October 3, 2023 – (KEY WEST, FL). The Key West Art & Historical Society is offering a three-day fall ArtCamp! at Fort East Martello Museum, 3501 S. Roosevelt Boulevard that takes inspiration from vintage traveling in the Florida Keys. Taking place from November 20-22, ArtCamp! will provide a full-day in-person camp for children aged 5 to 10. Registered campers will immerse themselves in museum exhibits, enjoy the recently upgraded adjacent parade grounds, engage in fun and creative art projects, and participate in hands-on STEAM activities.
The Society’s ArtCamp! program, which takes place during the students' Thanksgiving break, will spotlight the various ways that residents and visitors have traveled to the Florida Keys since the nineteenth century. Prior to the completion of the Overseas Highway, tourists went to great lengths to vacation in the island chain. Spending days on a train, flying in airplanes that landed on the water, and catching car ferries were just some of the obstacles that travelers experienced. During the three-day camp, students will discover more about these modes of transportation through hands-on learning, outdoor field games, and daily arts and crafts projects. “Traveling to Key West was complex and sluggish before the 1930s,” says Kassandra Collett, education specialist for the Society. “The Overseas Highway did not fully connect the Florida Keys until 1938, so people were forced to catch a car ferry in order to complete a road trip, or they traveled by plane, boat or train. This camp will not only allow us to share this history through various field games, but also by examining objects related to Florida Key’s tourism industry.” Registration for ArtCamp! is currently open. Camp runs from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day between November 20 and November 22. The cost is $120 for Society members and $150 for non-members and includes all supplies needed for hands-on projects. Supplies for each camp are provided by the organization. Space is limited, early registration is encouraged. For additional information about ArtCamp!, visit www.kwahs.org/childrens-programs, or contact Kassandra Collett on 305-295-6616 x504, [email protected]. ArtCamp! is sponsored in part by the Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture and the State of Florida, with additional support provided by The Helmerich Trust. Your Museums. Your Community. It takes an Island.
0 Comments
September 28, 2023 – (KEY WEST, FL). The Key West Art & Historical Society is pleased to announce the opening of its forthcoming exhibition “Key West Shutter Stories: The Artwork of Elizabeth Devries.” Known locally as Lizzie the Shutter Lady, this exhibition will showcase her sculptural vignettes assembled from historic window shutters salvaged from Key West homes. More than 40 pieces will be presented offering a compelling view of how the artist recreates everyday scenes from reclaimed material. The Society welcomes the public to a special reception on October 12 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Key West Museum of Art & History, 281 Front Street, to mark the exhibit opening.
Devries has been a craftsman in the Florida Keys for over thirty-four years, integrating historic pieces of old Key West into her three-dimensional works. She arrived in Key West in 1980 having no woodworking experience or knowledge of power tools. That quickly changed when she spotted a piece of wood that resembled a book. She set to work acquiring old house shutters – red from Tennessee Williams’ house, olive green from the Hemingway House and purple from the Artist House – in order to fabricate books and shelves to fashion an intricate library scene. Since then, Devries has crafted more than 100 diorama scenes, recreating familiar sights such as Sloppy Joe’s Bar, the Southernmost Point, Blue Heaven, Fuzzy’s Shoe Repair, and the Mariel Boatlift. ““Key West Shutter Stories” perfectly embodies the vision of the Key West Art & Historical Society, meticulously blending artistic imagination with historic vestiges from homes in Old Town,” says Dr. Cori Convertito, curator and historian for the Key West Museum of Art & History. “Her scenes embody a carefree spirit that is synonymous with the island’s blithe ambiance. Devries’ beautiful and intimate portrayals deliver a unique glimpse of her both as a person and artist.” “Key West Shutter Stories: The Artwork of Elizabeth Devries” runs until January 1, 2024, in the Bumpus Gallery and is sponsored by the Florida Department of State, Division of Arts & Culture, with additional support provided by The Helmerich Trust. For more information, call Cori Convertito at 305-295-6616 x 507 or [email protected]. Your Museums. Your Community. It Takes an Island. September 14, 2023 – (KEY WEST, FL). On Sunday, October 1, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., join the staff of the Fort East Martello Museum, located at 3501 South Roosevelt Boulevard, to explore one of the island’s Civil War-era forts and its exhibits which encompass our rich and diverse history. Dubbed “Family Museum Day,” the program is designed to coincide with the Society’s wildly popular Community Day, a day offering free museum admission for Monroe County residents the first Sunday of each month.
While on the property, families are encouraged to take a self-guided tour of the fort and citadel, explore the outdoor sculpture garden, and view artwork created by celebrated Keys folk artist Stanley Papio. In addition to free admission, adults and children are welcome to explore the history of Florida’s indigenous people in the air-conditioned Lee Garrison Classroom by joining Society education specialist, Kassandra Collett, and art educator, Jenni Franke to create paper kites inspired by late Cuban American folk artist Mario Sanchez. “Sanchez’s whimsical wood carvings portraying Key West’s past have captivated visitors for years. His ability to capture everyday life in the community with such precise details allow observers to connect with a simpler time, one that will never be forgotten,” says Collett. “Kites are often shown soaring through the skies of Mario’s work, but few people realize that he also crafted paper kites for family and friends. We invite families to the museum on Family Day to fashion their own kites that they can take home.” The Family Museum Day program is free and open to the public. Registration is not required, and all supplies will be provided by the Key West Art & Historical Society. For additional information about the program, visit kwahs.org/upcoming-events. You can also contact Collett at 305-295-6616 x504 or [email protected]. This project is sponsored in part by the Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture and the State of Florida, with additional support provided by The Helmerich Trust. Your Museums. Your Community. It takes an Island. August 22, 2023 – (KEY WEST, FL). On Sunday, September 3, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., join the staff of the Fort East Martello Museum, located at 3501 South Roosevelt Boulevard, to explore one of the island’s Civil War-era forts and its exhibits which encompass our rich and diverse history. Dubbed “Family Museum Day,” the program is designed to coincide with the Society’s wildly popular Community Day, a day offering free museum admission for Monroe County residents the first Sunday of each month.
While on the property, families are invited to take a self-guided tour of the fort and citadel, explore the outdoor sculpture garden, and view artwork created by celebrated Keys folk artist Stanley Papio. In addition to free admission, adults and children are welcome to explore the history of Florida’s indigenous people in the air-conditioned Lee Garrison Classroom by joining Society education specialist, Kassandra Collett, and art educator, Jenni Franke to create art inspired by South Florida’s first people. “Known as the “Shell Indians” due to their large shell mounds and creative use in tool making, the Calusa also carved and painted masks and animal figurines from wood such as the Gumbo Limbo, Cypress, and Buttonwood,” says Collett. “We welcome all families to the museum to study the tools, beads, sherds, and a dugout canoe on display at the museum and then create art inspired by objects found at Calusa sites around South Florida.” The Family Museum Day program is free and open to the public. Registration is not required, and all supplies will be provided by the Key West Art & Historical Society. For additional information about the program, visit kwahs.org/upcoming-events. You can also contact Collett at 305-295-6616 x504 or [email protected]. This project is sponsored in part by the Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture and the State of Florida, with additional support provided by The Helmerich Trust. Your Museums. Your Community. It takes an Island. “Clear Havanas: Key West’s Cigar Industry” to be next KWAHS Happy Hour with the Historian Event8/22/2023 August 22, 2023 – (KEY WEST, FL). Raise a toast to Florida Keys art and history with Key West Art & Historical Society Curator and Historian Cori Convertito, Ph.D., on Thursday, September 14, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. during her popular “Happy Hour with the Historian” program at Comedy Key West, 218 Whitehead Street. Enjoy a complimentary draft beer, glass of house wine or a soft drink while Convertito presents on the evening’s topic, “Clear Havanas: Key West’s Cigar Industry” which will explore the many facets of the once-burgeoning industry that was the principal economic backbone for the island. The early nineteenth century witnessed the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, a time of dramatic economic change when small cottage industries were replaced with large-scale factory production. On the heels of the Industrial Revolution, Cuba’s cigar making industry blossomed. With Cuba’s cigar economy booming, people sought opportunities outside the country looking to make financial gains. Key West’s neighboring proximity to Cuba and its tobacco plantations, a mere 90 miles away, was the ideal place to establish cigar making factories. Cuban immigrants arrived by the thousands to seek employment in Key West’s expanding cigar industry. “By 1876, Key West’s 29 cigar factories were producing a staggering 62 million cigars annually,” says Convertito. “With a population of more than 18,000 people in 1890, Key West became the largest and wealthiest city in the state of Florida and one of the most influential in the nation. That year, more than 100 million cigars were handmade in Key West. Aside from the warm, humid climate, ideal for maintaining a pliable tobacco leaf, factory owners were able to lure immigrants with affordable housing, a neighborhood environment and gainful employment in the cigar trade.” Despite the financial success of the cigar industry on the island, the inescapable progression to the unionization of workers and opposition from factory owners eventually drove many of the largest cigar makers to Tampa. The industry began manufacturing machine-made cigars that could be sold for a nickel, then the Great Depression hit in the 1930s. The expensive Cuban cigar simply could not compete. The heyday of the island’s cigar making was over, although the legacy and cultural impact of the cigar industry and its workers remains a vibrant part of modern Key West. Happy Hour with the Historian is limited to 70 attendees; reserve your spot now at kwahs.org/hh-cigars - $12 for KWAHS members, $15 for non-members. This project is sponsored in part by the Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, with additional support provided by The Helmerich Trust and Comedy Key West. For more information, contact Cori Convertito, Ph.D. at 305-295-6616 x507 or [email protected]. Your Museums. Your Community. It takes an Island. August 22, 2023 – (KEY WEST, FL). The Key West Lighthouse and Keeper’s Quarters Museum has fully reopened following four months of intermittent closures due to restoration work spearheaded by Monroe County Project Management. The popular local historic landmark and tourist attraction, operated by the Key West Art & Historical Society and owned by Monroe County, welcomes visitors every day from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Located at 938 Whitehead Street, the property allows guests to experience stories about Florida Keys lighthouses and the families that operated the tower while residing on the grounds.
During the closure, the lighthouse tower, which originally opened in 1848, underwent a series of repairs including much needed metalwork, painting, and sealing of the original wrought iron staircase and viewing platform. Safety gates were also installed at the top of the structure to prevent accidental damage to the Third Order Fresnel Lens that was mounted in 1858. Adjacent to the tower, the modest oil storage shed also benefited from repairs and upgrades and will now form part of the museum’s display space. Plans also call for three replica 100-gallon oil butts to be positioned in the oil house, providing visitors with an enhanced understanding of how difficult the lighthouse keeper’s job was to keep the light fueled at night and during powerful storms. “The Key West Art and Historical Society is grateful to the county, TDC and contractors for completing the much-needed restoration of the tower,” says Michael Gieda, Executive Director of the Society. “We’re also excited to expand the museum display area to include the original oil house, allowing us to foster a better understanding of how the tower and property operated over time.” The Society would like to thank the various entities involved in this significant preservation effort including the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners, Monroe County Project Management, the Monroe County Tourist Development Council for providing the funding, Marino Construction, Specialized Property Services, Messery Painting, Check Electric, Kubi Custom Metals, Alex Klahm and Bender & Associates Architects. Information about the Museum’s opening hours, special events, and the exclusive Lighthouse Sunset Experience is found online at www.kwahs.org/lighthouse. July 26, 2023 – (KEY WEST, FL). On Sunday, August 6, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., join the staff of the Fort East Martello Museum, located at 3501 South Roosevelt Boulevard, to explore one of the island’s Civil War-era forts and its exhibits which encompass our rich and diverse history. Dubbed “Family Museum Day,” the program is designed to coincide with the Society’s wildly popular Community Day, a day offering free museum admission for Monroe County residents the first Sunday of each month.
While on the property, families are invited to take a self-guided tour of the fort and citadel, explore the outdoor sculpture garden, and view artwork created by celebrated Keys folk artist Stanley Papio. In addition to free admission, adults and children are encouraged to explore the history of aviation in Key West by joining Society educators Miss Kassandra and Miss Jenni in the air-conditioned Lee Garrison Classroom to make their very own popsicle stick airplanes. “Soon after Flagler’s Overseas Railroad began service, a new mode of transportation gained popularity around the globe. Flying became the rage, offering the swiftest way to travel from one place to another. By the 1920s, luxury flights carried passengers throughout North America, the Caribbean and South America. Key West became a principal connecting city on these routes,” says Education Specialist Kassandra Collett. “Juan Terry Trippe started Pan American Airways in Key West in 1927, making the island the birthplace of one of the most successful airlines in history. We are excited to commemorate this aviation milestone during our free Family Museum Day program.” The Family Museum Day program is free and open to the public. Registration is not required, and all supplies will be provided by the Key West Art & Historical Society. For additional information about the program, visit kwahs.org/upcoming-events. You can also contact Collett at 305-295-6616 x504 or [email protected]. This project is sponsored in part by the Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture and the State of Florida, with additional support provided by The Helmerich Trust. Your Museums. Your Community. It takes an Island. June 27, 2023 – (KEY WEST, FL). The Key West Art & Historical Society is pleased to announce the opening of its forthcoming exhibition “Don Pinder: Eyes on the Island”. This is the first exhibition devoted exclusively to the work created by “Key West Citizen” photographer Don Pinder during his long career in Key West—including many works never before published or shown. More than 50 black-and-white and color photographs will be displayed taken on assignments documenting Key West history and culture for the newspaper. The Society welcomes the public to a special reception on July 14 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Key West Museum of Art & History, 281 Front Street, to mark the exhibit opening.
Born and raised during the Great Depression in a house on Petronia Street, Don Pinder joined the U.S. Navy after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Suffering from a dislocated shoulder, he returned to Key West on the advice of Navy medical staff, only to quickly join the Marine Corps. It was during this latter service that he trained as an aerial photographer, capturing compelling images over Okinawa and Borneo during World War II. This experience led to a job at “The Miami Herald” shortly after the war’s end, but his hometown beckoned. In 1953, he took a position with the “Key West Citizen” as its staff photographer—a job he proudly held for 35 years. Key West provided Pinder with a profusion of photograph opportunities—from notable celebrities to the destitute vagabonds—all skillfully captured with his camera. During his long career he recorded U.S. Presidents Harry S Truman and John F. Kennedy, British Prime Minister Harold MacMillan, theater director Philip Burton, and American playwright Tennessee Williams. He covered business openings, sports matches, military events, the bi-annual Island Roots Festival, shrimp industry workers, film premiers, and Bahama Village church choirs. “Eyes on the Island tells Key West’s history on an intimate scale, highlighting stories we may have otherwise missed or people and places that we have forgotten. The exhibition allows us to reflect on over three decades of history told through the eyes of Don,” says Dr. Cori Convertito, curator and historian for the Key West Museum of Art & History. “His photographs are essential records of an island that has had an enormous influence on South Florida culture. His images provide an insider’s view of the community—its business owners, political activists, and creatives, as well as its mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters.” “Don Pinder: Eyes on the Islands” runs until November 5, 2023, in the Bryan Gallery and is sponsored by the Florida Department of State, Division of Arts & Culture, with additional support provided by The Helmerich Trust. For more information, call Cori Convertito at 305-295-6616 x 507 or [email protected]. Your Museums. Your Community. It Takes an Island. June 6, 2023 – (KEY WEST, FL). Raise a toast to Florida Keys art and history with Key West Art & Historical Society Curator and Historian Cori Convertito, Ph.D., on Thursday, June 15, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. during her popular “Happy Hour with the Historian” program at Comedy Key West, 218 Whitehead Street. Enjoy a complimentary draft beer, glass of house wine or a soft drink while Convertito presents on the evening’s topic, “With a Rebel Yell: The Life & Art of Stanley Papio” which will explore the rebellious welder-turned-metal-artist who transformed other people’s junk into spectacular works of art.
Stanley Papio was 34 years old when he settled in Key Largo in 1949. He had worked a series of odd jobs across Canada and the United States; his favorite of these was welding. He started his own welding business along U.S. 1 at Mile Marker 101 and encouraged people to leave old cars, washing machines, trailers, motors, and pieces of scrap metal in his yard. Papio once remarked that “a bunch of junk is a welder’s glory. Buying new stuff is not a welder’s way”. He breathed life into this old junk. Trash piles assumed new identities. Car fenders became alligators. Dishwashers became people. Eventually, he constructed his own folk art environment using bed springs to create a fence around his property. He re-named his welding shop “Stanley’s Art Museum,” and charged 25¢ admission, thus creating a lawn of folk art for travelers on the nearby highway to view with astonishment and amazement. “Papio was a quirky Keys character who settled in Key Largo before most of the large hotels and businesses were established,” says Convertito. “As the population swelled and encroached on his property, complaints were logged with the local authorities by the newly arrived residents that his welding business was an eyesore. Annoyed with the neighbors, Papio grabbed the discarded appliances and cars on his property and created caustic and satirical pieces of artwork representing his neighbors as a way of fighting back.” The imagination and resourcefulness of Papio is what inspired the Key West Art & Historical Society’s annual Stanley Papio Kinetic Sculpture and Art Bike Parade. Each spring, the Society encourages the community to take objects that would otherwise be discarded and create art with parts that move for a parade that travels the length of Duval Street. Happy Hour with the Historian is limited to 70 attendees; reserve your spot now at kwahs.org/rebelpapio - $12 for KWAHS members, $15 for non-members. This project is sponsored in part by the Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, with additional support provided by The Helmerich Trust and Comedy Key West. For more information, contact Cori Convertito, Ph.D. at 305-295-6616 x507 or [email protected]. Your Museums. Your Community. It takes an Island. June 5, 2023 – (KEY WEST, FL). Martha Hubbard, culinary director and executive chef of Key West’s Unity Table at Williams Hall, will be signing copies of her highly acclaimed cookbook “Old Island Eats” at the Key West Museum of Art and History on June 21, 2023, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Hubbard creates community among friends and strangers though the power of food. Her new cookbook is a collection of vintage, original Key West recipes and a selection of Hubbard’s own recipes and menus from decades of cooking for the island. A nibble pulled together from whatever’s in her pantry, her refrigerator and her imagination is as carefully curated as her layered, gloriously extravagant, multi-course dinners at Unity Table. “Key West Museum of Art & History is honored to bring Chef Martha’s new cookbook exclusively to our museum store for a month,” says Dan Ayers-Price, Director of Retail Operations. “The book has a small-island charm with an emphasis on local, seasonal foods that have formed our culinary foundation for decades.” Each recipe with its workbook-style tips and suggestions showcases Hubbard’s extraordinary gift for creating wonderful food that even first-time cooks can replicate. The cookbook is thoughtfully accessible for beginners and thoroughly challenging for experienced cooks. Her recipes walk you through each step, offer suggestions for substitutions and serving and inspire new ways of approaching familiar recipes. You’ll find perfect recipes for Key West favorites, like Key Lime Pie, Key West Pinks, Grits & Grunts and Queen of All Puddings. For more information about the cookbook signing, contact Dan Ayers-Price at 305-295-6616 x509 or [email protected]. Your Museums. Your Community. It takes an Island. |
Submit Your StoriesChamber members send us your press releases on your organizations accomplishments, staff awards and/or major happenings. We will post them for free. Archives
July 2024
Categories
All
|