Exhibit opening kicks off 40th anniversary for Selby

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens kicked off its 40th anniversary with an exclusive look at the lives of Bill and Marie Selby. 

Photos cultivated from the archives of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens as well as the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation are now on display in an exhibit on the grounds. The exhibit is on display at the Selby House Café, on the first floor of the former residence of Bill and Marie Selby. 

“It’s a remarkable house, really, when you consider their wealth,” Kelvin Cooper said, secretary for the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Board of Trustees.

Today also marks the 130th birthday of Marie Selby, who was born Mariah Minshall. The exhibit includes photos of the Selbys fishing and enjoying the outdoors. 

“They were really adventurers. The photos selected really capture that,” said Jennifer Rominiecki, president and CEO for Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

Rominiecki also read an excerpt from the gardens’ first newsletter that was published in 1975. At the time, admission was $1.  

Neighbors, members and volunteers were in attendance to get a first look at the newly renovated café that includes tabletops displaying epiphyte illustrations from the collection of rare books.

Sarasota Vice Mayor Susan Chapman has been a member at the gardens for 26 years and was among the crowd waiting to see the exhibit. 

“I come here all the time for the ambience," Chapman said. "Right here, smack in the middle of downtown I found a paradise."