‘Memories of Guam’ exhibit opens with snapshots of island life

By Ron Rocky Coloma

Just before the rain rolled in, Keiko Flynn stood on the shoreline near Ypao Beach with her husband and daughter. Their shoes were soaked from the tide, the air was heavy with the smell of sea salt and the sky was slowly turning orange. As they reached Beach Bar, the light shifted again—richer now, glowing. She stood still, watching the clouds change shape.

That moment stayed with her. It later became a painting called “Orange Mirage”—now on display in a new group exhibit titled “Memories of Guam,” which opened on May 24 at the Guam Museum Café Gallery.

The show, running through July 1, brings together three artists—Flynn, Andrea Borja and Nine—who offer deeply personal reflections of life on the island. The exhibit is supported by The Guam Museum Foundation and Flametree Freedom Center.

Flynn, who helped organize the show, said it began with a simple idea.

“Two years ago, I noticed that Andrea and Nine (my painting classmates at UOG) were drawing across similar themes around living on Guam,” she said. “I liked their paintings, and I asked them if we could do a group show together. Thankfully, they agreed.”

Her work focuses on moments of stillness in the natural world.

“Guam has so much natural beauty, whether it's the sunlight shining through leaves or the coconut palm waving in the wind,” Flynn said. “I also love painting sunrises and sunsets—the way clouds move into different shapes, even every minute inspires me.”

She hopes visitors feel transported.

“I hope that visitors are transported to these places—in front of Alutom Falls, in the deep green jungles of Talofofo, walking along Ypao when they stand in front of these works,” Flynn said. “I hope they are able to escape into Guam’s natural beauty and feel like they are there.”

Andrea Borja, who grew up on the island, described her work as visual storytelling rooted in memory.

“My work is documentation of my experience of Guam, dealing heavily with the simple joys of day-to-day events,” Borja said. “These events are snippets of my life and detail my relationship with Guam and the nuanced beauty of life growing up here.”

One memory she carries with her comes from her childhood home.

“Though I have many noteworthy moments and memories here, nothing has come close to the wonder and curiosity I felt while exploring around my house as a child,” she said. “Feeding stray dogs, cats and chickens roaming free in my neighborhood, and marveling at the little creatures on the flowers and trees my parents and grandparents planted around our home.”

She works primarily from personal photos, painting moments that feel like home. “Rather than conveying a sense of physical or geographical place, I aim to convey a sense of place through a sense of home,” she said.

Nine, the third contributor to the exhibit, sees beauty in Guam’s quiet corners. “My contribution to the 'Memories of Guam' exhibition is born from a deep reverence for the island’s natural beauty—its lush flora, vibrant fauna and the quiet stories they carry,” Nine said.

A quiet drive changed everything for Nine.

“I was driving to work, just like any other day, when the sun began to rise,” Nine said. “The way the light hit the ocean, the sky slowly shifting colors, the trees swaying gently—everything felt connected, calm and alive. I realized how incredibly lucky I am to not just witness this beauty, but to belong to it.”

Nine’s watercolor pieces aim to evoke feeling more than form.

“Through the soft, flowing nature of watercolor, I’m able to capture the essence of place—its delicate beauty, its subtle emotion,” Nine said. “Through my work, I also want to honor what’s been lost, like the native animals that once roamed this island, now only present in memory."

For all three artists, “Memories of Guam” is more than just an exhibit. It’s a way of holding onto the things that pass too quickly—an orange sky, a breeze through coconut leaves, a sense of home.

And sometimes, it all starts with just standing still.

The Guam Museum Café Gallery is open on Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Admission is free.

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