s. After retiring to Reuben’s home island of Kaua‘i in 1981, they immersed themselves in capturing Kaua‘i’s rich vistas and flora in bold, vibrant watercolors, acrylic, and oil paintings. The NTBG exhibition presents more than twenty of their works including Geraldine’s well- known botanical paintings and Reuben’s landscapes and poetry. See ntbg.org/art.

Reuben’s richly colored paintings and poems capture the eternal natural beauty of Kaua‘i, speaking to another era that is both forgotten and familiar. Upon Geraldine’s passing in December, the family entrusted several of her botanical watercolors to NTBG. These, along with two of her paintings long gracing the walls of NTBG’s lobby, will be on display. These, and others featured in her highly acclaimed book Paradisus: Hawaiian Watercolors, leave a botanical legacy that will be cherished for generations. Examples of Geraldine’s pottery will also be featured in the exhibition.

Exhibition days are subject to some change; call 332-7324, extension 227 to confirm.

National Tropical Botanical Garden (www.ntbg.org) is a not-for-profit, non-governmental institution with nearly 2,000 acres of gardens and preserves in Hawai‘i and Florida. The institution’s mission is to enrich life through discovery, scientific research, conservation, and education by perpetuating the survival of plants, ecosystems, and cultural knowledge of tropical regions. NTBG is supported primarily through donations and grants.

Pomelo by the late Geraldine King Tam