September 23, 2024 – (KEY WEST, FL).  On Sunday, October 6, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., join the education staff of the Key West Art & Historical Society at its Fort East Martello Museum, located at 3501 South Roosevelt Boulevard, for a free family program that will explore one of the island’s Civil War-era forts and its exhibits which explore our rich and diverse history.  Dubbed “Family Museum Day,” the program is designed to correspond with the Society’s “Community Day,” a day offering free museum admission for Monroe County residents the first Sunday of each month.

While visiting the museum property, families are invited to take a self-guided tour of the fort and citadel, explore the outdoor sculpture garden, visit with the legendary Robert the Doll, and view works of art created by celebrated Keys folk artist, Stanley Papio.  In addition to free admission to the museum, children and adults are welcome to join Society education specialist, Kassandra Collett, and art educator, Jenni Franke in the air-conditioned Lee Garrison Classroom to create take-home art projects inspired by Florida’s flora and fauna.

“This month’s Family Day art activity takes inspiration from an exhibit on view at the Key West Museum of Art & History.  The exhibit, “Flora and Fauna: Early Naturalists in Florida” highlights some of the beautiful works of art created by Florida ecological artists.  Some of these artists, such as John James Audubon, made it all the way to Key West in search of rare bird species,” says Collett.  “Their expeditions, which frequently lasted for years, resulted in a collection of specimens and drawings that were later used to create vibrantly painted, often life-sized, images of plants and animals that the world had never seen before.  During our first session of the season, children will have a wide selection of mediums to choose from while creating art that's inspired by nature.”
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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/whats-on.  You can also contact Collett at 305-295-6616 x504 or [email protected]. 

August 26, 2024 – (KEY WEST, FL).  The Key West Museum of Art & History will celebrate the opening of its newest temporary exhibition, “The Antic Humor of Richard Watherwax” on Friday, September 13.  The exhibition was first imagined by Erika Biddle, co-curator of the installation and a close friend of the photographer, motivated by his 90th birthday later this year.  A reception to mark the opening is scheduled to take place from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. that evening in the Bryan Gallery, which is free and open to the public.

Watherwax spent years in New York City, first as a journalism and photography major in college who then settled into commercial and advertising photography, living what he described a “Mad Men” lifestyle.  High profile clients included Coca-Cola, Revlon, and AT&T.  In 1985, Watherwax relocated to Key West where he quickly took to the island’s free-spirited, artistic, and intellectual vibe.  Freed from the Manhattan ad agency lifestyle and its pressures, he cultivated a notably droll signature style.

“During the course of his Key West career, Richard photographed scores of “shakers, makers, and characters,” some depicted in character portraits, others, such as his “Saturday Night Baby Fights” classic, in over-the-top story-telling scenes or tableaux cooked up in his singularly quirky cinematographic imagination,” says Biddle.  “In the years before digital cameras made professional caliber photography accessible to the wider public, with his unmistakable personal style, Watherwax stood out as a luminary among a very few top tier Key West-based photographers.”

Watherwax is perhaps known best for his triptych “Fat Cat Capsizing” which has been reproduced worldwide in the form of prints, t-shirts, tote bags, towels, and coffee mugs.  Among his other accomplishments are authoring several books including “Cat Tales” (1978), “The Cat Who Drank Too Much” (1979) and “Tales of Old Key West” (1989), a farcical history of the island.  In true Watherwax whimsy, he entered his cat Willoughby in the 1989 Key West mayoral race where she received an impressive 37 votes!

The retrospective will feature a mixture of Watherwax’s Key West works including his witty cat series, amusing postcards, portraits of the island’s unique characters, his profound artist series, and his posed works that will tickle visitors as they gain a deeper understanding of the photographer’s satire and farcicality.

“The Antic Humor of Richard Watherwax” runs through November 24, 2024, in the Bryan Gallery and is sponsored by the Florida Keys Council of the Arts.  For more information, visit kwahs.org/watherwax, call Cori Convertito at 305-295-6616 x 507 or [email protected].
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Your Museums.  Your Community.  It takes an Island.

​August 26, 2024 – (KEY WEST, FL).  Food vendors, face and body painters, artisans of all imaginings, and non-profits are invited to register as a vendor at the upcoming ZombieLand, prior to the Zombie Bike Ride, taking place on Sunday, October 20, from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Fort East Martello Museum, 3501 South Roosevelt Boulevard.

ZombieLand is a family friendly space occupying the Fort’s Parade Grounds that has lots of great shopping, kids’ zone including bounce houses, live entertainment, face and body painting, food, and a full bar.  One of the most popular Fantasy Fest events, over 7,000 riders participated in the ZombieLand pre-party and the annual bike ride.
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Those interested in registering as a vendor for the event should submit their application by October 15 to confirm their spot.  The application and additional information are found on the Society’s website at www.kwahs.org/zombie.    Questions about vendors or the event should be directed to Bonnie McInnis, Events Manager, at [email protected] or 305-295-6616 ext. 505.

July 29, 2024 – (KEY WEST, FL).  On Friday, August 30, join journalist and Jimmy Buffett biographer Ryan White as he presents on the legacy of the famed Trop Rock singer-songwriter as part of the Key West Art & Historical Society’s Distinguished Speaker Series.  His talk entitled, “Some Things Never Change (But Most Do): The Enduring Magic of Margaritaville” takes place from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Tropic Cinema, 416 Eaton Street.  A book signing of his acclaimed biography “Jimmy Buffett: A Good Life All the Way” will immediately follow the presentation.

Billboard’s 14th biggest hit of 1977 was a happy-sounding sad song that arrived from a specific time in an extremely specific space.  Five decades later, “Margaritaville” is included in the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress and Jimmy Buffett is being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  But Buffett wasn’t always the pied piper of beaches, bars, and laid-back living.  Born on the Gulf Coast, the son of a son of a sailing ship captain, Buffett scuffed around New Orleans in the late sixties, flunked out of Nashville in 1971, and found refuge among the artists, dopers, shrimpers, and genuine characters who had collected at the end of the road in Key West.  And it was there, in those waning outlaw days at the last American exit, where Buffett found his voice and eventually brought to life the song that would launch a lifestyle.

“The Society is thrilled that Ryan has agreed to present on Key West’s favorite son, Jimmy Buffett, during the inaugural “Just a Few Friends” festival this Labor Day weekend,” says Dr. Cori Convertito, curator for the Society.  “His talk will emphasize the romanticism and optimism associated with “Margaritaville” and why the idea of swaying palm trees, fruity frozen drinks, and minimal responsibilities is more popular than ever.”

The presenter, Ryan White, was twice named one of the top writers in the country by the Society for Features Journalism.  He spent nearly 16 years at the “Oregonian” newspaper covering sports, music, and culture.  He’s appeared on the public radio show Live Wire, as both an essayist and an interviewer.  The author of “Jimmy Buffett: A Good Life All the Way” and “Springsteen: Album by Album,” he lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan and currently spends his days at the same Detroit ad agency that once employed Elmore Leonard.  That’s all they have in common.

To reserve tickets for the lecture, visit kwahs.org/dss-buffett - $12 for KWAHS members, $15 for non-members.  This program is sponsored in part by Aloys & Carol Metty, and the John & Marilyn Rintamaki Family Charitable Fund.  For more information, contact Cori Convertito, Ph.D. at 305-295-6616 x507 or [email protected].  Your Museums.  Your Community.  It takes an Island.

Key West, Florida (July 1, 2024) — Florida Humanities, in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution’s Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), has launched a new exhibition partnership program, “Exhibition Starter Kit: FOOD” and selected the Key West Art & Historical Society as an inaugural recipient. In total, eight nonprofit organizations received funding from Florida Humanities in June 2024 to create exhibitions that capture and share local narratives on food, utilizing templated resources as well as virtual and in-person support from the Smithsonian Institution.

Exhibition Starter Kits provide a Smithsonian-developed framework to guide selected venues through the development of local humanities-based exhibitions using their own collections and cultural content. While working on their exhibition project, funded venues will receive guidance from the Smithsonian on how to design and develop compelling exhibitions that highlight their local history and culture through the lens of food. By incorporating local elements directly into the exhibition, each installation will be unique while broadly addressing the same national themes curated by the Smithsonian.

“Peeling back the layers of our local and regional food, you uncover a much larger story centering around the Key West’s diverse community,” says Dr. Cori Convertito, curator for the Society who will also serve as the project’s manager. “We are elated to have been selected by the Smithsonian and Florida Humanities to be one of eight partners in the state.  It gives the Society an opportunity to tell the abundant Florida Keys food story that has been shaped by a mixture of Indigenous, Bahamian, Cuban, and international peoples. It is our hope to get the community involved in the exhibition, but also in a robust series of public programs and oral histories.”

All sites have received initial funding of $5,000 from Florida Humanities to work with the Smithsonian over the next year to create their exhibition script, collect physical objects such as artifacts and images to accompany their exhibition, and design an exhibition floor plan. Exhibitions will then be fabricated and installed at each venue in early 2026 with additional support provided by Florida Humanities.
 
The funded sites include:

• African American Cultural Society (Palm Coast, Flagler County)
• Citrus County Historical Society (Inverness, Citrus County)
• Florida Remembered Society (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County)
• Hastings Main Street (Hastings, St. Johns County)
• Historical Society of Bay County (Panama City, Bay County)
• Key West Art & Historical Society (Key West, Monroe County)
• Main Street Apopka (Apopka, Orange County)
• West Nassau Historical Society (Callahan, Nassau County)

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“Exhibition Starter Kits give small museums a great opportunity to use a Smithsonian framework that gives national context to local exhibitions,” said Carol Harsh, Director, Smithsonian Institution Museum on Main Street program. “Florida Humanities contributes state-specific resources and scholarship, which adds an even richer training opportunity for host organizations to bring out the unique local flavors of each community.”
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“Exhibition Starter Kit: FOOD” is a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution’s Traveling Exhibition Service and State Humanities Councils nationwide. It is based on an exhibition by the National Museum of American History called “Key Ingredients: America by Food”. Support for the Smithsonian Institution has been provided by the United States Congress. Funding for this project in Florida has been provided by Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this project do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

About Key West Art & Historical Society
Founded in 1949, the Key West Art and Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization tasked with the promotion of the humanities, art, and history of the Florida Keys by educating the public and by collecting, preserving, restoring, and exhibiting significant art, artifacts, and historical properties. With its four culturally distinct museums – Key West Museum of Art & History, the Key West Lighthouse & Keeper’s Quarters, Fort East Martello and the Tennessee Williams Museum – the Key West Art & Historical Society is dedicated to community engagement through its diverse educational programs, exhibitions and online resources.
www.kwahs.org
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About Florida Humanities
Florida Humanities, the statewide, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and sharing the history, literature, cultures, and personal stories that offer Floridians a better understanding of themselves, their communities, and their state. Since 1973, Florida Humanities has awarded more than $20 million in support of statewide cultural resources and public programs strongly rooted in the humanities. These programs preserve Florida’s diverse history and heritage, promote civic engagement and community dialogue, and provide opportunities to reflect on the future of Florida. Learn more at www.floridahumanities.org.

About Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES)
SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside Washington, D.C., for more than 65 years. SITES connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science and history, which are shown wherever people live, work and play. For exhibition description and tour schedules, visit sites.si.edu.

May 13, 2024 – (KEY WEST, FL).  The Key West Museum of Art & History will celebrate the opening of its newest temporary exhibition, “Beaches, Creatures & Cowboys: Florida Movie Posters” on Friday, May 31.  The exhibition was first developed by the Museum of Florida History and many of the posters and ephemera form part of its permanent collection.  A reception to mark the opening is scheduled to take place from 5-7 p.m. in the Bryan Gallery and is open to the public.
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In the early days of movie making, Florida sunshine lit the sets for many movies, while the palm trees and beaches provided a beautiful backdrop.  Movie producers have been making films in Florida almost since the dawn of the industry.  For a short time in the early twentieth century, Florida even rivaled California as a place for movie making.  However, a lack of government support, money, and studio facilities hurt the industry here, and movie companies soon began leaving the area.

“Despite many Florida studios relocating to the country’s West Coast, many filmmakers still made use of Florida’s landscape, cities, and tourist attractions during filming,” says Dr. Cori Convertito, curator for the Key West Art & Historical Society.  “Tarzan swung through the Florida jungles, swimming champion turned actress Esther Williams frolicked on the beaches, and The Creature from the Black Lagoon lurked in the state’s dark and mysterious springs.”

Colorful, eye-catching posters advertised films and drew people to the movies.  Often, several movie posters, each with a different image, promoted one film.  The movie’s marketers designed each image to appeal to a specific audience.  Depending on the film, a poster might display a dramatic, heroic, romantic, or funny scene.

The 40 classic posters that form part of the display include artwork for “Beneath the 12 Mile Reef,” “Cocoon,” “Flipper,” and “Operation Petticoat” and feature such actors as Gregory Peck, Betty Grable, Spencer Tracy, Jessica Tandy, Cary Grant, Tony Curtis, Steve Martin, Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, and Jim Carrey.

“Beaches, Creatures & Cowboys” runs through September 1, 2024, in the Bryan Gallery and is sponsored by the Florida Department of State, Division of Arts & Culture and the Museum of Florida History.  For more information, visit www.kwahs.org/movieposters, call Cori Convertito at 305-295-6616 x 507 or [email protected].

April 22, 2024 – (KEY WEST, FL).  On Friday, May 10, join folk artist, third generation Cuban American and Key West native Wayne Garcia as he presents a night of eerie storytelling spotlighting the island’s ghost stories as part of the Key West Art & Historical Society’s Distinguished Speaker Series.  His talk entitled, “They Only Follow Us At Night” takes place from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Tropic Cinema, 416 Eaton Street.
During his presentation, Garcia will delight attendees with yarns of old Key West, his memories from growing up, and several of the island’s lesser-known ghost stories.  His tales will be accompanied by his colorful woodcarvings and vintage photographs depicting the island’s incredible and idiosyncratic past.
“The Society is delighted that Wayne has once again agreed to present an evening of Key West stories, using his striking artwork and the characters within as a visualization tool,” says Dr. Cori Convertito, curator for the Society.  “Wayne deftly weaves together thoughtful yet lighthearted accounts of the people, the places, and the events that make us long for Old Key West, and I am eager to hear about the spirits that only come out at night.”
The presenter, Wayne Garcia, is a third generation Cuban American and Key West native.  He learned the techniques of carving on wood from watching legendary folk artists Mario Sanchez and Papito Suarez.  Garcia’s delightful accounts of Key West’s past should not be missed.  He literally and figuratively paints a picture of an island paradise rich in community and culture, validating all the reasons why many of us have chosen Key West as our home.
To reserve tickets for the lecture; visit kwahs.org/dss-garcia - $12 for KWAHS members, $15 for non-members.  This program 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, Aloys & Carol Metty, and the John & Marilyn Rintamaki Family Charitable Fund.  For more information, contact Cori Convertito, Ph.D. at 305-295-6616 x507 or [email protected].  Your Museums.  Your Community.  It takes an Island.
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