October 17, 2023 – (KEY WEST, FL).  On Sunday, November 5, 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 Key West’s role in the Civil War and participate in an art project in the air-conditioned Lee Garrison Classroom.  Society instructor Deadeye Rick will share information about the cannons originally planned for the casemates at Fort East Martello and along with Education Specialist Kassandra Collett, attendees will be able to create their own paper tube cannons.

“During the 19th century, American cannon technology was constantly evolving and advancing.  So much so, that the Society’s own Fort East Martello was never completed because its walls were considered obsolete before building was concluded,” says Collett.  “We welcome all families to the museum in November to join us in creating their very own paper tube cannons using STEAM, or science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics.  Families can imagine and create a paper tube cannon using various supplies such as paper tubes, cardboard, rubber bands, balloons, and popsicle sticks.”

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 kcollett@kwahs.org.  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.

October 17, 2023 – (KEY WEST, FL).  On Thursday, November 2, the Key West Art & Historical Society welcomes the return of its successful “Parent and Me Fort Adventures” program at Fort East Martello Museum, 3501 South Roosevelt Boulevard.  The Society offers the program each Thursday morning on the Parade Grounds from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and runs through May 2024. 
​
Parent & Me Fort Adventures is a child-centric program that offers preschool-aged children the opportunity to learn and discover through hands-on play experiences.  Each Parent & Me session offers themed activities including art, science, math, sensory exploration, and building.  At the conclusion of the session, parents and children are invited to explore the Civil War-era fort, artifacts, and immersive exhibits that focus on the history of Key West.

“This exceptional program allows families to meet in a safe environment where children aged 1 to 5 can explore, create, and develop lasting friendships,” said Society Education Specialist Kassandra Collett.  “By offering a program that promotes child-centric education, curious learners can explore based on their individual interests, moving from one activity to another increasing discovery, engagement, and critical thinking within the historic setting of the museum.”

Classes are free for Key West Art & Historical Society members; suggested $5 donation for non-members. Registration is suggested, however not required.  All supplies will be provided by the Key West Art & Historical Society.  For more information contact Kassandra Collett at 305-295-6616 ext. 504 or kcollett@kwahs.org.  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 and Lee Garrison.  Your museums.  Your community.  It takes an island.  

October 3, 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, October 19, 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, “Collecting Key West: The Sketches of Mario Sanchez” which will explore the techniques, places, and recurring characters that feature in the Cuban American artist’s famed works.
​
Much like sculptors employ maquettes, Mario Sanchez used his brown paper bag sketches to visualize and experiment with shapes and concepts without undertaking the effort of producing elaborate woodcarvings.  Both his sketches and woodcarvings tell the story of Old Key West, melding art and history in a single scene.  His abilities led to Sanchez being presented with the Florida Folk Heritage Award conferred by the Florida Secretary of State and the Florida Folklife Council in 1985.  Today, he is still considered one of the nation’s greatest folk artists.
​
“Key West is fortunate to have Mario Sanchez as a prominent figure in its rich artistic heritage,” says Dr. Convertito.  “His sketches and woodcarvings are emblematic of our community, making him a local treasure.  The sketches and woodcarvings appeal to a broad spectrum of people – locals, visitors, adults, and children –his storytelling is timeless.”

Sanchez was a self-taught artist born in 1908 in Key West’s Gatoville neighborhood.  Beginning with modest carvings of local fish in the 1930s, he cultivated his natural talent to create upwards of 600 intricate woodcarvings during his lifetime.  His work is renowned for capturing familiar local characters amid the simple life and activities he recalled from his childhood—flying kites, spinning tops, parades, and passing the time rocking on front porches.  The scenes reveal a valuable and colorful doorway into the cultural history of the island and its people.

Happy Hour with the Historian is limited to 70 attendees; reserve your spot now at kwahs.org/hh-sanchez - $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 cconvertito@kwahs.org.  Your Museums.  Your Community.  It takes an Island.

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, kcollett@kwahs.org.  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.

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 cconvertito@kwahs.org.  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 kcollett@kwahs.org.  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 kcollett@kwahs.org.  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).  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.