“The Great Depression and the WPA in Key West” on Tap for Next KWAHS Happy Hour with the Historian Event

The Great Depression and the artwork of the WPA will be the subject of Key West Art & Historical Society’s popular lecture series “Happy Hour with the Historian” with Dr. Cori Convertito on July 18 to be held at Comedy Key West. This travel guide was produced by the WPA to entice visitors to the bankrupt island. (Photo Credit: Key West Art & Historical Society Collection 2009.30.0017)

The Great Depression and the artwork of the WPA will be the subject of Key West Art & Historical Society’s popular lecture series “Happy Hour with the Historian” with Dr. Cori Convertito on July 18 to be held at Comedy Key West. Original artwork such as Avery Johnson’s “Poinciana” was transformed into brochures, postcards and posters to be distributed nationally. (Photo Credit: Key West Art & Historical Society Collection 2009.30.0188)

June 24, 2024 – (KEY WEST, FL).  Raise a glass to Florida Keys history with Key West Art & Historical Society Curator and Historian Cori Convertito, Ph.D., on Thursday, July 18, 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 the evening’s topic, “The Great Depression and the WPA in Key West.”

In July 1934, Key West, once one of the richest cities in Florida, formally declared itself bankrupt.  Of the 13,000 people who inhabited the town, 80% were on government financial assistance and the city was deeply in debt.  Once-flourishing sponge and cigar industries had long since moved elsewhere making it difficult for Key West residents to pay their taxes.  Unpainted houses, weedy beaches, debris-littered streets and dilapidated storefronts became commonplace, all of which told the story of an isolated city in urgent need of help.

“Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, Governor Dave Sholtz appointed Julius Stone as head of Florida’s Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) to ascertain what could be done to help Key West residents navigate the Great Depression,” says Convertito.  “After careful study, Stone determined the only way to rescue Key West was to embark on an extensive restoration and beautification program to transform the weary, unkempt island town into a vacation paradise.  This involved a near reinvention of its former industries and a series of programs to make the island appear attractive to would-be tourists.”

A significant portion of the city’s gallant effort to transform itself came through the Federal Art Project, a division of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a federally sponsored program that supported professional artists who needed work.  Artists such as Stanley Wood, Avery Johnson, Alfred Crimi, Eric Johan Smith, Adrian Dornbush, Richard Jensen, and Peter Rotier were dispatched to Key West to create artwork that showcased the area’s natural beauty and its multicultural inhabitants.  Their paintings, etchings and murals were made into tourist brochures, posters and postcards and sent all over the country to entice tourists to visit America’s only Caribbean city.
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Happy Hour with the Historian is limited to 75 attendees; reserve your spot now at kwahs.org/hh-depression - $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 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.