Curated by Dr. Eugenio Santiago Valentín (UPR-RP), “Flora borinqueniana: tres siglos de ilustraciones botánicas” opened on February 28, and will be on view until July 8, 2023, at MUSA—Museo de Arte de la Universidad de Puerto Rico-Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez (aka Museo de Arte UPRM), in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. This exhibition explores the development of botanical knowledge in Puerto Rico and its intersections with history, society, nature, and art from the late 18th century to the early 20th century. In August, the exhibition will move to the Museum of History, Anthropology, and Art at the University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras, where it will remain until December 2023. [Can’t wait to see this!]

Curated by Dr. Eugenio Santiago Valentín, professor of the Department of Biology of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), Río Piedras, and director of the Herbarium of the UPR Botanical Garden, this is the first exhibition in Puerto Rico that provides a broad perspective of the construction of botanical knowledge of the country linked to its historical context.

Flora borinqueniana includes botanical illustrations, manuscripts, herbarium specimens, documents, art, objects, digital images, maps, and other pieces from collections in Tenerife, Madrid, New York, Paris, and Puerto Rico.

Also presented together, for the first time, are some of the naturalists who advanced this scientific knowledge: Martín de Sessé, Nicolás Baudin, Domingo Bello y Espinosa, Agustín Stahl, Ana Roqué de Duprey, and Frances E. Horne.

“Botanical illustrations are a reflection of knowledge about plant diversity, ethnobotany, and the natural landscape over time. The images of plants help to interpret the diversity of plants in Puerto Rico, serving as evidence to validate the discovery of species new to science,” said Dr. Eugenio Santiago Valentín, biologist and curator of the exhibition.

Flora Borinqueniana offers a unique opportunity for scholars and lovers of art, science, and history to experience these collections in one place.

Botanical illustrations are complemented by examples of live plants from Viveros Para la Naturaleza, so that visitors can get an up-close look at some of the illustrated species. In addition, elements of this exhibition have been integrated into several tours in the organization’s Protected Natural Areas.

Flora borinqueniana marks the first exhibition of pieces from the Para la Naturaleza/Puerto Rico Conservation Trust Collection.

“The exhibition shows the connection between art and science, in which the details and complexities of both disciplines are carefully observed. In turn, it promotes the ecological culture of conservation of the ecosystems and the cultural heritage of the islands of Puerto Rico, opening a space for the study of biodiversity,” said Fernando Lloveras San Miguel, president of Para la Naturaleza.

As part of the exhibition there will be a program with lectures and workshops for children and adults, as well as an educational room with microscopes, a timeline, and additional information to explore.

In August, the exhibition will move to the Museum of History, Anthropology, and Art at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, where it will remain until December 2023.

“The exhibition shows the connection between art and science, in which the details and complexities of both disciplines are carefully observed. In turn, it promotes the ecological culture of conservation of the ecosystems and the cultural heritage of the islands of Puerto Rico, opening a space for the study of biodiversity,” said Fernando Lloveras San Miguel, president of Para la Naturaleza.

As part of the exhibition there will be a program that includes lectures and workshops for children and adults, as well as an educational room with microscopes, a timeline and information to explore.

During the month of August, the exhibition will move to the Museum of History, Anthropology and Art of the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, where it will remain until December 2023.

Flora borinqueniana is [the result of] a collaboration between Para la Naturaleza, Museo de Arte del Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez  (Universidad de Puerto Rico-Mayagüez) and Museo de Historia, Antropología y Arte de la Universidad de Puerto Rico (Universidad de Puerto Rico-Río Piedras), with a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: “Democracy demands wisdom…”

For more information, see https://www.uprm.edu/musa/

Excerpts translated by Ivette Romero. For full article (in Spanish), see https://www.metro.pr/estilo-vida/2023/02/28/para-la-naturaleza-invita-a-la-exhibicion-flora-borinqueniana-tres-siglos-de-ilustraciones-botanicas/

[Shown above: “Amaryllis bella dona” by Nicolas Baudin, Journal du voyage aux Antilles, 1796-1798. Musée national d’Histoire Naturelle. Provided by MUSA.]