The Florida Keys Council of the Arts, in collaboration with Ocean Sotheby’s International Realty in Key West is proud to announce an upcoming show featuring the artwork of renowned local artist, Taylor Hale, whose focus is on the sky and the sea. An opening reception will be held for Friday, July 15th, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm at Ocean Sotheby’s International Realty, 1075 Duval St, Suite 15C in Duval Square, in Key West. 

Join us as we enjoy the artwork, refreshments and wine presented by Ocean Sotheby’s. All work on exhibit are original paintings and are available for sale. Please RSVP to Michelle at [email protected], or please call Michelle at Ocean Sotheby’s, 305-294-1117 by July 13th to RSVP. 

Taylor Hale is a native conch who draws inspiration from a lifetime on the water. Taylor is driven by the constant transformations of the sky and sea- exploring what happens as these powerful natural forces interact. Within his work, he captures movement and stillness, familiarity and the unknown, peace and unrest. In each oil painting, he seeks to create a window to connect to another world. 
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This exhibit is sponsored by Ocean Sotheby’s International Realty, and in part by the Florida Keys Council of the Arts.  Free parking is available.  

 First Horizon Bank presents The Studios of Key West with a check to support Sea Level Stories, by artist Jane Baldridge, which is being presented in partnership with FIRM (Fair Insurance Rates in Monroe). Planned for October 2022, the exhibition will be accompanied by public programs in Key West and up the Keys raising awareness of critical issues around sea level rise. 

In February of 2020, Sarah Butler was seriously ill. In severe pain, nauseous and with a high fever, she was admitted to Lower Keys Medical Center where she spent two weeks and had two surgeries. Sarah recalls her art students sending her hundreds of handmade cards that lifted her spirits as she struggled to heal while away from her young children at home.
 
Again, in 2021, Sarah endured more health issues, first with a major surgery, then a serious case of COVID-19 and pneumonia that brought her back to Lower Keys Medical Center. She spent about 10 days in the hospital, again separated from her children. "I was so depressed. So sad. It was lonely," Sarah said. Once again, art provided some necessary healing. Sarah's friends brought her canvases and paint and she started painting the hibiscus that she would see outside of her house every day going to and returning from work. When she was released, she kept painting her hibiscus, bigger and brighter, helping her to visualize where she wanted to be. 
 
In 2022, Sarah donated her time and talent to create three murals in the Tropical Cafe at Lower Keys Medical Center. She also donated several of her hibiscus paintings that will be featured in the designs for the new patient room renovations starting this year. Bright and colorful, the works of art will lift the spirits of patients, visitors and staff.
 
"LKMC saved my life. I am so grateful. That's why I wanted to donate my artwork there. People need to visualize what they want to see in order to heal. Just like me," Sarah said. 

The Florida Keys Council of the Arts is seeking Monroe County artists of all genres (visual, music, dance, literary, etc.) and Arts Organizations to apply for two grant opportunities. The deadline for Artist in Schools and Special Project grants is June 30 at 5pm. Applications are accepted online, and can be found at www.keysarts.com under the grants tab.
 
 The Artists in Schools Grant program invites teaching artists in the performing, visual, literary or historical arts into the classroom. Teachers and teaching artists are encouraged to collaborate on creative projects together to enhance the existing curriculum or to teach a new topic integrating the arts. All Monroe County public and private schools, as well as other organizations that serve children ages 5-18, are eligible to be partners for the teaching artist. This application is for the Fall 2022 semester. Artists in Schools grants are up to $2,000 per request.  
 
Special Project Grants are intended for arts organizations or individual artists in Monroe County. The grant is to provide short-term support to vital, creative projects that do not fit into the other grant categories. Special Project funding is limited to once in three years, up to $2,000 per request.  
 
Contact information:
Please call the Florida Keys Council of the Arts for suggestions and assistance at 305-295-4369 or by email to [email protected].  
 
The Florida Keys Council of the Arts is the leading arts and cultural organization in the Florida Keys. As the non-profit local arts agency in Monroe County, it connects audiences from around the world to galleries, theaters, museums, festivals, dance, music and more from Key Largo to Key West. The Council makes grants, supports Art in Public Places, and promotes the destination for its rich and diverse history in art and culture. The Arts Council provides services to visual and performing artists, arts organizations, students and the public, striving to instill a passion for and participation in the arts.  

​The Florida Keys Council of the Arts announces a grant opportunity, Art Builds Community (ABC), to support arts and culture projects that spark conversations, spur social change, generate cultural equity and make our community stronger. Grant funding is offered at $5,000, $7,500 and $10,000 for projects that support, build and broaden access to the arts and specifically address civic challenges and community issues through the arts.  New for this round, some funds will be distributed as start-up resources for outstanding project ideas.
 
Florida Keys artists, arts organizations and civic/community-based organizations are encouraged to form alliances and partnerships to strengthen communities through projects that connect the arts with local issues and opportunities for all people. The ABC grant deadline is May 20th at midnight. The online application and more information are available at www.keysarts.com.  
 
“The Florida Keys Council of the Arts is committed to ensuring that everyone in our community has equal access to the arts and the fundamental right to express their culture through the arts,” said executive director Elizabeth Young. “Many of our resident’s experience vast disparities in terms of access to and participation in arts and culture activities. We believe the arts have the power to change hearts and minds, and inspire social change.”  
 
Art Builds Community is funded in part by The Helmerich Trust, Ocean Sotheby’s, Louis Wolfson III and private donations. To support the Art Builds Community grant program, help build cultural equity and improve the quality of life for residents and visitors in the Florida Keys, please contact: Executive Director Elizabeth Young, [email protected].  

The Key West Art & Historical Society announced today the donation of six woodcarvings created by distinguished Cuban American folk artist Mario Sanchez.  Joining another 200 Sanchez works already part of its permanent collection, the Society holds the largest assemblage of the artist’s works ranging from paper bag sketches to handcrafted paper kites and intricate woodcarvings.
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A gift from the estate of Charles and Barbara Martin, winter residents of Key West for several decades, the six woodcarvings were purchased directly from the artist by the Martins in the 1960s and were proudly displayed in Michigan until early 2022 when they returned to Key West.

Sanchez, a Key West native, is among this country’s finest and most recognized folk artists.  The self-taught artist was born in Key West in 1908, the grandson of Cuban immigrants.  In the 1940s, at the urging of his mother-in-law, he began creating intricate carvings depicting life in Key West as he remembered from his childhood.  Of his work, Sanchez adopted as his motto: “Se que mi modesto arte no es bueno, pero gusta,” or “I know my modest art isn’t good, but it pleases.”

“This is a substantial gift to the Society,” says Cori Convertito, curator.  “With the addition of these works, the Society will be able to offer a much richer representation of the art and history of the island, one that includes enhanced perspectives of our past and skillfully embodies our diverse culture and heritage.”

In addition to the works, a series of letters exchanged between the Martins and Sanchez accompany the gift affording information on artwork purchase dates, insurance values and backgrounds on the various individuals that appear in the carvings.

“The handwritten letters form an integral part of the donation,” says Convertito.  “Having contextual information such as this allows the museum to tell a more complete story of who Mario was as an artist and about the recurring characters he deftly included in his intaglios.”
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The woodcarvings have been digitized and are available for viewing on the Society’s website, www.kwahs.org/collections.  For more information about the donation, or to discuss possible donations to the Society, contact Cori Convertito at 305-295-6616 x112 or [email protected].

​The College of the Florida Keys will showcase the talent and creativity of its students at the annual Student Art Show in the Library Gallery on the Key West Campus.  Join art students, art faculty, and art lovers from the entire Keys community to celebrate a year’s worth of art and accomplishment at the opening reception on Wednesday, April 20, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.  The event, sponsored by the College of The Florida Keys Foundation, is free and open to the public.  
 
A myriad of artwork created by students this past year will be featured, including pottery, photography, and sculptures.  Some pieces will be for sale with proceeds going to the student artists as well as the Library Gallery Fund.  Several awards will be given for each category, including the prestigious $1,000 “Jay Gogin Excellence in Visual Arts Award,” named after the College of the Florida Keys late Artist in Residence and ceramics instructor.  Attendees will be invited to cast votes for the winner of the “People’s Choice” award. 
 
For more information, contact Kristina Neihouse, Director, Learning Resource Center. [email protected] or 305-809-3501