An Electronic Newsletter from The Studios of Key West
As summer settles in and the island's pace slows,
the creative spark burns bright at the Armory.
Stop in and check out what's coming up next, including an exhibition
of new artwork, plenty of creative opportunities for kids
and new summer residencies and projects.
Stock Island
See a New Series of Oil Paintings by Studio Artist
Letty Nowak at TSKW
Exhibition Runs from 30 May-20 June
Join us at the Armory this weekend where you'll have two chances to get a
fresh look at the familiar landscapes, industrial minutiae,
and distinct architecture of our neighboring island.
Opening reception: Friday 30 May from 6-9pm
Afternoon champagne reception: Saturday 31 May from 12-3pm
__________
Creative Kids have a place TSKW this summer!
At TSKW, we think it's important for local kids to develop their
creative potential. Now they can learn about music and
the artistic process at two special summer camps...
TSKW Music Camp
Kids will explore all aspects of musicality
at two week summer camp
The Studios of Key West is proud to partner with Robin Kaplan and
Skipper Kripitz, two legendary local music educators, to launch this
summer camp opportunity for Key West kids.
Students will have a creative summer break while honing their listening,
singing, and rhythm skills, developing music appreciation, and learning
to play instruments.
This performance-based program will explore many styles including
pop, rock, jazz, classical, and world music.
The two-week camp will run weekdays from June 23 to July 4 at the
Armory and will culminate in a performance on the lawn of the
Casa Marina on July 4, for the big annual Hospice picnic.
Grades K-2 will meet from 1:00 to 2:00 pm each day
($120/$100 for Friends/TSKW)
Grades 3-5 will meet from 2:30 to 4:00 pm each day
($175/$150 for Friends/TSKW)
Grades 6-8 will meet from 4:30 to 6:00 pm each day
($175/$150 for Friends/TSKW)
Click here for details and for a printable registration form
http://www.tskw.org/news_detail.php?nid=68
__________
TSKW Summer Art Academy
Fun and creative summer camp
explores different art themes
Each week students will explore a different arts theme, and then
undertake related field trips and fun activities on our wonderfully
creative island.
Led by Montessori-trained educator, Monica Feinemann.
Week 1: July 14- July 18
Around the World through Art and Art History
Week 2: July 21-July 25
Key West and its Local Artists
Camp meets from 9 am-2 pm each day
($195 per child/per week or $175 for Friends/TSKW members)
Click here for details and for a printable registration form
http://www.tskw.org/news_detail.php?nid=66
__________
Summer = Theatre at TSKW!
Keep reading the tskw green flash over the summer
for news about the 2008 One Night Stand project, returning in late summer!
__________
A Note from Bob Muens,
TSKW Chairman of the Board
Wow! I can't believe it. It's already been a year since I joined the Board of Directors and what a year it's been here at the Studios of Key West. During this first year I have seen an intriguing concept blossom into a vibrant organization making huge contributions to the arts community of Key West.
What was the initial concept? Briefly stated: A community of artists. We envisioned a community that fosters artistic creativity by providing a facility and the tools artists require to create, a place of unfettered opportunity. We saw a center where artists would gather to express themselves within the context of a larger community.
Now we look back on our first full season and a long list of accomplishments. At about the same time I started at TSKW, we were joined by our first Executive Director, Eric Holowacz. Eric, arriving straight off a long flight from his home in New Zealand, joined our community with nothing short of astonishing effort and enthusiasm and talent.
This first year saw our lofty concept evolve into an everyday reality. Major renovations on our flagship building, The Key West Armory, were completed. This historic building was lovingly brought back to its original majesty. We even won the Historic Florida Keys Foundation preservation star award for the extensive rehabilitation. Now the Armory is the building that serves as the base for most of our endeavors. On the second floor we have constructed twelve studios, which we make available to local creative people at below market rates. This area is now the work space for a crowd of diverse and talented Key West artists.
On the Armory’s main floor everything else happens. This grand hall often serves many different functions in a single day, from exhibition site to event venue to lecture hall. Over this past year it’s been an art gallery, a theater, a home for workshops, a community dialogue space, and party central. Outside we’ve spiffed up the grounds and established a small sculpture garden with a peaceful, park-like atmosphere.
Next door to the Armory this year also saw the inauguration of the Mango Tree House, where we provide lodging for a parade of visiting artists from the United States and beyond.
As The Studios of Key West continues to move forward, expanding our scope and programming, I want to acknowledge that none of this would have been possible without the talent and energy of so many people. A community of people who create, appreciate and support the arts. I would like to thank the artists, staff, board of directors, donors, and all of our friends and neighbors, who together brought an idea to life in Key West.
Sincerely,
Bob Muens
TSKW Chairman of the Board
__________
Thanks Friends!
TSKW welcomes 188 new annual
supporters and counting.
TSKW would like to thank all of people who supported us through our first full cultural season.
Your tax-deductible donation will help support our programs, innovative projects, educational outreach,
free lectures, and the growth of our Old Town campus.
TSKW Friends receive our newsletter, invitations to special events, advance
season brochure, 20% discount on workshop registration, and other creative benefits.
If you are a TSKW supporter but would like to remain anonymous, please just let us know.
We are happy to honor your wishes, and remove your name from such acknowledgment listings.
To learn more about membership, call 305-296-0458.
__________
The Studios of Key West is a nonprofit cultural organization established
in 2006 with a mission of supporting our community's creative people,
fostering new projects and partnerships, and advancing the cultural
life of our island. Find us and our campus at the Historic Armory,
600 White Street in Old Town Key West. Our current facilities
comprise a main exhibition hall and workshop space, 12 artist
studios, a sculpture garden, several residency cottages, and
small office.
Visit us there, and learn about our plans for the 2008/09 season!
Eric Holowacz, Executive Director
Elena Devers, Projects & Marketing Coordinator
Martha Barnes, Program Coordinator
Lauren McAloon, Facilities Coordinator
Monica Feinemann, Education & Outreach Coordinator
28 May 2008
20 May 2008
Painter Letty Nowak’s Stock Island Picture Show
The Studios of Key West to Exhibit New Series of Oil Paintings Based on Our More Industrial Neighbor
Letty Nowak, now based in a large and bright space at The Studios of Key West, has turned her attention from local faces to the industrial minutiae, familiar landscapes, and distinct architectural features of Stock Island. Her upcoming exhibition, which opens with a reception at the Armory on Friday, May 30, explores new ground both literally and metaphorically.
“The Keys have few painters as prolific and industrious as Letty,” said Eric Holowacz, director of The Studios, and a fan of the artist’s remarkable ability to capture the essence of her subjects. “And it is wonderful that her recent paintings reveal the nature and uniqueness of our neighboring island.”
It has been three years since Nowak completed her monumental Faces of Key West, a series of portraits that numbers in the hundreds. Stock Island, which is on view at the Armory through June 19, is the artist’s first solo exhibition since 2006.
“This is a show I have been working towards for years,” says Nowak. “In my new studio upstairs at the Armory, I now have the time to refine and finish this exhibition. Years back, before the Faces of Key West, I did little architectural studies of simple or industrial buildings. I discovered an entire island less than a mile north of us, full of interesting features. Stock Island, diverse and visually striking, is the perfect subject for me to return to at this point in my career.”
Some would say these paintings are also about change and transformation. The exhibition certainly represents change for Nowak’s focus, but it also tells of recent developments within Stock Island itself. A few select portraits are scattered throughout the new work in a sort of yin-yang dynamic: some depict the characters who continue to give Stock Island its raw character, and others reveal the people who are transforming the land and waterfront through redevelopment. There are paintings of landmark buildings and the new constructions-in-progress, as well as careful details of often unnoticed things.
“I relearn so much about painting with each of these canvases and every new subject I tackle,” explains the artist. “It forces me to start small and them make different decisions about line and color, compared to the hundreds of portraits I have finished over the past eight years. Perhaps the landscapes are like little studies which I might some day incorporate as a backgrounds in future portraits. Who knows?”
Nowak moved to The Studios of Key West last November after closing the Lemonade Stand Art Studio, which she ran for six years. Now based in one of the 12 affordable artist studios at the Armory, she is now able to pursue painting almost full time. She also is part owner of the new Fury Surf Shack, located in the Westin Marina.
“I’ve seen a lot of Key West paintings, but not too many Stock Island scenes in local galleries,” she says. “I find it extremely interesting out there, and if my upcoming exhibition can actually capture the sense of place, I might even turn the results into a book about what I find intriguing about Stock Island.”
Letty Nowak’s new exhibition, Stock Island, opens at the historic Armory building with a public reception from 6 to 9pm on Friday, May 30. Food for the event will be provided by beloved Stock Island restaurant The Rusty Anchor, with music provided by Stock Island singer-songwriter NAME HERE. A closing reception is also planned for the June Walk on White gallery crawl, from 6 to 9pm on Thursday June 19.
For details and information please contact The Studios of Key West at 296-0458 or info@tskw.org.
Letty Nowak, now based in a large and bright space at The Studios of Key West, has turned her attention from local faces to the industrial minutiae, familiar landscapes, and distinct architectural features of Stock Island. Her upcoming exhibition, which opens with a reception at the Armory on Friday, May 30, explores new ground both literally and metaphorically.
“The Keys have few painters as prolific and industrious as Letty,” said Eric Holowacz, director of The Studios, and a fan of the artist’s remarkable ability to capture the essence of her subjects. “And it is wonderful that her recent paintings reveal the nature and uniqueness of our neighboring island.”
It has been three years since Nowak completed her monumental Faces of Key West, a series of portraits that numbers in the hundreds. Stock Island, which is on view at the Armory through June 19, is the artist’s first solo exhibition since 2006.
“This is a show I have been working towards for years,” says Nowak. “In my new studio upstairs at the Armory, I now have the time to refine and finish this exhibition. Years back, before the Faces of Key West, I did little architectural studies of simple or industrial buildings. I discovered an entire island less than a mile north of us, full of interesting features. Stock Island, diverse and visually striking, is the perfect subject for me to return to at this point in my career.”
Some would say these paintings are also about change and transformation. The exhibition certainly represents change for Nowak’s focus, but it also tells of recent developments within Stock Island itself. A few select portraits are scattered throughout the new work in a sort of yin-yang dynamic: some depict the characters who continue to give Stock Island its raw character, and others reveal the people who are transforming the land and waterfront through redevelopment. There are paintings of landmark buildings and the new constructions-in-progress, as well as careful details of often unnoticed things.
“I relearn so much about painting with each of these canvases and every new subject I tackle,” explains the artist. “It forces me to start small and them make different decisions about line and color, compared to the hundreds of portraits I have finished over the past eight years. Perhaps the landscapes are like little studies which I might some day incorporate as a backgrounds in future portraits. Who knows?”
Nowak moved to The Studios of Key West last November after closing the Lemonade Stand Art Studio, which she ran for six years. Now based in one of the 12 affordable artist studios at the Armory, she is now able to pursue painting almost full time. She also is part owner of the new Fury Surf Shack, located in the Westin Marina.
“I’ve seen a lot of Key West paintings, but not too many Stock Island scenes in local galleries,” she says. “I find it extremely interesting out there, and if my upcoming exhibition can actually capture the sense of place, I might even turn the results into a book about what I find intriguing about Stock Island.”
Letty Nowak’s new exhibition, Stock Island, opens at the historic Armory building with a public reception from 6 to 9pm on Friday, May 30. Food for the event will be provided by beloved Stock Island restaurant The Rusty Anchor, with music provided by Stock Island singer-songwriter NAME HERE. A closing reception is also planned for the June Walk on White gallery crawl, from 6 to 9pm on Thursday June 19.
For details and information please contact The Studios of Key West at 296-0458 or info@tskw.org.
14 May 2008
Green Flash: 01
An Electronic Newsletter from The Studios of Key West
Stop by the Armory on Thursday 15 May from 6-9 pm for Walk on White.
It's the perfect chance to enjoy a glass of wine, hear live music, stroll
upstairs for an open studio tour and see all that's happening
at The Studios of Key West...
Four-by-Four
a quartet of installations by artists
associated with the first program year at TSKW.
Get an eyeful of fantastic diorama landscapes filled with UFO's, hot-air balloons and
natural disasters: gaze into the suspended worlds of artist
(and recent TSKW drawing instructor) Carlos Ferguson.
Explore the space where art meets ecology and organic matter meets the Armory,
in TSKW studio artist Deborah Goldman's new main-hall installation,
"Weft—an homage to Wallace Stevens"
Delight in the work of visiting painter and provocateur, Chicagoan Mike Lash, and visit
his temporary studio at TSKW. Learn a thing or two from Lash's Lies for Leo
paintings, taken from his recent children's book, as he dispels common myths
and conventional wisdom. Learn about his next project, a coloring book
for local and visiting kids, based on the peculiar and familiar aspects of life in Key West.
Then see below for the story of his much kneeded supply of arms
for the Conch Republic.
Slip into winter with the photography of conceptual artist Helen Verbanz, whose Ice Prints
are also on view in the Armory. The ten images are from her ongoing series of landscape photographs
taken over a dozen years at an ice-fishing village in Canada. In June, Verbanz will
become the next TSKW Artist-in-Residence, and will be developing an environmental installation
based on local waterways, back-country estuaries, and the ecology of the Keys.
Walk on White
We open our doors, the artists open their studios, and new creative things
are happening at every corner. This Thursday from 6 to 9pm.
Lorenzo Buhne, a New Zealand-based musician currently in residence at TSKW, will provide live music
(and a few new songs minted right here in Key West), during the May Walk on White.
And the 5th person who brings a poem, written in English or Italian, to Thursday's Walk on White,
will receive a free copy his first solo CD, Sotto Sopra! Bring a friend, catch Lorenzo
and his guitar inside the Armory's main hall, and go home with some new music!
And to follow Lorenzo's adventure from the Southernmost world capital (Wellington, New Zealand)
to the Southernmost Point, check out his ad hoc weblog here:
http://lorenzobuhne.blogspot.com/
A Whole New Season
This past season saw over three dozen great arts workshops, a free lecture series,
exhibitions by local and visiting artists, the development of our
monthly Walk on White celebrations, and wonderful
new partnerships.
Now we need your help and ideas as TSKW plans an even more ambitious slate of
creative opportunities and cultural programming for the 2008/09 season. If you have a
suggestion for a new workshop or lecture, know someone who might be interested
in our Artist-in-Residence program, or just want to talk about future collaborations,
please contact us at The Studios of Key West. Our staff and board are always
looking for the next creative spark: (305) 296-0458 or eric@tskw.org
Creative Kids have a place at TSKW
New Summer Camp opportunities emerge as we work with local arts
educators and creative people to build the TSKW Summer Art Academy
At The Studios of Key West, we think it's important for kids to explore the artistic process and
have every opportunity to develop their creative potential. That's why, as our major season
comes to a close, we've been working with local arts educators, musicians, sculptors, and creative
people who have inspired us—to establish a new Summer Art Academy for local children.
There will be music, visual art, fields trips and lots of cultural exploration. Look for an upcoming
program announcement soon, or contact TSKW Education & Outreach Coordinator,
Monica Fienemann for details: monica@tskw.org
Chicago Artist Supplying Arms to the Conch Republic
Mike Lash smuggles two hearty loaves onto the island, en route to TSKW,
to aid in the future struggle for independence
Chicago painter Mike Lash has become an avowed partisan of the Conch Republic. Invited by The Studios of Key West to be its artist-in-residence during the month of May, and to show paintings from his original children’s book, “Lies for Leo,” Lash began exploring the history and struggle of the fabled Southernmost micro-nation. “When I learned of the late unpleasantness of 1982, and the annual celebration of the island’s people who continue to thumb their noses at the Federal powers, I knew I had to do my part for the rebellion,” said Lash, from his cottage on the TSKW campus.
In late April, the artist secretly procured two substantial loaves of thick-crust bread, assembled by an underground Chicago baker, and managed to smuggle these across the mainland and over the Key West border. Dressed as a standard sun-loving tourist, he then managed to infiltrate the island’s creative community, meeting several key people who eventually led him to the battle-worn Reef Perkins, Vice Admiral in the Conch Republic Navy.
“These are most delicious armaments,” said Perkins, still smelling of stale and wet Cuban bread from the previous week’s Naval battle re-enactment with the Unites States Coast Guard. “But we dare not consume them, no matter how hungry, as the density and heft will surely prove to be an even better projectile force.”
A pivotal moment in the surreptitious arms deal occurred on the evening of 9 May, when Lash boarded the Schooner Jolly Rover, for what was billed as and actually turned out to be a three-hour cruise. Undercover again as a Midwestern tourist, in golf shirt and bermuda shorts, the artist quietly conferred with the ship's captain, known in more barnacle-encrusted circles as the Lord Admiral of the Conch Republic Navy. The artist, accompanied by an unnamed companion who had a reputation for conveying active yeast cultures across international waters, sealed the arms deal on the top deck that evening. The Jolly Rover plan was leavened and ready for the Republic's Department of Home-baked Security.
Based at a temporary artist studio inside the main hall of the Key West Armory, Lash will continue meeting with high ranking officials in the Conch Republic military and civilian government, and anyone else who comes along. The official transfer of arms, two hearty loaves of Chicago-baked bread, are to be ceremoniously handed over to the Conch Republic on Thursday 15 May, as part of that evening’s Walk on White. The public is invited to visit Lash in the main hall and inspect the loaves between 6 and 9pm. The evening will also include wine, beer, food, and live music from fellow visiting artist and newly converted Conch Republic partisan, Lorenzo Buhne.
“What better place to hand over fiber-rich armaments than the island’s historic, newly restored Armory,” said Lash, “Built in 1900 as home to the Island City Rifles of the Florida State Militia, it’s now a beautiful house of creativity, expression, and ideas.”
Lash’s new children’s book, “Lies for Leo,” will be published later this year, and the paintings are set to tour to Europe and Asia after their Southernmost exhibition at The Studios of Key West. They remain on view in the main hall of the Armory through May 23, before moving on to Paris, London, and Tokyo. While in residence, the artist will be laying the groundwork for a new project to debut in 2009: a coloring book for creative kids and adults to be based on all the idiosyncrasies, legends, folklore, and peculiar aspects of life in Key West.
“A lot of this island is tongue-in-cheek, accepting of whimsy and serendipity" said Eric Holowacz, executive director of The Studios of Key West, "and much of it is fascinating and like no other place on earth. And that's what has caught Mike Lash's recent attention, and will drive his next peculiar, provocative project."
And the 10th person who brings a loaf of bread (or other food item which we'll donate to a local shelter) to Thursday's Walk on White, will receive a free limited-edition original Mike Lash work of art.
__________
The Studios of Key West is a nonprofit cultural organization established
in 2006 with a mission of supporting our community's creative people,
fostering new projects and partnerships, and advancing the cultural
life of our island. Find us and our campus at the Historic Armory,
600 White Street in Old Town Key West. Our current facilities
comprise a main exhibition hall and workshop space, 12 artist
studios, a sculpture garden, several residency cottages, and
small office.
Visit us there, and learn about our plans for the 2008/09 season!
Eric Holowacz, Executive Director
Elena Devers, Projects & Marketing Coordinator
Martha Barnes, Program Coordinator
Lauren McAloon, Facilities Coordinator
Monica Feinemann, Education & Outreach Coordinator
Stop by the Armory on Thursday 15 May from 6-9 pm for Walk on White.
It's the perfect chance to enjoy a glass of wine, hear live music, stroll
upstairs for an open studio tour and see all that's happening
at The Studios of Key West...
Four-by-Four
a quartet of installations by artists
associated with the first program year at TSKW.
Get an eyeful of fantastic diorama landscapes filled with UFO's, hot-air balloons and
natural disasters: gaze into the suspended worlds of artist
(and recent TSKW drawing instructor) Carlos Ferguson.
Explore the space where art meets ecology and organic matter meets the Armory,
in TSKW studio artist Deborah Goldman's new main-hall installation,
"Weft—an homage to Wallace Stevens"
Delight in the work of visiting painter and provocateur, Chicagoan Mike Lash, and visit
his temporary studio at TSKW. Learn a thing or two from Lash's Lies for Leo
paintings, taken from his recent children's book, as he dispels common myths
and conventional wisdom. Learn about his next project, a coloring book
for local and visiting kids, based on the peculiar and familiar aspects of life in Key West.
Then see below for the story of his much kneeded supply of arms
for the Conch Republic.
Slip into winter with the photography of conceptual artist Helen Verbanz, whose Ice Prints
are also on view in the Armory. The ten images are from her ongoing series of landscape photographs
taken over a dozen years at an ice-fishing village in Canada. In June, Verbanz will
become the next TSKW Artist-in-Residence, and will be developing an environmental installation
based on local waterways, back-country estuaries, and the ecology of the Keys.
Walk on White
We open our doors, the artists open their studios, and new creative things
are happening at every corner. This Thursday from 6 to 9pm.
Lorenzo Buhne, a New Zealand-based musician currently in residence at TSKW, will provide live music
(and a few new songs minted right here in Key West), during the May Walk on White.
And the 5th person who brings a poem, written in English or Italian, to Thursday's Walk on White,
will receive a free copy his first solo CD, Sotto Sopra! Bring a friend, catch Lorenzo
and his guitar inside the Armory's main hall, and go home with some new music!
And to follow Lorenzo's adventure from the Southernmost world capital (Wellington, New Zealand)
to the Southernmost Point, check out his ad hoc weblog here:
http://lorenzobuhne.blogspot.com/
A Whole New Season
This past season saw over three dozen great arts workshops, a free lecture series,
exhibitions by local and visiting artists, the development of our
monthly Walk on White celebrations, and wonderful
new partnerships.
Now we need your help and ideas as TSKW plans an even more ambitious slate of
creative opportunities and cultural programming for the 2008/09 season. If you have a
suggestion for a new workshop or lecture, know someone who might be interested
in our Artist-in-Residence program, or just want to talk about future collaborations,
please contact us at The Studios of Key West. Our staff and board are always
looking for the next creative spark: (305) 296-0458 or eric@tskw.org
Creative Kids have a place at TSKW
New Summer Camp opportunities emerge as we work with local arts
educators and creative people to build the TSKW Summer Art Academy
At The Studios of Key West, we think it's important for kids to explore the artistic process and
have every opportunity to develop their creative potential. That's why, as our major season
comes to a close, we've been working with local arts educators, musicians, sculptors, and creative
people who have inspired us—to establish a new Summer Art Academy for local children.
There will be music, visual art, fields trips and lots of cultural exploration. Look for an upcoming
program announcement soon, or contact TSKW Education & Outreach Coordinator,
Monica Fienemann for details: monica@tskw.org
Chicago Artist Supplying Arms to the Conch Republic
Mike Lash smuggles two hearty loaves onto the island, en route to TSKW,
to aid in the future struggle for independence
Chicago painter Mike Lash has become an avowed partisan of the Conch Republic. Invited by The Studios of Key West to be its artist-in-residence during the month of May, and to show paintings from his original children’s book, “Lies for Leo,” Lash began exploring the history and struggle of the fabled Southernmost micro-nation. “When I learned of the late unpleasantness of 1982, and the annual celebration of the island’s people who continue to thumb their noses at the Federal powers, I knew I had to do my part for the rebellion,” said Lash, from his cottage on the TSKW campus.
In late April, the artist secretly procured two substantial loaves of thick-crust bread, assembled by an underground Chicago baker, and managed to smuggle these across the mainland and over the Key West border. Dressed as a standard sun-loving tourist, he then managed to infiltrate the island’s creative community, meeting several key people who eventually led him to the battle-worn Reef Perkins, Vice Admiral in the Conch Republic Navy.
“These are most delicious armaments,” said Perkins, still smelling of stale and wet Cuban bread from the previous week’s Naval battle re-enactment with the Unites States Coast Guard. “But we dare not consume them, no matter how hungry, as the density and heft will surely prove to be an even better projectile force.”
A pivotal moment in the surreptitious arms deal occurred on the evening of 9 May, when Lash boarded the Schooner Jolly Rover, for what was billed as and actually turned out to be a three-hour cruise. Undercover again as a Midwestern tourist, in golf shirt and bermuda shorts, the artist quietly conferred with the ship's captain, known in more barnacle-encrusted circles as the Lord Admiral of the Conch Republic Navy. The artist, accompanied by an unnamed companion who had a reputation for conveying active yeast cultures across international waters, sealed the arms deal on the top deck that evening. The Jolly Rover plan was leavened and ready for the Republic's Department of Home-baked Security.
Based at a temporary artist studio inside the main hall of the Key West Armory, Lash will continue meeting with high ranking officials in the Conch Republic military and civilian government, and anyone else who comes along. The official transfer of arms, two hearty loaves of Chicago-baked bread, are to be ceremoniously handed over to the Conch Republic on Thursday 15 May, as part of that evening’s Walk on White. The public is invited to visit Lash in the main hall and inspect the loaves between 6 and 9pm. The evening will also include wine, beer, food, and live music from fellow visiting artist and newly converted Conch Republic partisan, Lorenzo Buhne.
“What better place to hand over fiber-rich armaments than the island’s historic, newly restored Armory,” said Lash, “Built in 1900 as home to the Island City Rifles of the Florida State Militia, it’s now a beautiful house of creativity, expression, and ideas.”
Lash’s new children’s book, “Lies for Leo,” will be published later this year, and the paintings are set to tour to Europe and Asia after their Southernmost exhibition at The Studios of Key West. They remain on view in the main hall of the Armory through May 23, before moving on to Paris, London, and Tokyo. While in residence, the artist will be laying the groundwork for a new project to debut in 2009: a coloring book for creative kids and adults to be based on all the idiosyncrasies, legends, folklore, and peculiar aspects of life in Key West.
“A lot of this island is tongue-in-cheek, accepting of whimsy and serendipity" said Eric Holowacz, executive director of The Studios of Key West, "and much of it is fascinating and like no other place on earth. And that's what has caught Mike Lash's recent attention, and will drive his next peculiar, provocative project."
And the 10th person who brings a loaf of bread (or other food item which we'll donate to a local shelter) to Thursday's Walk on White, will receive a free limited-edition original Mike Lash work of art.
__________
The Studios of Key West is a nonprofit cultural organization established
in 2006 with a mission of supporting our community's creative people,
fostering new projects and partnerships, and advancing the cultural
life of our island. Find us and our campus at the Historic Armory,
600 White Street in Old Town Key West. Our current facilities
comprise a main exhibition hall and workshop space, 12 artist
studios, a sculpture garden, several residency cottages, and
small office.
Visit us there, and learn about our plans for the 2008/09 season!
Eric Holowacz, Executive Director
Elena Devers, Projects & Marketing Coordinator
Martha Barnes, Program Coordinator
Lauren McAloon, Facilities Coordinator
Monica Feinemann, Education & Outreach Coordinator
01 May 2008
Chicago Artist Supplying Arms to the Conch Republic
Provocateur Mike Lash smuggles two choice loaves of hearty bread to aid in the future struggle for independence
Chicago painter Mike Lash has become an avowed partisan of the Conch Republic. Invited by The Studios of Key West to be its artist-in-residence during the month of May, and to show paintings from his original children’s book, “Lies for Leo,” Lash began exploring the history and struggle of the fabled Southernmost micro-nation.
“When I learned of the late unpleasantness of 1982, and the annual celebration of the island’s people who continue to thumb their noses at the Federal powers, I knew I had to do my part for the rebellion,” said Lash, from his cottage on the TSKW campus.
n 1982, the United States Border Patrol set up a roadblock and inspection point on US 1 just north of the merger of Monroe County Road 905A/Miami-Dade County Road 905A onto US 1 (they are the only two roads connecting the Florida Keys with the mainland), in front of the Last Chance Saloon just south of Florida City. Vehicles were stopped and searched for narcotics and illegal immigrants. The Key West City Council complained repeatedly about the inconvenience for travelers to and from Key West, claiming that it hurt the Keys' important tourism industry. In fact, Eastern Air Lines, which had a hub at Miami International Airport, saw a window of opportunity when the roadblocks were established; Eastern became the only airline to establish jet service to Key West International Airport, counting on travelers from Key West to Miami preferring to fly rather than to wait for police to search their vehicles.
When the City Council's complaints went unanswered by the Federal Government and attempts to get an injunction against the roadblock failed in court, as a form of protest Mayor Dennis Wardlow and the Council declared the Key West's "independence" on April 23, 1982. In the eyes of the Council, since the federal government had set up the equivalent of a border station as if they were a foreign nation, they might as well become one. As many of the local citizens were referred to as Conchs, the "nation" took the name of the Conch Republic.
As part of the protest, Mayor Wardlow was proclaimed Prime Minister of the Republic, which immediately declared war against the U.S. (symbolically breaking a loaf of stale Cuban bread over the head of a man dressed in a naval uniform), quickly surrendered after one minute (to the man in the uniform), and applied for one billion dollars in foreign aid.
In late April, the artist secretly procured two substantial loaves of thick-crust bread, assembled by an underground Chicago baker, and managed to smuggle these across the mainland and over the Key West border. Dressed as a standard sun-loving tourist, he then managed to infiltrate the island’s creative community, meeting several key people who eventually led him to the battle-worn Reef Perkins, Vice Admiral in the Conch Republic Navy.
“These are most delicious armaments,” said Perkins, still smelling of stale and wet Cuban bread from the previous week’s Naval battle re-enactment with the Unites States Coast Guard. “But we dare not consume them, no matter how hungry, as the density and heft will surely prove to be an even better projectile force.”
A pivotal moment in the surreptitious arms deal occurred on the evening of 9 May, when Lash boarded the Schooner Jolly Rover, for what was billed as and actually turned out to be a three-hour cruise. Undercover again as a Midwestern tourist, in golf shirt and bermuda shorts, the artist quietly conferred with the ship's captain, known in more barnacle-encrusted circles as the Lord Admiral of the Conch Republic Navy. The artist, accompanied by an unnamed companion who had a reputation for conveying active yeast cultures across international waters, sealed the arms deal on the top deck that evening. The Jolly Rover plan was leavened and ready for the Republic's Department of Home-baked Security.
Based at a temporary artist studio inside the main hall of the Key West Armory, Lash will continue meeting with high ranking officials in the Conch Republic military and civilian government, and anyone else who comes along. The official transfer of arms, two hearty loaves of Chicago-baked bread, are to be ceremoniously handed over to the Conch Republic on Thursday 15 May, as part of that evening’s Walk on White. The public is invited to visit Lash in the main hall and inspect the loaves between 6 and 9pm. The evening will also include wine, beer, food, and live music from fellow visiting artist and newly converted Conch Republic partisan, Lorenzo Buhne.
“What better place to hand over fiber-rich armaments than the island’s historic, newly restored Armory,” said Lash, “Built in 1900 as home to the Island City Rifles of the Florida State Militia, it’s now a beautiful house of creativity, expression, and ideas.”
Lash’s new children’s book, “Lies for Leo,” will be published later this year, and the paintings are set to tour to Europe and Asia after their Southernmost exhibition at The Studios of Key West. They remain on view in the main hall of the Armory through May 23, before moving on to Paris, London, and Tokyo. While in residence, the artist will be laying the groundwork for a new project to debut in 2009: a coloring book for creative kids and adults to be based on all the idiosyncrasies, legends, folklore, and peculiar aspects of life in Key West.
“A lot of this island is tongue-in-cheek, accepting of whimsy and serendipity" said Eric Holowacz, executive director of The Studios of Key West, "and much of it is fascinating and like no other place on earth. And that's what has caught Mike Lash's recent attention, and will drive his next peculiar, provocative project."
For details and information please contact The Studios of Key West at 296-0458 or info@tskw.org.
Chicago painter Mike Lash has become an avowed partisan of the Conch Republic. Invited by The Studios of Key West to be its artist-in-residence during the month of May, and to show paintings from his original children’s book, “Lies for Leo,” Lash began exploring the history and struggle of the fabled Southernmost micro-nation.
“When I learned of the late unpleasantness of 1982, and the annual celebration of the island’s people who continue to thumb their noses at the Federal powers, I knew I had to do my part for the rebellion,” said Lash, from his cottage on the TSKW campus.
n 1982, the United States Border Patrol set up a roadblock and inspection point on US 1 just north of the merger of Monroe County Road 905A/Miami-Dade County Road 905A onto US 1 (they are the only two roads connecting the Florida Keys with the mainland), in front of the Last Chance Saloon just south of Florida City. Vehicles were stopped and searched for narcotics and illegal immigrants. The Key West City Council complained repeatedly about the inconvenience for travelers to and from Key West, claiming that it hurt the Keys' important tourism industry. In fact, Eastern Air Lines, which had a hub at Miami International Airport, saw a window of opportunity when the roadblocks were established; Eastern became the only airline to establish jet service to Key West International Airport, counting on travelers from Key West to Miami preferring to fly rather than to wait for police to search their vehicles.
When the City Council's complaints went unanswered by the Federal Government and attempts to get an injunction against the roadblock failed in court, as a form of protest Mayor Dennis Wardlow and the Council declared the Key West's "independence" on April 23, 1982. In the eyes of the Council, since the federal government had set up the equivalent of a border station as if they were a foreign nation, they might as well become one. As many of the local citizens were referred to as Conchs, the "nation" took the name of the Conch Republic.
As part of the protest, Mayor Wardlow was proclaimed Prime Minister of the Republic, which immediately declared war against the U.S. (symbolically breaking a loaf of stale Cuban bread over the head of a man dressed in a naval uniform), quickly surrendered after one minute (to the man in the uniform), and applied for one billion dollars in foreign aid.
In late April, the artist secretly procured two substantial loaves of thick-crust bread, assembled by an underground Chicago baker, and managed to smuggle these across the mainland and over the Key West border. Dressed as a standard sun-loving tourist, he then managed to infiltrate the island’s creative community, meeting several key people who eventually led him to the battle-worn Reef Perkins, Vice Admiral in the Conch Republic Navy.
“These are most delicious armaments,” said Perkins, still smelling of stale and wet Cuban bread from the previous week’s Naval battle re-enactment with the Unites States Coast Guard. “But we dare not consume them, no matter how hungry, as the density and heft will surely prove to be an even better projectile force.”
A pivotal moment in the surreptitious arms deal occurred on the evening of 9 May, when Lash boarded the Schooner Jolly Rover, for what was billed as and actually turned out to be a three-hour cruise. Undercover again as a Midwestern tourist, in golf shirt and bermuda shorts, the artist quietly conferred with the ship's captain, known in more barnacle-encrusted circles as the Lord Admiral of the Conch Republic Navy. The artist, accompanied by an unnamed companion who had a reputation for conveying active yeast cultures across international waters, sealed the arms deal on the top deck that evening. The Jolly Rover plan was leavened and ready for the Republic's Department of Home-baked Security.
Based at a temporary artist studio inside the main hall of the Key West Armory, Lash will continue meeting with high ranking officials in the Conch Republic military and civilian government, and anyone else who comes along. The official transfer of arms, two hearty loaves of Chicago-baked bread, are to be ceremoniously handed over to the Conch Republic on Thursday 15 May, as part of that evening’s Walk on White. The public is invited to visit Lash in the main hall and inspect the loaves between 6 and 9pm. The evening will also include wine, beer, food, and live music from fellow visiting artist and newly converted Conch Republic partisan, Lorenzo Buhne.
“What better place to hand over fiber-rich armaments than the island’s historic, newly restored Armory,” said Lash, “Built in 1900 as home to the Island City Rifles of the Florida State Militia, it’s now a beautiful house of creativity, expression, and ideas.”
Lash’s new children’s book, “Lies for Leo,” will be published later this year, and the paintings are set to tour to Europe and Asia after their Southernmost exhibition at The Studios of Key West. They remain on view in the main hall of the Armory through May 23, before moving on to Paris, London, and Tokyo. While in residence, the artist will be laying the groundwork for a new project to debut in 2009: a coloring book for creative kids and adults to be based on all the idiosyncrasies, legends, folklore, and peculiar aspects of life in Key West.
“A lot of this island is tongue-in-cheek, accepting of whimsy and serendipity" said Eric Holowacz, executive director of The Studios of Key West, "and much of it is fascinating and like no other place on earth. And that's what has caught Mike Lash's recent attention, and will drive his next peculiar, provocative project."
For details and information please contact The Studios of Key West at 296-0458 or info@tskw.org.
14 April 2008
Four-by-four at The Studios of Key West
Quartet of artists to show their work in late April
Four artists, all associated with the first program year at The Studios of Key West, will take over the Armory main hall in late April to present a quartet of installations relating to their creative work and ideas. Canadian conceptual artist Helen Verbanz, recent instructor Carlos Ferguson, Chicago-based provocateur Mike Lash, and local artist Deborah Goldman will show four very disparate bodies of work under the one roof. The public is invited to view the exhibition, Four-by-four at TSKW, and a closing reception is set for Thursday 15 May during Walk on White.
Canadian Helen Verbanz, who will be artist-in-residence at The Studios of Key West in June, has travelled to the same village on Lac Des Deux Montagnes, near Montréal, every February for the last ten years. Ice-fishing is an age-old tradition there, and people build temporary huts on the frozen ice and meditate in the still, quiet landscape. Verbanz’s series of 11 large photographic images of this winter environment, Ice Prints, will be featured at the Armory as part of Four-by-four.
“I'm looking forward to actually being there this summer,” said Verbanz, who will use her time in Key West to research and create an audio and mixed-media installation relating to lower Keys wetlands, backcountry mangroves, and other landscapes new to her. That environmental work will be on view at the Armory in late June and July.
Tornadoes and floods, flying machines, B-movies, and suburbia, are the concerns of artist Carlos Ferguson's Suspended Worlds, also included in Four-by-four at TSKW. His installation of seven suspended dioramas is constructed of photographs, balsa-wood miniatures, and model train scenery. Blurred and sharpened when viewed through built-in magnifying lenses, Ferguson’s diminutive landscapes combine a hint of whimsy with a dose of the supernatural—contained within handmade enclosures the size of a show box.
"I had a wonderful, all too brief time in Key West this past March," said artist Carlos Ferguson, who taught a one week drawing course as part of The Studios of Key West season. "I am happy to have the chance to show my work at my new favorite island at the end of the road. I hope to return soon for more creative programming and collaboration."
Chicago artist Mike Lash makes art that is simple, yet subversive. He arrives in May, for a month-long residency at The Studios of Key West, and will be preceded by the complete illustrations from his forthcoming book, Lies for Leo. The series of paintings and text panels—inspired by a young neighbor’s inquisitiveness about the world and the inability of adults to adequately respond—will be shown in Key West before touring to Paris, London, New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. The book will be published later this year by Agnes b., the French fashion designer, patron of culture, and and collector of contemporary art.
“I’m anxious to spend some time at the Southernmost Point, and at The Studios,” said Lash, whose residency will include research and planning for a follow-up to Lies for Leo. “This time, I’ll bring in the Keys as a central idea in the book, and explore the symbiotic relationship you have with the Ocean and local waters.”
Food, weather, light, tourism and cultural heritage will all become welcome fodder for Lash's somewhat irreverent interpretations, which one critic called ‘perfect for those growing jaded with the gallery scene’ and another labelled ‘direct, meaningful, and sloppy...with some worthy concepts behind them’.
Local practitioner and TSKW studio artist Deborah Goldman rounds out the quartet with her new installation Weft, which will create an organic veil in the front left section of the Armory and serve as an extension of the artist’s recent work in her upstairs studio.
“I’ve started a sort of fabric made from strips of aged cotton in a pattern that repeats the metal grates on the outside windows. The result is an interior web-like texture that will contain suspended sweet potatoes within, growing and flowing from their glass cylinders, with a white picket fence incorporated into the piece.”
Four-by-four at TSKW will open in late April, and will remain open to the public through Friday 16 May. The community is invited to celebrate the work of these four distinct creative people, and the art they will be bringing to the island, at the closing reception on Thursday 15 May from 6 to 9pm. For details and information, please contact The Studios of Key West at 296-0458 or info@tskw.org.
Four artists, all associated with the first program year at The Studios of Key West, will take over the Armory main hall in late April to present a quartet of installations relating to their creative work and ideas. Canadian conceptual artist Helen Verbanz, recent instructor Carlos Ferguson, Chicago-based provocateur Mike Lash, and local artist Deborah Goldman will show four very disparate bodies of work under the one roof. The public is invited to view the exhibition, Four-by-four at TSKW, and a closing reception is set for Thursday 15 May during Walk on White.
Canadian Helen Verbanz, who will be artist-in-residence at The Studios of Key West in June, has travelled to the same village on Lac Des Deux Montagnes, near Montréal, every February for the last ten years. Ice-fishing is an age-old tradition there, and people build temporary huts on the frozen ice and meditate in the still, quiet landscape. Verbanz’s series of 11 large photographic images of this winter environment, Ice Prints, will be featured at the Armory as part of Four-by-four.
“I'm looking forward to actually being there this summer,” said Verbanz, who will use her time in Key West to research and create an audio and mixed-media installation relating to lower Keys wetlands, backcountry mangroves, and other landscapes new to her. That environmental work will be on view at the Armory in late June and July.
Tornadoes and floods, flying machines, B-movies, and suburbia, are the concerns of artist Carlos Ferguson's Suspended Worlds, also included in Four-by-four at TSKW. His installation of seven suspended dioramas is constructed of photographs, balsa-wood miniatures, and model train scenery. Blurred and sharpened when viewed through built-in magnifying lenses, Ferguson’s diminutive landscapes combine a hint of whimsy with a dose of the supernatural—contained within handmade enclosures the size of a show box.
"I had a wonderful, all too brief time in Key West this past March," said artist Carlos Ferguson, who taught a one week drawing course as part of The Studios of Key West season. "I am happy to have the chance to show my work at my new favorite island at the end of the road. I hope to return soon for more creative programming and collaboration."
Chicago artist Mike Lash makes art that is simple, yet subversive. He arrives in May, for a month-long residency at The Studios of Key West, and will be preceded by the complete illustrations from his forthcoming book, Lies for Leo. The series of paintings and text panels—inspired by a young neighbor’s inquisitiveness about the world and the inability of adults to adequately respond—will be shown in Key West before touring to Paris, London, New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. The book will be published later this year by Agnes b., the French fashion designer, patron of culture, and and collector of contemporary art.
“I’m anxious to spend some time at the Southernmost Point, and at The Studios,” said Lash, whose residency will include research and planning for a follow-up to Lies for Leo. “This time, I’ll bring in the Keys as a central idea in the book, and explore the symbiotic relationship you have with the Ocean and local waters.”
Food, weather, light, tourism and cultural heritage will all become welcome fodder for Lash's somewhat irreverent interpretations, which one critic called ‘perfect for those growing jaded with the gallery scene’ and another labelled ‘direct, meaningful, and sloppy...with some worthy concepts behind them’.
Local practitioner and TSKW studio artist Deborah Goldman rounds out the quartet with her new installation Weft, which will create an organic veil in the front left section of the Armory and serve as an extension of the artist’s recent work in her upstairs studio.
“I’ve started a sort of fabric made from strips of aged cotton in a pattern that repeats the metal grates on the outside windows. The result is an interior web-like texture that will contain suspended sweet potatoes within, growing and flowing from their glass cylinders, with a white picket fence incorporated into the piece.”
Four-by-four at TSKW will open in late April, and will remain open to the public through Friday 16 May. The community is invited to celebrate the work of these four distinct creative people, and the art they will be bringing to the island, at the closing reception on Thursday 15 May from 6 to 9pm. For details and information, please contact The Studios of Key West at 296-0458 or info@tskw.org.
02 April 2008
Spontaneous Wordsmithy at the Armory
Coming to The Studios of Key West this Friday, 11 April as part of the Robert Frost Poetry Festival’s Free Visual Poetry Event
Readers, writers, and lovers of words are invited to experience a new way to interact with the literary Muse, during this Friday’s Visual Poetry event at The Studios of Key West. The evening of free poetry-making is an official part of the island’s 14th annual Robert Frost Poetry Festival.
“We’ve cooked up a collective experience based on the popular refrigerator magnet poetry method of random and spontaneous combinations of words,” said Martha Barnes, Program Coordinator at The Studios. “Six reclaimed fridge doors will be installed for the one-night event, and these will become the basis for on-the-spot poetic verse.”
Between 6 and 8pm, visitors to the Armory will be asked to contribute 3 nouns, 3 verbs, 3 adjectives, and one wildcard word of any sort. These will be instantly printed and mounted onto magnetic backing, and then added to a central pool of Visual Poetry words. Participants will then craft new spontaneous poems directly onto the refrigerator doors. The entire process will be documented by the staff of The Studios, and the images played out on the large plasma screen in the main hall. Completed poems will also be photographed and then read aloud over the sound system, before clearing the slate to make way for new lines of verse.
“Images, ideas, and spoken words will commingle,” said Barnes, “and everyone is welcome to bring their literary inspiration and spirit of adventure to the Visual Poetry evening.”
To try your hand at spontaneous wordsmithing, or to learn more about Visual Poetry at The Studios of Key West, please contact 296-0458 or see www.tskw.org
Readers, writers, and lovers of words are invited to experience a new way to interact with the literary Muse, during this Friday’s Visual Poetry event at The Studios of Key West. The evening of free poetry-making is an official part of the island’s 14th annual Robert Frost Poetry Festival.
“We’ve cooked up a collective experience based on the popular refrigerator magnet poetry method of random and spontaneous combinations of words,” said Martha Barnes, Program Coordinator at The Studios. “Six reclaimed fridge doors will be installed for the one-night event, and these will become the basis for on-the-spot poetic verse.”
Between 6 and 8pm, visitors to the Armory will be asked to contribute 3 nouns, 3 verbs, 3 adjectives, and one wildcard word of any sort. These will be instantly printed and mounted onto magnetic backing, and then added to a central pool of Visual Poetry words. Participants will then craft new spontaneous poems directly onto the refrigerator doors. The entire process will be documented by the staff of The Studios, and the images played out on the large plasma screen in the main hall. Completed poems will also be photographed and then read aloud over the sound system, before clearing the slate to make way for new lines of verse.
“Images, ideas, and spoken words will commingle,” said Barnes, “and everyone is welcome to bring their literary inspiration and spirit of adventure to the Visual Poetry evening.”
To try your hand at spontaneous wordsmithing, or to learn more about Visual Poetry at The Studios of Key West, please contact 296-0458 or see www.tskw.org
01 April 2008
A Delicious and Creative Feast in Key West
Culinary writer Crescent Dragonwagon brings her Cornbread Gospels to The Studios of Key West
A deliciously entertaining week of events and workshops is planned at The Studios of Key West, when acclaimed writer Crescent Dragonwagon brings her recipe for writing, cooking, and living to Mile Marker Zero. Author of several novels, a book of poetry, many children’s books, more than a hundred magazine articles, and award-winning culinary memoirs, Dragonwagon will offer a pair of literary workshops as part of The Studios of Key West season.
The first, Fearless Writing, will take place from 6-9 pm, April 9 , and 10am-4pm on April 10 and 11. Her second workshop, Writing Culinary Memoir, will take place on April 12 and 13 from 10am-4 pm each day. Class enrollment is limited, and a few spaces remain for each workshop.
On Tuesday, April 8 at 6 pm, Dragonwagon will take a page our of her most recent book, The Cornbread Gospels. The historic Armory building at 600 White Street will lay out the checkered tablecloths and open its doors for a free community chili tasting and cornbread bake-off, involving a culinary melange prepared by local residents, restaurant, and chefs—with Dragonwagon as the centerpiece.
“Food really does, in so many ways, bring us together,” said Martha Barnes, program coordinator at The Studios. “And we’ve added this event to assemble Crescent’s talents, local foodie culture, and our island’s well-known culinary prowess and creativity.”
Local chef Tim King of Sunny’s Deli, who had been catering the previous month of workshop lunches for The Studios, heard about the event and immediately corralled cornbread contributions from The Restaurant Store/Cole’s Peace Bakery, Blue Heaven, Mr. Z’s, Coral Culinaire, and other island favorites. In addition, creative Key Westers, Carrie Disrud, Lisa Esposito, Martha Barnes, and a few others are planning to bring their chili and cornbread to the table that evening.
“We’ve had such a full season of workshops, collaborations, and experiences,” said Bob Muens, Board Chairman of The Studios of Key West. “We’re grateful to everyone who has helped us realize a sense of community, during our first full season as a non-profit organization, and we hope they’ll join us for a creative feast on April 8.”
At 6:30pm that evening, Dragonwagon will present “Cornbread: Comfort, Conflict, and Continuity,” a lively and passionate presentation that traces the history, emotions and memories associated with what she calls ‘that round skillet of golden bread.’
The author spent more than six years at work on her latest culinary memoir, and says that even she was surprised by the emotional depth revealed by a simple cornbread. The book proceeds from cornbread’s Native American origins, its role in slavery, the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, to modern times. Dragonwagon touches on the distinctions of various cornbreads in social class, its role in defining regionality, its place at the family table, and its future in a world of genetic engineering.
Copies of The Cornbread Gospels are now available at Voltaire Books, The Restaurant Store and at The Studios of Key West. To register for the upcoming workshops by Crescent Dragonwagon, to add your chili and cornbread to the April 8 event, or to learn more about creative opportunities at The Studios of Key West, please contact Martha Barnes at 296-0458.
A deliciously entertaining week of events and workshops is planned at The Studios of Key West, when acclaimed writer Crescent Dragonwagon brings her recipe for writing, cooking, and living to Mile Marker Zero. Author of several novels, a book of poetry, many children’s books, more than a hundred magazine articles, and award-winning culinary memoirs, Dragonwagon will offer a pair of literary workshops as part of The Studios of Key West season.
The first, Fearless Writing, will take place from 6-9 pm, April 9 , and 10am-4pm on April 10 and 11. Her second workshop, Writing Culinary Memoir, will take place on April 12 and 13 from 10am-4 pm each day. Class enrollment is limited, and a few spaces remain for each workshop.
On Tuesday, April 8 at 6 pm, Dragonwagon will take a page our of her most recent book, The Cornbread Gospels. The historic Armory building at 600 White Street will lay out the checkered tablecloths and open its doors for a free community chili tasting and cornbread bake-off, involving a culinary melange prepared by local residents, restaurant, and chefs—with Dragonwagon as the centerpiece.
“Food really does, in so many ways, bring us together,” said Martha Barnes, program coordinator at The Studios. “And we’ve added this event to assemble Crescent’s talents, local foodie culture, and our island’s well-known culinary prowess and creativity.”
Local chef Tim King of Sunny’s Deli, who had been catering the previous month of workshop lunches for The Studios, heard about the event and immediately corralled cornbread contributions from The Restaurant Store/Cole’s Peace Bakery, Blue Heaven, Mr. Z’s, Coral Culinaire, and other island favorites. In addition, creative Key Westers, Carrie Disrud, Lisa Esposito, Martha Barnes, and a few others are planning to bring their chili and cornbread to the table that evening.
“We’ve had such a full season of workshops, collaborations, and experiences,” said Bob Muens, Board Chairman of The Studios of Key West. “We’re grateful to everyone who has helped us realize a sense of community, during our first full season as a non-profit organization, and we hope they’ll join us for a creative feast on April 8.”
At 6:30pm that evening, Dragonwagon will present “Cornbread: Comfort, Conflict, and Continuity,” a lively and passionate presentation that traces the history, emotions and memories associated with what she calls ‘that round skillet of golden bread.’
The author spent more than six years at work on her latest culinary memoir, and says that even she was surprised by the emotional depth revealed by a simple cornbread. The book proceeds from cornbread’s Native American origins, its role in slavery, the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, to modern times. Dragonwagon touches on the distinctions of various cornbreads in social class, its role in defining regionality, its place at the family table, and its future in a world of genetic engineering.
Copies of The Cornbread Gospels are now available at Voltaire Books, The Restaurant Store and at The Studios of Key West. To register for the upcoming workshops by Crescent Dragonwagon, to add your chili and cornbread to the April 8 event, or to learn more about creative opportunities at The Studios of Key West, please contact Martha Barnes at 296-0458.
30 March 2008
Singer-songwriter is first Musician-in-Residence at The Studios of Key West
New Zealand-based Italian musician writing new songs in Key West through mid-May; will perform at the Armory for May 15 Walk on White reception
In January of this year The Studios of Key West opened its Mango Tree House, a temporary home for visiting artists from all over America and the world. Since then the cottage in back of the Armory has hosted photographer Curt Richter, Miami-based new media artist Charles Recher, culinary writer Crescent Dragonwagon, metal worker Thomas Mann, and a handful of visiting workshop instructors.
Lorenzo Buhne, an Italian musician who now lives in Wellington, New Zealand, recently became the first official Musician in Residence at the Old Town campus. Buhne’s artistic past crosses many genres, from 1980’s American punk rock to 16th Century Italian ballads. He comes to Key West after putting the finishing touches on his second CD, Buon Giorno, which was recorded last year in the Southern Hemisphere and mastered last week in Los Angeles.
“I might be going insane if I was not here right now,” says Buhne, “In my normal life, I was becoming desperate for quiet, contemplative time, and entirely new inspiration. This residency, on such a warm and wonderful island is affording me that, and more.”
Born in Italy, Buhne’s family migrated to Sydney, Australia when he was a teenager. There he learned bass guitar, and toured extensively throughout Australia, Vietnam and Singapore. After moving to Los Angeles in 1976, he played with legendary punk bands FEAR and The Dickies, performing on bills with such notable acts as Devo, Jane's Addiction, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Iggy Pop, The Ramones, Green Day, Tiny Tim and many more. His various bands and solo work have made the top 10 charts in Japan, England, and Argentina. And Buhne has also composed songs for Hollywood films, a ballet, an art installation, and has more recently turned his attention to producing.
After moving to New Zealand in 2003, Buhne began exploring old Italian and Neapolitan folk songs, and recorded the solo album, Sotto Sopra. That modern record incorporated pop, rock, sampled beats, as well as mandolins, strings, primitive Mediterranean instruments, and Italian lyrics composed by his father.
“It has been over three years since I produced that CD,” says the musician, who has been tweaking his next album from the visiting artist cottage at The Studios of Key West. “Over the coming weeks, I will continue to explore this remarkably musical island, the upcoming Songwriters Festival, Cuban music, fiddlers at the Green Parrot, and other new discoveries to feed my next project.”
Musician-in-residence Lorenzo Buhne will perform at the Armory as part of the May 15 Walk on White reception, which is free and open to the public. He can also be found, between now and mid-May, playing guitar and singing his songs around and about the island.
“Lorenzo is such a warm and genuine person, with a creative background that is incredibly diverse and interesting, and artistic ideas and output that just keep coming,” said Eric Holowacz, executive director of The Studios of Key West. “He is the perfect kind of artist-in-residence for our growing organization, because he wants to explore and connect with our island, draw on indigenous influences, and craft something entirely new out of the experience.”
Buhne returns to New Zealand in late May, and other upcoming Artists-in-residence include Chicago-based visual artist Mike Lash, Canadian photographer and sound artist, Helen Verbanz, young writer Kristin-Paige Madonia, London-based graphic artist Michael Hawkins, and chief curator at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans, David Houston.
“As the season slows down and the lazy days of summer set in, we’ll try to keep things interesting,” said Holowacz. “With a new crop of visiting creative people on the horizon, we’ll continue to mine the artistic possibilities for Key West.”
To learn more about the visiting artist program at The Studios of Key West, or to enquire about future workshops, exhibitions, and special projects, please contact Eric Holowacz at 296-0458 or info@tskw.org.
In January of this year The Studios of Key West opened its Mango Tree House, a temporary home for visiting artists from all over America and the world. Since then the cottage in back of the Armory has hosted photographer Curt Richter, Miami-based new media artist Charles Recher, culinary writer Crescent Dragonwagon, metal worker Thomas Mann, and a handful of visiting workshop instructors.
Lorenzo Buhne, an Italian musician who now lives in Wellington, New Zealand, recently became the first official Musician in Residence at the Old Town campus. Buhne’s artistic past crosses many genres, from 1980’s American punk rock to 16th Century Italian ballads. He comes to Key West after putting the finishing touches on his second CD, Buon Giorno, which was recorded last year in the Southern Hemisphere and mastered last week in Los Angeles.
“I might be going insane if I was not here right now,” says Buhne, “In my normal life, I was becoming desperate for quiet, contemplative time, and entirely new inspiration. This residency, on such a warm and wonderful island is affording me that, and more.”
Born in Italy, Buhne’s family migrated to Sydney, Australia when he was a teenager. There he learned bass guitar, and toured extensively throughout Australia, Vietnam and Singapore. After moving to Los Angeles in 1976, he played with legendary punk bands FEAR and The Dickies, performing on bills with such notable acts as Devo, Jane's Addiction, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Iggy Pop, The Ramones, Green Day, Tiny Tim and many more. His various bands and solo work have made the top 10 charts in Japan, England, and Argentina. And Buhne has also composed songs for Hollywood films, a ballet, an art installation, and has more recently turned his attention to producing.
After moving to New Zealand in 2003, Buhne began exploring old Italian and Neapolitan folk songs, and recorded the solo album, Sotto Sopra. That modern record incorporated pop, rock, sampled beats, as well as mandolins, strings, primitive Mediterranean instruments, and Italian lyrics composed by his father.
“It has been over three years since I produced that CD,” says the musician, who has been tweaking his next album from the visiting artist cottage at The Studios of Key West. “Over the coming weeks, I will continue to explore this remarkably musical island, the upcoming Songwriters Festival, Cuban music, fiddlers at the Green Parrot, and other new discoveries to feed my next project.”
Musician-in-residence Lorenzo Buhne will perform at the Armory as part of the May 15 Walk on White reception, which is free and open to the public. He can also be found, between now and mid-May, playing guitar and singing his songs around and about the island.
“Lorenzo is such a warm and genuine person, with a creative background that is incredibly diverse and interesting, and artistic ideas and output that just keep coming,” said Eric Holowacz, executive director of The Studios of Key West. “He is the perfect kind of artist-in-residence for our growing organization, because he wants to explore and connect with our island, draw on indigenous influences, and craft something entirely new out of the experience.”
Buhne returns to New Zealand in late May, and other upcoming Artists-in-residence include Chicago-based visual artist Mike Lash, Canadian photographer and sound artist, Helen Verbanz, young writer Kristin-Paige Madonia, London-based graphic artist Michael Hawkins, and chief curator at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans, David Houston.
“As the season slows down and the lazy days of summer set in, we’ll try to keep things interesting,” said Holowacz. “With a new crop of visiting creative people on the horizon, we’ll continue to mine the artistic possibilities for Key West.”
To learn more about the visiting artist program at The Studios of Key West, or to enquire about future workshops, exhibitions, and special projects, please contact Eric Holowacz at 296-0458 or info@tskw.org.
29 March 2008
Open House at The Studios of Key West
April 17 Walk on White will feature tour of the artists’ studios, closing reception for Eric Anfinson’s exhibition, live music, great food, and fun for all
The Studios of Key West closes the winter season with a creative gathering for the next Walk on White, Thursday 17 April from 6 to 9 pm. The public will be treated to an open house at the upstairs artist spaces, including a special studio installation by Deborah Goldman. Music, drinks, and wonderful food from new Key West restaurant The Good Life, will also be on hand for the free community evening.
Deborah Goldman has been working quietly in her studio space over the past year, amassing a new body of distinct and elegant work. During the April Walk on White, the artist will be transplanting her installation “The Eye of the Potato Garden,” to make room for a significant collection of new paintings.
“The invigorating experience of creating an installation in my space has inspired me to take greater chances with these new painted constructions,” said Goldman. “I invite the community to stop in and have a look during Walk on White”
Other artists opening their studios on April 17 include painters Letty Nowak, Peter Vey, and Debra Yates, writer Mark Hedden, and mixed-media artists Natasha Cole and Lisa Esposito. Downstairs in the main hall, painter Eric Anfinson will recreate a Parisian salon and serve up a closing reception for his April Exhibition the blue thread - one life, beautiful life.
“I moved here from New Zealand one year ago,” said Eric Holowacz, director of The Studios, “and every day has been another creative adventure, a new discovery, or a cultural revelation for me. The people who have helped build our organization, like Deborah Goldman and Eric Anfinson, are proof that Key West is rich in artistic resources and fearless ideas.”
The Studios of Key West is nearing the end of a busy first season, which has included over 50 workshops and lectures, award-winning renovations to the Armory and outside Sculpture Garden, an emerging visiting artist program, and the installation of a professional staff. The organization welcomes new ideas, cultural projects, and creative possibilities, and is currently planning its 2008/09 season. To learn more about The Studios of Key West, or the upcoming Walk on White, contact 296-0458 or visit the website www.tskw.org
The Studios of Key West closes the winter season with a creative gathering for the next Walk on White, Thursday 17 April from 6 to 9 pm. The public will be treated to an open house at the upstairs artist spaces, including a special studio installation by Deborah Goldman. Music, drinks, and wonderful food from new Key West restaurant The Good Life, will also be on hand for the free community evening.
Deborah Goldman has been working quietly in her studio space over the past year, amassing a new body of distinct and elegant work. During the April Walk on White, the artist will be transplanting her installation “The Eye of the Potato Garden,” to make room for a significant collection of new paintings.
“The invigorating experience of creating an installation in my space has inspired me to take greater chances with these new painted constructions,” said Goldman. “I invite the community to stop in and have a look during Walk on White”
Other artists opening their studios on April 17 include painters Letty Nowak, Peter Vey, and Debra Yates, writer Mark Hedden, and mixed-media artists Natasha Cole and Lisa Esposito. Downstairs in the main hall, painter Eric Anfinson will recreate a Parisian salon and serve up a closing reception for his April Exhibition the blue thread - one life, beautiful life.
“I moved here from New Zealand one year ago,” said Eric Holowacz, director of The Studios, “and every day has been another creative adventure, a new discovery, or a cultural revelation for me. The people who have helped build our organization, like Deborah Goldman and Eric Anfinson, are proof that Key West is rich in artistic resources and fearless ideas.”
The Studios of Key West is nearing the end of a busy first season, which has included over 50 workshops and lectures, award-winning renovations to the Armory and outside Sculpture Garden, an emerging visiting artist program, and the installation of a professional staff. The organization welcomes new ideas, cultural projects, and creative possibilities, and is currently planning its 2008/09 season. To learn more about The Studios of Key West, or the upcoming Walk on White, contact 296-0458 or visit the website www.tskw.org
22 March 2008
Artist Eric Anfinson to exhibit at The Studios of Key West
The blue thread / one life, beautiful life
While perhaps invisible to the eye, there is an ethereal thread that ties our life's experiences together. For painter Eric Anfinson it is also one that runs through all the paint in his confident and solid new body of work to be presented from April 4th to April 25th at the Studios of Key West. Anfinson’s exhibition,“the blue thread—one life/beautiful life,” will feature more than twenty original oil on canvas paintings and a special installation for the opening reception on Friday evening, April 4, from 7-9 p.m.
“The blue thread is the path,” says Anfinson, “while one life/beautiful life is the intention of healing.”
Anfinson, who often weaves in dreams, myths and archetypes while at work at his canvas, also allows his subconscious to guide him. In between these two spaces of linear and non-linear process, the depth of chaos, difficulty and emotion reveal themselves through his paint.
It is in this process, he says, that the healing takes place—for himself, for the subjects, and quite possibly, he hopes, for the witness.
For the last several years, the former Lemonade Stand Art Studio artist has chosen women more often than not as his subject. And for a dignified reason.
“The feminine is a healing aspect, which I am so often drawn to. My greatest depth of healing is in discovering the feminine within myself. It’s what we all do,” he says. “We try to heal ourselves.”
“There’s nothing more gracious than someone offering themselves (to be painted),” he continues. “Both of you have the opportunity to be healed—through being vulnerable. It takes courage, for both the artist and the subject,to say, “Ok, here it is….”
In his fourth solo exhibition, Anfinson’s work offers a unique perspective of portraits—the “blue” image, which the painter refers to as “in the vapors,” and the full spectrum counterpart painting, offering the physical manifestation with life’s experiences. However we choose to interpret the work, one thing is certain: Anfinson’s paintings are more bold and beautiful than ever.
"As our organization moves into its second year, we hope to celebrate the extraordinary range of creative work going on in our community," says Eric Holowacz, director of The Studios. "Our campus and facilities exist to foster creative ideas, provoke cultural dialogue, and reveal bold artistic statements like Eric Anfinson's blue thread.
The opening reception promises to be a unique experience for all who attend. Guests will be asked to enter the back door of the Studios, where they will be greeted by the music of Karen Heins, who was commissioned to create a CD based on Anfinson’s new images.
Anfinson's exhibition will transform the main hall Armory space into a sort of “salon,” harkening back to the era of literary and philosophical gatherings of the 17th and 18th century. The opening reception on April 4 is heavily inspired by the notable literary salons of Paris, where the original “les bas-bleues” gathered. This nickname, blue stockings, continued to mean “intellectual woman” for the next 300 years.
"That ethereal blue thread lingers on in the form of a three-dimensional mixed-media installation," explains Anfinson, "That aims to enhance the paintings and create a deeper sense of intimacy and the essence of a giant womb."
For those unable to make the Friday opening, the special installation will be part of the closing reception as well on Thursday, April 17 from 6-9 p.m., during The Studios of Key West’s monthly Walk on White event.
For more information about cultural events and opportunities at The Studios of Key West, please visit the website, www.tskw.org, or contact Holowacz at 296-0458.
While perhaps invisible to the eye, there is an ethereal thread that ties our life's experiences together. For painter Eric Anfinson it is also one that runs through all the paint in his confident and solid new body of work to be presented from April 4th to April 25th at the Studios of Key West. Anfinson’s exhibition,“the blue thread—one life/beautiful life,” will feature more than twenty original oil on canvas paintings and a special installation for the opening reception on Friday evening, April 4, from 7-9 p.m.
“The blue thread is the path,” says Anfinson, “while one life/beautiful life is the intention of healing.”
Anfinson, who often weaves in dreams, myths and archetypes while at work at his canvas, also allows his subconscious to guide him. In between these two spaces of linear and non-linear process, the depth of chaos, difficulty and emotion reveal themselves through his paint.
It is in this process, he says, that the healing takes place—for himself, for the subjects, and quite possibly, he hopes, for the witness.
For the last several years, the former Lemonade Stand Art Studio artist has chosen women more often than not as his subject. And for a dignified reason.
“The feminine is a healing aspect, which I am so often drawn to. My greatest depth of healing is in discovering the feminine within myself. It’s what we all do,” he says. “We try to heal ourselves.”
“There’s nothing more gracious than someone offering themselves (to be painted),” he continues. “Both of you have the opportunity to be healed—through being vulnerable. It takes courage, for both the artist and the subject,to say, “Ok, here it is….”
In his fourth solo exhibition, Anfinson’s work offers a unique perspective of portraits—the “blue” image, which the painter refers to as “in the vapors,” and the full spectrum counterpart painting, offering the physical manifestation with life’s experiences. However we choose to interpret the work, one thing is certain: Anfinson’s paintings are more bold and beautiful than ever.
"As our organization moves into its second year, we hope to celebrate the extraordinary range of creative work going on in our community," says Eric Holowacz, director of The Studios. "Our campus and facilities exist to foster creative ideas, provoke cultural dialogue, and reveal bold artistic statements like Eric Anfinson's blue thread.
The opening reception promises to be a unique experience for all who attend. Guests will be asked to enter the back door of the Studios, where they will be greeted by the music of Karen Heins, who was commissioned to create a CD based on Anfinson’s new images.
Anfinson's exhibition will transform the main hall Armory space into a sort of “salon,” harkening back to the era of literary and philosophical gatherings of the 17th and 18th century. The opening reception on April 4 is heavily inspired by the notable literary salons of Paris, where the original “les bas-bleues” gathered. This nickname, blue stockings, continued to mean “intellectual woman” for the next 300 years.
"That ethereal blue thread lingers on in the form of a three-dimensional mixed-media installation," explains Anfinson, "That aims to enhance the paintings and create a deeper sense of intimacy and the essence of a giant womb."
For those unable to make the Friday opening, the special installation will be part of the closing reception as well on Thursday, April 17 from 6-9 p.m., during The Studios of Key West’s monthly Walk on White event.
For more information about cultural events and opportunities at The Studios of Key West, please visit the website, www.tskw.org, or contact Holowacz at 296-0458.
20 March 2008
Local Film and Video Artists Bring You The Return of the Key West Picture Show
With a little help from The Key West Film Society and The Studios of Key West
World Premiere is set for Tuesday 15 April at The Tropic Cinema
Over the past few months, a handful of local film and video makers have been quietly shooting, editing, and producing new short films in response to the 1978 local classic, The Key West Picture Show. Now thirty years old, the original film by B. J. Martin serves as an inspiring overview of our island’s past and a humorous look at the unique cultural aspects of our Southernmost community. After accepting the challenge put forth by The Studios of Key West and the Key West Film Society late last year, a diverse group of modern-day media artists are about to give us time capsules of our own.
“The original film captured colorful local characters, quirky historical features, and real commentary from real people,” said Elena Devers, project coordinator at The Studios. “And we wanted to find a way to do that again, in the here and now...and use the art of the short video to leave something behind for posterity.”
The Return of the Key West PIcture Show project was designed around that notion, and has been generously sponsored by the island’s Margaritaville Restaurant and Store. The public will have a chance to see the new crop of locally-inspired films when the 2008 Picture Show premieres on Tuesday 15 April.
Mark Slater, newly re-instated Managing Director of the Key West Film Society's Tropic Cinema said, "We are delighted that The Studios of Key West has developed this film program, and I sense the competitive entertainment offered by our local filmmakers will be fierce. Everyone interested in the cultural life of Key West will want to see these captured images. We are delighted to be the venue for this unique premiere!"
B.J. Martin, whose Southernmost Films guided the original Key West Picture Show in 1977-78, had this to say “I recognize a lot names on the list of film-makers bringing their work to the premiere. A couple of them grew up playing hide-and-seek in my backyard, back when we were making the original!”
The new project gives reverence to the 30-year old film, which told about live conchs, lush jungles and tropical sex drives, struggling artists, wrecker families, musical conchs, eye-brow houses and grunt-bone alley, Cuban bakeries, baseball, fighting and marching conchs, and the early days of the sunset celebration. Participating film-makers were given no restrictions, other than to create short films of between 5 and 15 minutes that reveal something about modern-day Key West.
“I especially like the fact that participants considered any and all approaches in terms of style, content and format, with no restrictions,” said Martin. “After all, eclecticism is a hallmark of island life.”
Film-maker Quincy Perkins spent nearly 4 months creating his new four-minute stop-motion piece, The Lightness of Mario, which he calls the first animated short film to capture the magic of Key West.
"Animation is so different from other forms of filmmaking since every frame must be specifically calculated,” he remarked. “It is closer to mathematics than filmmaking, and I managed to create about one minute per month."
Videographer Marcela Morgan, upon learning of the project, decided to edit her long-form film, Key West: When Paradise Was Ours, down to an under seven-minute short. Thanks to Morgan’s camera, viewers might get a new word or two from Coffee Butler, Lou Pineda, Anna Weekley, Buddy Chavez, Papo Quesada, and other long-time Conchs.
“Like my feature-length documentary, the short version features the generation who grew up in Key West during The Great Depression, describing the days when the island had an abundance of crawfish, tropical fruit trees in everyone's backyard, conga lines down Duval Street, and everyone knew one another.”
Film-makers Karen Leonard and her son Jonathan Meyers took a different path. Their new film, Latitude 24 Longitude Paradise, is a five-minute narrative exploration of a quintessential tourist’s odyssey in Key West, set to original music by Larry Smith with vocals by Kathleen Peace.
Mare Contrare’s 15-minute contribution is called Step Into Paradise, and features Sid Goldman, Warren Benjamin and Nic Pontecorva. Her short is a study of film legend Stan Brackage, in which she tries to incorporate the subtext of how we get to Paradise, namely places like this island at the end of the road.
“Your mind takes you places your feet can't, but your feet take you places your mind cannot imagine,” she says. “Why do people come to Key West. Is it because their feet bring them?”
Mike Marrero and David L. Sloan also began with a narrative idea, based around a fictitious locally-themed gameshow. Their film touches on real estate development and the hospitality industry, before ending up in Key West’s often neglected neighbor. The 15-minute short is called The Stock Island Picture Show.
“This project took me to places I couldn’t even imagine,” says Sloan, “and not all of them were pretty.”
The audience will be the judge of that, when The Return of the Key West Picture Show and a slew of new local films and videos have their premiere at the Tropic Cinema, April 15 at 6pm. Tickets are $25, and can now be purchased at The Tropic or The Studios of Key West. Special guest at the one-night only event will be B. J. Martin, now based in New Smyrna, who will be seated among the eclectic group of 2008 film-makers.
"I think you all have had too good a time with this project," said Martin. "But you know, Southernmost Films was feeling the same energy thirty years ago. The Return of the Key West Picture Show in 2008, how could I miss that!"
For details and information, please call 296-0458.
World Premiere is set for Tuesday 15 April at The Tropic Cinema
Over the past few months, a handful of local film and video makers have been quietly shooting, editing, and producing new short films in response to the 1978 local classic, The Key West Picture Show. Now thirty years old, the original film by B. J. Martin serves as an inspiring overview of our island’s past and a humorous look at the unique cultural aspects of our Southernmost community. After accepting the challenge put forth by The Studios of Key West and the Key West Film Society late last year, a diverse group of modern-day media artists are about to give us time capsules of our own.
“The original film captured colorful local characters, quirky historical features, and real commentary from real people,” said Elena Devers, project coordinator at The Studios. “And we wanted to find a way to do that again, in the here and now...and use the art of the short video to leave something behind for posterity.”
The Return of the Key West PIcture Show project was designed around that notion, and has been generously sponsored by the island’s Margaritaville Restaurant and Store. The public will have a chance to see the new crop of locally-inspired films when the 2008 Picture Show premieres on Tuesday 15 April.
Mark Slater, newly re-instated Managing Director of the Key West Film Society's Tropic Cinema said, "We are delighted that The Studios of Key West has developed this film program, and I sense the competitive entertainment offered by our local filmmakers will be fierce. Everyone interested in the cultural life of Key West will want to see these captured images. We are delighted to be the venue for this unique premiere!"
B.J. Martin, whose Southernmost Films guided the original Key West Picture Show in 1977-78, had this to say “I recognize a lot names on the list of film-makers bringing their work to the premiere. A couple of them grew up playing hide-and-seek in my backyard, back when we were making the original!”
The new project gives reverence to the 30-year old film, which told about live conchs, lush jungles and tropical sex drives, struggling artists, wrecker families, musical conchs, eye-brow houses and grunt-bone alley, Cuban bakeries, baseball, fighting and marching conchs, and the early days of the sunset celebration. Participating film-makers were given no restrictions, other than to create short films of between 5 and 15 minutes that reveal something about modern-day Key West.
“I especially like the fact that participants considered any and all approaches in terms of style, content and format, with no restrictions,” said Martin. “After all, eclecticism is a hallmark of island life.”
Film-maker Quincy Perkins spent nearly 4 months creating his new four-minute stop-motion piece, The Lightness of Mario, which he calls the first animated short film to capture the magic of Key West.
"Animation is so different from other forms of filmmaking since every frame must be specifically calculated,” he remarked. “It is closer to mathematics than filmmaking, and I managed to create about one minute per month."
Videographer Marcela Morgan, upon learning of the project, decided to edit her long-form film, Key West: When Paradise Was Ours, down to an under seven-minute short. Thanks to Morgan’s camera, viewers might get a new word or two from Coffee Butler, Lou Pineda, Anna Weekley, Buddy Chavez, Papo Quesada, and other long-time Conchs.
“Like my feature-length documentary, the short version features the generation who grew up in Key West during The Great Depression, describing the days when the island had an abundance of crawfish, tropical fruit trees in everyone's backyard, conga lines down Duval Street, and everyone knew one another.”
Film-makers Karen Leonard and her son Jonathan Meyers took a different path. Their new film, Latitude 24 Longitude Paradise, is a five-minute narrative exploration of a quintessential tourist’s odyssey in Key West, set to original music by Larry Smith with vocals by Kathleen Peace.
Mare Contrare’s 15-minute contribution is called Step Into Paradise, and features Sid Goldman, Warren Benjamin and Nic Pontecorva. Her short is a study of film legend Stan Brackage, in which she tries to incorporate the subtext of how we get to Paradise, namely places like this island at the end of the road.
“Your mind takes you places your feet can't, but your feet take you places your mind cannot imagine,” she says. “Why do people come to Key West. Is it because their feet bring them?”
Mike Marrero and David L. Sloan also began with a narrative idea, based around a fictitious locally-themed gameshow. Their film touches on real estate development and the hospitality industry, before ending up in Key West’s often neglected neighbor. The 15-minute short is called The Stock Island Picture Show.
“This project took me to places I couldn’t even imagine,” says Sloan, “and not all of them were pretty.”
The audience will be the judge of that, when The Return of the Key West Picture Show and a slew of new local films and videos have their premiere at the Tropic Cinema, April 15 at 6pm. Tickets are $25, and can now be purchased at The Tropic or The Studios of Key West. Special guest at the one-night only event will be B. J. Martin, now based in New Smyrna, who will be seated among the eclectic group of 2008 film-makers.
"I think you all have had too good a time with this project," said Martin. "But you know, Southernmost Films was feeling the same energy thirty years ago. The Return of the Key West Picture Show in 2008, how could I miss that!"
For details and information, please call 296-0458.
01 March 2008
Mel Fisher Maritime Museum and The Studios of Key West Join Forces to Offer an Exciting New Sculpture Camp for Local Kids
One week Spring-break program from March 31 to April 4 will explore sculpture, art, and creative treasures in Key West
Thanks to a new partnership between The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum and The Studios of Key West, creative local kids now have an exciting opportunity to explore sculpture, history, and adventure at a new Spring-break camp, March 31 to April 4. The week-long educational experience will be held from 9 am to 1 pm, and enrollment is now open at $175 per child.
The program is being coordinated by Mel Fisher Maritime Museum educators Monica Fienemann and Dawn Sieracki, and begins with two days at the Key West Armory, two days at the Maritime Museum, and a closing day exploring sculptural installations at Fort Zachary Taylor.
“We wanted to find interesting ways to nurture creativity and offer artistic experiences for Key West kids,” said Eric Holowacz, director of The Studios of Key West. “This partnership involves wonderfully creative people, the artistic wonderland of Sculpture Key West, and a fun time for the students.”
Participants will have an opportunity to tour some of the studios in the Armory, and meet resident artists who make sculpture and mixed-media works in Key West. Two days at the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum will continue to explore historical treasures and encourage students to make their own beautiful objects. The closing day at Fort Zachary Taylor will also include a guided tour of the installations and large outdoor sculptures presented by the 2008 Sculpture Key West.
“We really want to get kids inspired by local artists, public art, and historical artifacts,” said Monica Fienemann, of the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum’s education department. “The camp activities will have them create their own sculptures in some of Key West’s most unique environments.”
Enrollment is open to students in grades 2 through 5, and places are limited to 20. Snack will be provided daily, but parents will need to pack a lunch for each day. The sculpture camp will culminate in an end-of-week showcase for students, parents and friends.
The Studios of Key West is the island’s newest cultural non-profit. It’s staff keeps an open door, and always welcomes new ideas, cultural projects, and creative possibilities. To learn more, contact The Studios of Key West at 296-0458.
The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum is a non-profit organization dedicated to the research, preservation, and education of New World History. Founded in 1982, and accredited by the American Association of Museums in 2002, it houses a significant collection of artifacts and offers a wide array of educational opportunities. For information, please contact Monica Fienemann at 294-2633 ext. 20.
Thanks to a new partnership between The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum and The Studios of Key West, creative local kids now have an exciting opportunity to explore sculpture, history, and adventure at a new Spring-break camp, March 31 to April 4. The week-long educational experience will be held from 9 am to 1 pm, and enrollment is now open at $175 per child.
The program is being coordinated by Mel Fisher Maritime Museum educators Monica Fienemann and Dawn Sieracki, and begins with two days at the Key West Armory, two days at the Maritime Museum, and a closing day exploring sculptural installations at Fort Zachary Taylor.
“We wanted to find interesting ways to nurture creativity and offer artistic experiences for Key West kids,” said Eric Holowacz, director of The Studios of Key West. “This partnership involves wonderfully creative people, the artistic wonderland of Sculpture Key West, and a fun time for the students.”
Participants will have an opportunity to tour some of the studios in the Armory, and meet resident artists who make sculpture and mixed-media works in Key West. Two days at the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum will continue to explore historical treasures and encourage students to make their own beautiful objects. The closing day at Fort Zachary Taylor will also include a guided tour of the installations and large outdoor sculptures presented by the 2008 Sculpture Key West.
“We really want to get kids inspired by local artists, public art, and historical artifacts,” said Monica Fienemann, of the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum’s education department. “The camp activities will have them create their own sculptures in some of Key West’s most unique environments.”
Enrollment is open to students in grades 2 through 5, and places are limited to 20. Snack will be provided daily, but parents will need to pack a lunch for each day. The sculpture camp will culminate in an end-of-week showcase for students, parents and friends.
The Studios of Key West is the island’s newest cultural non-profit. It’s staff keeps an open door, and always welcomes new ideas, cultural projects, and creative possibilities. To learn more, contact The Studios of Key West at 296-0458.
The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum is a non-profit organization dedicated to the research, preservation, and education of New World History. Founded in 1982, and accredited by the American Association of Museums in 2002, it houses a significant collection of artifacts and offers a wide array of educational opportunities. For information, please contact Monica Fienemann at 294-2633 ext. 20.
The Studios of Key West Announces its First-ever Art Scholarship Recipients
Monroe County High School students offered opportunity to develop their creativity and skills
The Studios of Key West has expanded its commitment to local creativity and cultural expression, and is proud to announce a new scholarship program for talented local high school students.
Kyla Radziejewski and Monica Bertram, seniors at Key West High School, were recently awarded free-tuition scholarships to participate in Carlos Ferguson’s Introduction to Drawing Workshop, held in early March at The Studios of Key West.
“I wanted to learn the elements of design and proper form to incorporate into my artwork,” said Monica, an accomplished student artist. “This experience was amazing. I felt at home. Everyone was friendly, and I love the atmosphere The Studios has created.”
“I jumped at the chance to develop my drawing technique and ability to render shapes realistically,” said Kyla, a senior who was recently accepted at the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design. “I wanted it to last longer than three days: the experience at the Armory was more than I could possibly put into words.”
The Studios of Key West was established last year as a creative hub for the island, and recently completed an award-winning rehabilitation of the historic Armory building at Southard and White Streets. The organization continues to grow its creative campus, and now offers over 50 workshops and cultural events each year.
“Our new scholarship program celebrates the many talented young people in and around Key West,” said executive director Eric Holowacz. “It nurtures their artistic ability, encourages personal growth and development, and allows them to learn from some of America’s great creative people right here in their own hometown.”
Applications for the TSKW Scholarship Program are available at the Armory, and interested Monroe County High School students are encouraged to apply. Awards can be applied toward any workshop offered by The Studios of Key West, ranging from painting and photography to poetry and book-making.
The Studios of Key West staff keeps an open door, and always welcomes new ideas, cultural projects, and creative possibilities. To learn more about upcoming programs and opportunities, and how to support their growth, contact The Studios of Key West at 296-0458 or info@tskw.org.
The Studios of Key West has expanded its commitment to local creativity and cultural expression, and is proud to announce a new scholarship program for talented local high school students.
Kyla Radziejewski and Monica Bertram, seniors at Key West High School, were recently awarded free-tuition scholarships to participate in Carlos Ferguson’s Introduction to Drawing Workshop, held in early March at The Studios of Key West.
“I wanted to learn the elements of design and proper form to incorporate into my artwork,” said Monica, an accomplished student artist. “This experience was amazing. I felt at home. Everyone was friendly, and I love the atmosphere The Studios has created.”
“I jumped at the chance to develop my drawing technique and ability to render shapes realistically,” said Kyla, a senior who was recently accepted at the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design. “I wanted it to last longer than three days: the experience at the Armory was more than I could possibly put into words.”
The Studios of Key West was established last year as a creative hub for the island, and recently completed an award-winning rehabilitation of the historic Armory building at Southard and White Streets. The organization continues to grow its creative campus, and now offers over 50 workshops and cultural events each year.
“Our new scholarship program celebrates the many talented young people in and around Key West,” said executive director Eric Holowacz. “It nurtures their artistic ability, encourages personal growth and development, and allows them to learn from some of America’s great creative people right here in their own hometown.”
Applications for the TSKW Scholarship Program are available at the Armory, and interested Monroe County High School students are encouraged to apply. Awards can be applied toward any workshop offered by The Studios of Key West, ranging from painting and photography to poetry and book-making.
The Studios of Key West staff keeps an open door, and always welcomes new ideas, cultural projects, and creative possibilities. To learn more about upcoming programs and opportunities, and how to support their growth, contact The Studios of Key West at 296-0458 or info@tskw.org.
10 February 2008
Alette Simmons-Jimenez Goes Up Down Backward & Forward
The Studios of Key West will host the acclaimed Miami artist next week in partnership with Key West Symphony — public invited to reception at February 21 Walk on White
Contemporary art meets classical music at this month's Walk on White Street, when award-winning artist Alette Simmons-Jimenez presents her exhibition "Up Down Backward and Forward " at The Studios of Key West. The artist has mounted her show in support of the Key West Symphony, and proceeds will support our island’s spectacular orchestra. The public is invited to the special reception in conjunction with the next Walk on White, February 21 from 6 to 9 pm.
Alette Simmons-Jimenez is the founder and director of ArtFormz, a Miami gallery that seeks to reflect the diversity of voices found in today's contemporary art scene. Up Down Backward & Forward provides a visual analysis of Simmons-Jimenez’s career trajectory from 1976 to the present, comprising mixed-media, drawing, painting, and assemblage. The over 50 works on view at The Studios of Key West emphasize the pattern of changes leading to new discoveries that have made up the essence of the artist's work.
"I met the orchestra’s maestro, Sebrina Alfonso in 2000, when the Symphony was looking for an artist to showcase in a cultural program they were developing,” said Simmons-Jimenez. “She made a studio visit...we talked...and something in the chemistry just clicked. That was a great experience, and I am thrilled to be able to work with the Symphony and Key West again."
The current project developed after Alfonso met with the staff at The Studios of Key West in the fall of 2007. They began talking about new creative collaborations and interesting ways to expand artistic experiences on the island. The Armory’s busy season had a gap in late February, which also coincided with the popular third Thursday Walk on White reception and open studio tours.
"Alette's work is beautiful, with a keen sense of design, and this temporary exhibition really covers a broad spectrum of styles," said Alfonso. “It will look gorgeous in the beautifully renovated Armory.” The artist is generously donating one half of all sales in support of the Key West Symphony.
The opening night reception, sponsored in part by Studios Key West and the wines of Louis Jadot and St. Francis, is free and open to the public. The lively evening will feature Up Down Backward & Forward, music by the Key West Symphony quartet, open tours of the 12 upstairs artists’ spaces, and delicious catering by studio artist and local chef, Lisa Esposito.
The Studios of Key West staff keeps an open door, and always welcomes new cultural projects and creative proposals. To learn more about the organization and its season of creative opportunities, contact The Studios of Key West at 296-0458 or info@tskw.org. For more information about the Key West Symphony, please contact 305-292-1774 or info@keywestsymphony.com.
Contemporary art meets classical music at this month's Walk on White Street, when award-winning artist Alette Simmons-Jimenez presents her exhibition "Up Down Backward and Forward " at The Studios of Key West. The artist has mounted her show in support of the Key West Symphony, and proceeds will support our island’s spectacular orchestra. The public is invited to the special reception in conjunction with the next Walk on White, February 21 from 6 to 9 pm.
Alette Simmons-Jimenez is the founder and director of ArtFormz, a Miami gallery that seeks to reflect the diversity of voices found in today's contemporary art scene. Up Down Backward & Forward provides a visual analysis of Simmons-Jimenez’s career trajectory from 1976 to the present, comprising mixed-media, drawing, painting, and assemblage. The over 50 works on view at The Studios of Key West emphasize the pattern of changes leading to new discoveries that have made up the essence of the artist's work.
"I met the orchestra’s maestro, Sebrina Alfonso in 2000, when the Symphony was looking for an artist to showcase in a cultural program they were developing,” said Simmons-Jimenez. “She made a studio visit...we talked...and something in the chemistry just clicked. That was a great experience, and I am thrilled to be able to work with the Symphony and Key West again."
The current project developed after Alfonso met with the staff at The Studios of Key West in the fall of 2007. They began talking about new creative collaborations and interesting ways to expand artistic experiences on the island. The Armory’s busy season had a gap in late February, which also coincided with the popular third Thursday Walk on White reception and open studio tours.
"Alette's work is beautiful, with a keen sense of design, and this temporary exhibition really covers a broad spectrum of styles," said Alfonso. “It will look gorgeous in the beautifully renovated Armory.” The artist is generously donating one half of all sales in support of the Key West Symphony.
The opening night reception, sponsored in part by Studios Key West and the wines of Louis Jadot and St. Francis, is free and open to the public. The lively evening will feature Up Down Backward & Forward, music by the Key West Symphony quartet, open tours of the 12 upstairs artists’ spaces, and delicious catering by studio artist and local chef, Lisa Esposito.
The Studios of Key West staff keeps an open door, and always welcomes new cultural projects and creative proposals. To learn more about the organization and its season of creative opportunities, contact The Studios of Key West at 296-0458 or info@tskw.org. For more information about the Key West Symphony, please contact 305-292-1774 or info@keywestsymphony.com.
01 February 2008
Local Artist Cricket Desmarais to Reveal the Cuban Spirit with her first solo Exhibition at The Studios of Key West
New body of work, poetic just is: Cuban spirit revealed, to be on View February 27 to March 27 at the Armory
Opening ceremony on 28 February from 4:30 to 5:30 pm featuring Tibetan healing ritual
Closing reception and party on 20 March from 6 to 9pm during Walk on White
The Studios of Key West presents an exhibition of bold new images and text gathered by writer Cricket Desmarais on journalistic visits to Cuba in 2007. The body of mixed-media works, “poetic just is,” will be on view at the Key West Armory from 27 February to 27 March. The pictures reveal Desmarais’s investigation and interpretation of the Cuban spirit, and the precarious balance and collective sense of courage she witnessed during her recent sanctioned visits there.
“My intention is to create a bridge of understanding and a sense of connect with the Cuban people,” she says. “And to create a forum for dialogue, beginning with art, for those that have their own history with our nearby island."
Over twenty new giclee images will be presented at The Studios of Key West, some traditionally stretched and others embracing the Cuban notion of “resolver”— to resolve, make it work (regardless of the lack of resources). Desmarais also utilizes multi-media effects, including photographic images printed on canvas strung and hung with sugarcane, images printed on rusty tools, large canvases with text.
“Cuba is so often misunderstood or misrepresented,” she continues. “I think it’s important to honor the truth of what is actually happening over there, but in a way that is subtle enough to allow room for people to have their own reflections of what they are viewing.”
Her first one person show, "poetic just is" also serves as a kind of inner retrospective for a woman who was born of Cuban culture but did not experience it growing up.
“The process of putting together the pieces and writing the text has allowed me to explore a new connection with that side of my family,” says the half Cuban artist, whose father and his family escaped political turmoil there in the early sixties. “I try to live with a poet’s heart,” says Desmarais, “which helps develop my ability to reflect on the world, transcend the politics of place, and celebrate the simple beauty and truth of being human.”
Desmarais was trained as a writer, where she learned to use words to cull through the superfluous and go straight to the core. Many Key Westers also know her as the editor of the popular cultural periodical the secret of salt: an indigenous journal, and as a frequent literary voice on the island. For her first major one-person exhibition, she wants to do the same with a newly discovered visual language.
“This show, for me, is also about giving the Cubans a sense of the poetic justice they’ve long deserved in the best way I know how.”
The Studios of Key West will present "poetic just is" from 27 February 27 March, and the public is invited. An opening Tibetan healing ritual is planned for Thursday 28 February from 4:30 to 5:30 to honor the opening of the show and the Cuban people it represents. A closing reception and public celebration is planned for the 20 March Walk on White from 6 to 9pm. That event will also feature a few short readings by Desmarais, live music, refreshments, and open tours of The Studios of Key West facilities. For more information, contact TSKW at 296-0458. To learn more about "poetic just is," contact Desmarais at 923-6013.
Opening ceremony on 28 February from 4:30 to 5:30 pm featuring Tibetan healing ritual
Closing reception and party on 20 March from 6 to 9pm during Walk on White
The Studios of Key West presents an exhibition of bold new images and text gathered by writer Cricket Desmarais on journalistic visits to Cuba in 2007. The body of mixed-media works, “poetic just is,” will be on view at the Key West Armory from 27 February to 27 March. The pictures reveal Desmarais’s investigation and interpretation of the Cuban spirit, and the precarious balance and collective sense of courage she witnessed during her recent sanctioned visits there.
“My intention is to create a bridge of understanding and a sense of connect with the Cuban people,” she says. “And to create a forum for dialogue, beginning with art, for those that have their own history with our nearby island."
Over twenty new giclee images will be presented at The Studios of Key West, some traditionally stretched and others embracing the Cuban notion of “resolver”— to resolve, make it work (regardless of the lack of resources). Desmarais also utilizes multi-media effects, including photographic images printed on canvas strung and hung with sugarcane, images printed on rusty tools, large canvases with text.
“Cuba is so often misunderstood or misrepresented,” she continues. “I think it’s important to honor the truth of what is actually happening over there, but in a way that is subtle enough to allow room for people to have their own reflections of what they are viewing.”
Her first one person show, "poetic just is" also serves as a kind of inner retrospective for a woman who was born of Cuban culture but did not experience it growing up.
“The process of putting together the pieces and writing the text has allowed me to explore a new connection with that side of my family,” says the half Cuban artist, whose father and his family escaped political turmoil there in the early sixties. “I try to live with a poet’s heart,” says Desmarais, “which helps develop my ability to reflect on the world, transcend the politics of place, and celebrate the simple beauty and truth of being human.”
Desmarais was trained as a writer, where she learned to use words to cull through the superfluous and go straight to the core. Many Key Westers also know her as the editor of the popular cultural periodical the secret of salt: an indigenous journal, and as a frequent literary voice on the island. For her first major one-person exhibition, she wants to do the same with a newly discovered visual language.
“This show, for me, is also about giving the Cubans a sense of the poetic justice they’ve long deserved in the best way I know how.”
The Studios of Key West will present "poetic just is" from 27 February 27 March, and the public is invited. An opening Tibetan healing ritual is planned for Thursday 28 February from 4:30 to 5:30 to honor the opening of the show and the Cuban people it represents. A closing reception and public celebration is planned for the 20 March Walk on White from 6 to 9pm. That event will also feature a few short readings by Desmarais, live music, refreshments, and open tours of The Studios of Key West facilities. For more information, contact TSKW at 296-0458. To learn more about "poetic just is," contact Desmarais at 923-6013.
10 December 2007
Photographer Curt Richter to be first Southernmost Artist-in-Residence
The Studios of Key West will host the acclaimed artist in Key West for the month of January and present an exhibition of his work, Faces & Stories, from 17 January to 15 February
The Studios of Key West is proud to announce its inaugural Artist-in-Residence, photographer Curt Richter, who will reside in Key West during the month of January. A professional fine art and commercial photographer based in Manhattan and Helsinki, Finland, Richter comes to the Southernmost Point following a project shooting NASA’s Space Shuttle program. He has published six books of photography, and held exhibitions in New York, London, Rome, Berlin, and other major cities.
Richter’s monumental study of Southern writers, Faces & Stories, features exquisite black and white portraits of over 50 American literary figures, including Eudora Welty, Robert Penn Warren, Alice Walker, Ann Beattie, Harry Crews, Walker Percy, and many others. The Studios of Key West will present that exhibition at the Armory from January 17 to February 15. An opening reception is planned for Thursday, January 17 from 6 to 9 pm, and the public is welcome.
The public is also invited to a special conversational lecture at the Key West Armory—beginning at 6 pm on Wednesday, January 16—involving Richter, local writer Ann Beattie, and well-known painter, Lincoln Perry. The trio will discuss the making of image in light, words, and brush. Richter will lead a spirited conversation with exploring how artists create character and shape the subtleties of existence. This special event is also free and open to the public.
“An artist’s occupation is often seen as vastly romantic, it is usually one of solitude,” says Richter. “Being invited to come to Key West as an artist in residence gives me a wonderful chance to concentrate on my work and ideas and share them with others—to take a step away from my predictable routines, and do and see things in an unfamiliar light.”
While here, the photographer will reside on the campus of The Studios of Key West, and set up a portrait studio to create a new body of work. Richter will also work with the organization to create a model for future visiting artists.
“We approached Curt based on the strength of his images, the simple power of his writing about the art he makes, and his supernatural ability to capture something from a person’s interior world,” said Studios executive director Eric Holowacz. “We hit it off right away, and he agreed to brave the Key West winter and serve as our first Artist-in-Residence guinea pig.”
The Studios of Key West has just completed its first year, and has a mission of supporting the creative process, artists and their work, and opportunities for the general public to get involved in both. In 2008, it will begin working with Richter and a handful of other visiting artists who will bring a unique creative approach, body of work, or cultural identity to Key West. Artists-in-residence will spend between 2 and 6 weeks on the island, housed on The Studios of Key West campus. They will be given opportunities to partner with local organizations, collaborate with Key West artists, and develop projects to connect with the greater community.
Richter brings a unique perspective and creative practice to our community, which he describes in this way:
“Artists make objects, that’s what we do. A book, a print, a sculpture or a building, it only gains meaning when it is realized and becomes a thing. I continue to narrow the tools of my craft: an 8x10 view camera with one lens, twelve sheets of film and an ordinary assortment of tungsten lights. It is as simple as I can make it: selective illumination, dark background with the face the brightest value. My prints are made using the 19th Century platinum/palladium process. It offers a subtle tonal range, and unlike commercial papers available today, the image appears to be in the paper, not resting on top of it. It is extremely slow, the emulsion only responds to ultraviolet light and is chemically very temperamental. It is also the most beautiful process I know.”
The Studios of Key West, founded in late 2006, recently renovated the historic Armory building at 600 White Street to serve as a hub for the island’s arts community. The campus comprises a main hall for workshops, lectures, and exhibitions, twelve studios for local artists and writers, a well-landscaped sculpture garden, and main office. In 2008, the organization will expand its programming to include an on-going Artist-in-Residence program, free professional development sessions for Key West artists, and exciting new partnerships with Sculpture Key West, Southern Arts Federation, Red Barn Theatre, Key West Symphony, and other local arts organizations.
“We’re trying to find the best local ideas, the most interesting artists anywhere, and the most extraordinary partnerships imaginable,” says Holowacz. “We really do want to create a totally new, entirely fresh creative community here in Key West.”
The Studios of Key West staff keeps an open door, and always welcomes new cultural projects and creative proposals. To learn more about Curt Richter’s residency, becoming a member of Friends/TSKW, or the upcoming season of creative opportunities, contact The Studios of Key West at 296-0458 or info@tskw.org.
The Studios of Key West is proud to announce its inaugural Artist-in-Residence, photographer Curt Richter, who will reside in Key West during the month of January. A professional fine art and commercial photographer based in Manhattan and Helsinki, Finland, Richter comes to the Southernmost Point following a project shooting NASA’s Space Shuttle program. He has published six books of photography, and held exhibitions in New York, London, Rome, Berlin, and other major cities.
Richter’s monumental study of Southern writers, Faces & Stories, features exquisite black and white portraits of over 50 American literary figures, including Eudora Welty, Robert Penn Warren, Alice Walker, Ann Beattie, Harry Crews, Walker Percy, and many others. The Studios of Key West will present that exhibition at the Armory from January 17 to February 15. An opening reception is planned for Thursday, January 17 from 6 to 9 pm, and the public is welcome.
The public is also invited to a special conversational lecture at the Key West Armory—beginning at 6 pm on Wednesday, January 16—involving Richter, local writer Ann Beattie, and well-known painter, Lincoln Perry. The trio will discuss the making of image in light, words, and brush. Richter will lead a spirited conversation with exploring how artists create character and shape the subtleties of existence. This special event is also free and open to the public.
“An artist’s occupation is often seen as vastly romantic, it is usually one of solitude,” says Richter. “Being invited to come to Key West as an artist in residence gives me a wonderful chance to concentrate on my work and ideas and share them with others—to take a step away from my predictable routines, and do and see things in an unfamiliar light.”
While here, the photographer will reside on the campus of The Studios of Key West, and set up a portrait studio to create a new body of work. Richter will also work with the organization to create a model for future visiting artists.
“We approached Curt based on the strength of his images, the simple power of his writing about the art he makes, and his supernatural ability to capture something from a person’s interior world,” said Studios executive director Eric Holowacz. “We hit it off right away, and he agreed to brave the Key West winter and serve as our first Artist-in-Residence guinea pig.”
The Studios of Key West has just completed its first year, and has a mission of supporting the creative process, artists and their work, and opportunities for the general public to get involved in both. In 2008, it will begin working with Richter and a handful of other visiting artists who will bring a unique creative approach, body of work, or cultural identity to Key West. Artists-in-residence will spend between 2 and 6 weeks on the island, housed on The Studios of Key West campus. They will be given opportunities to partner with local organizations, collaborate with Key West artists, and develop projects to connect with the greater community.
Richter brings a unique perspective and creative practice to our community, which he describes in this way:
“Artists make objects, that’s what we do. A book, a print, a sculpture or a building, it only gains meaning when it is realized and becomes a thing. I continue to narrow the tools of my craft: an 8x10 view camera with one lens, twelve sheets of film and an ordinary assortment of tungsten lights. It is as simple as I can make it: selective illumination, dark background with the face the brightest value. My prints are made using the 19th Century platinum/palladium process. It offers a subtle tonal range, and unlike commercial papers available today, the image appears to be in the paper, not resting on top of it. It is extremely slow, the emulsion only responds to ultraviolet light and is chemically very temperamental. It is also the most beautiful process I know.”
The Studios of Key West, founded in late 2006, recently renovated the historic Armory building at 600 White Street to serve as a hub for the island’s arts community. The campus comprises a main hall for workshops, lectures, and exhibitions, twelve studios for local artists and writers, a well-landscaped sculpture garden, and main office. In 2008, the organization will expand its programming to include an on-going Artist-in-Residence program, free professional development sessions for Key West artists, and exciting new partnerships with Sculpture Key West, Southern Arts Federation, Red Barn Theatre, Key West Symphony, and other local arts organizations.
“We’re trying to find the best local ideas, the most interesting artists anywhere, and the most extraordinary partnerships imaginable,” says Holowacz. “We really do want to create a totally new, entirely fresh creative community here in Key West.”
The Studios of Key West staff keeps an open door, and always welcomes new cultural projects and creative proposals. To learn more about Curt Richter’s residency, becoming a member of Friends/TSKW, or the upcoming season of creative opportunities, contact The Studios of Key West at 296-0458 or info@tskw.org.
30 November 2007
Red Barn Sets, Live Music, Open Studios: Walk on White
The Studios of Key West will serve up a creative feast for the next Walk on White on Thursday, December 20 from 6 to 9 pm. The public will be treated to live music by Blues guitarist Steve Green, open artist studios on the second floor, and a special installation of Rick Worth’s remarkable set designs for Red Barn Theatre’s 2007 production of Five Course Love. Wonderful food, including jerk chicken, banana bread, and other local favorites, will be provided by Key West restaurant, Blue Heaven.
“Things just keep getting more exciting here,” said TSKW project coordinator Elena Devers, who is also a frequent actress in Red Barn Theatre productions. “Creativity and interesting things will be in every corner of the Armory building, inside and out.”
The special feature of the evening, presented in partnership with Red Barn Theatre, will be a display of 5 original scenes from the past season’s run of Five Course Love. Each set design has been painted on four 4x8 foot panels, and all will be on view at the Armory before, during, and after the December 20 Walk on White. Perfect for a dining area, pool house, outdoor setting, or large interior, each of the five scenes will be for sale through a silent auction. Bidding runs from December 17 to January 2, and all proceeds will support Red Barn Theatre.
“The sets are charming, humorous Rick Worth originals,” said Red Barn artistic director Joy Hawkins, “They represent Mexican, Italian, and German restaurants, an American 50’s style diner, and a Texas Barbecue.”
Five Course Love is a comedy about finding romance, and involves 5 restaurants, 15 characters, and a small cast in multiple roles. The play, music, and lyrics were written by Gregg Coffin, and the Key West production ran at Red Barn Theatre earlier this year.
“What I liked most about doing the sets is working for the guys and gals out at the Barn,” said Worth, noting that this was his first project with the Key West theater. “The play required many set changes in a short period of time,” remembers the artist, “So I dreamed up this unfolding book idea, with the scenes on large folding panels, and it all worked like magic.” Worth is happy for his unique designs to find new homes, and will sign and dedicate the sets to those with the winning bid.
Striking outdoor works by local artist Anja Marais remain on view in the Armory Sculpture Garden, and the main hall interior contains a group exhibition of work by local painters, writers, and creative people. And thanks to local musician Steve Green, the Armory will be filled with blues tunes during the upcoming Walk on White.
“The third Thursday is our monthly open home at The Studios of Key West, and we’ve tried to grow the creative atmosphere and invite all sorts of local artists into the mix,” said Devers. “And of course, the public is invited to enjoy the creative elements in every nook and cranny.”
The Studios of Key West, founded in 2006, recently renovated the historic Armory building at 600 White Street to serve as a hub for the island’s arts community. The campus comprises a main hall for workshops, lectures, and exhibitions, twelve studios for local artists and writers, a well-landscaped sculpture garden, and main office.
In 2008, the organization will expand its programming to include visiting artist residencies, free professional development sessions for Key West artists, and exciting new partnerships with Sculpture Key West, Southern Arts Federation, Red Barn Theatre, Key West Symphony, and other local arts organizations.
“I’m thrilled that Red Barn and TSKW are working together,” commented Hawkins, “It’s all about making our community a more creative, vibrant, unique place.”
The Studios of Key West staff keeps an open door, and always welcomes new ideas, cultural projects, and creative possibilities. To learn more about Friends/TSKW, next Thursday’s Walk on White, or the upcoming creative season, contact The Studios of Key West at 296-0458 or info@tskw.org.
“Things just keep getting more exciting here,” said TSKW project coordinator Elena Devers, who is also a frequent actress in Red Barn Theatre productions. “Creativity and interesting things will be in every corner of the Armory building, inside and out.”
The special feature of the evening, presented in partnership with Red Barn Theatre, will be a display of 5 original scenes from the past season’s run of Five Course Love. Each set design has been painted on four 4x8 foot panels, and all will be on view at the Armory before, during, and after the December 20 Walk on White. Perfect for a dining area, pool house, outdoor setting, or large interior, each of the five scenes will be for sale through a silent auction. Bidding runs from December 17 to January 2, and all proceeds will support Red Barn Theatre.
“The sets are charming, humorous Rick Worth originals,” said Red Barn artistic director Joy Hawkins, “They represent Mexican, Italian, and German restaurants, an American 50’s style diner, and a Texas Barbecue.”
Five Course Love is a comedy about finding romance, and involves 5 restaurants, 15 characters, and a small cast in multiple roles. The play, music, and lyrics were written by Gregg Coffin, and the Key West production ran at Red Barn Theatre earlier this year.
“What I liked most about doing the sets is working for the guys and gals out at the Barn,” said Worth, noting that this was his first project with the Key West theater. “The play required many set changes in a short period of time,” remembers the artist, “So I dreamed up this unfolding book idea, with the scenes on large folding panels, and it all worked like magic.” Worth is happy for his unique designs to find new homes, and will sign and dedicate the sets to those with the winning bid.
Striking outdoor works by local artist Anja Marais remain on view in the Armory Sculpture Garden, and the main hall interior contains a group exhibition of work by local painters, writers, and creative people. And thanks to local musician Steve Green, the Armory will be filled with blues tunes during the upcoming Walk on White.
“The third Thursday is our monthly open home at The Studios of Key West, and we’ve tried to grow the creative atmosphere and invite all sorts of local artists into the mix,” said Devers. “And of course, the public is invited to enjoy the creative elements in every nook and cranny.”
The Studios of Key West, founded in 2006, recently renovated the historic Armory building at 600 White Street to serve as a hub for the island’s arts community. The campus comprises a main hall for workshops, lectures, and exhibitions, twelve studios for local artists and writers, a well-landscaped sculpture garden, and main office.
In 2008, the organization will expand its programming to include visiting artist residencies, free professional development sessions for Key West artists, and exciting new partnerships with Sculpture Key West, Southern Arts Federation, Red Barn Theatre, Key West Symphony, and other local arts organizations.
“I’m thrilled that Red Barn and TSKW are working together,” commented Hawkins, “It’s all about making our community a more creative, vibrant, unique place.”
The Studios of Key West staff keeps an open door, and always welcomes new ideas, cultural projects, and creative possibilities. To learn more about Friends/TSKW, next Thursday’s Walk on White, or the upcoming creative season, contact The Studios of Key West at 296-0458 or info@tskw.org.
05 November 2007
Local Artists Finding Room at the Inns
The Studios of Key West and Key West Innkeepers Association have partnered to lodge local art during the 2007 Historic Lighted Inn Tour
The Studios of Key West is helping local creative people find room at the inn. As part of the 2007 Historic Lighted Inns Tour, the work of almost a dozen artists will be installed at island accommodations such as Frances Street Bottle Inn, Cypress House, Curry Mansion, Old Town Manor, and other participating boutique hotels.
“Not only will these charming places be decorated and illuminated for the holidays, but they’ll also be filled with original works of local art,” said Elena Devers, project coordinator at The Studios of Key West.
Participating artists include painters Letty Nowak, Marc Caren, Lynn Sherman, and Janet Mueller. Photographer Lynne Bentley-Kemp, and mixed media artists Natasha Cole and Debra Yates are also creating works to show during the tour, which runs over the weekend of December 7 and 8 and 14 and 15.
The project started with a suggestion by Runi Goyal, proprietor of the Old Town Manor, an historic inn just off Duval Street. Goyal met with the staff at The Studios of Key West in mid 2007 to tour the studios and facilities.
“There’s a great level of creativity and new art being made in the Armory building, and in other nearby studio spaces,” said Goyal, “and this seemed like a perfect way to connect Key West artists with the hospitality community.”
Marc Caren, a painter originally form New York, is creating new canvasses of the two sites that will house his work during the Historic Lighted Inn Tour. Caren, who is now based at a studio in the Armory, is currently studying and painting images of the Paradise Inn and Island City House to be exhibited as part of the 15-property tour.
“It’s exciting that this project is actually generating new works of art, and possibly inspiring both artist and innkeeper to become closer creative partners,” said Goyal, who also serves on the board of the Innkeepers Association.
The Studios of Key West was established in late 2006, and is presently building a creative base at the historic Armory in Old Town. It’s mission is to support the creative process, local artists, and cultural experiences in Key West. The organization will host an ambitious slate of workshops, public programming, residencies, and new cultural initiatives in 2008. For details on arts opportunities, or to become an annual member of The Studios of Key West, contact the office at the historic Armory, 600 White Street, at 296-0458 or info@tskw.org. To learn about the 2007 Historic Lighted Inn Tour in Key West, contact 295-1334
The Studios of Key West is helping local creative people find room at the inn. As part of the 2007 Historic Lighted Inns Tour, the work of almost a dozen artists will be installed at island accommodations such as Frances Street Bottle Inn, Cypress House, Curry Mansion, Old Town Manor, and other participating boutique hotels.
“Not only will these charming places be decorated and illuminated for the holidays, but they’ll also be filled with original works of local art,” said Elena Devers, project coordinator at The Studios of Key West.
Participating artists include painters Letty Nowak, Marc Caren, Lynn Sherman, and Janet Mueller. Photographer Lynne Bentley-Kemp, and mixed media artists Natasha Cole and Debra Yates are also creating works to show during the tour, which runs over the weekend of December 7 and 8 and 14 and 15.
The project started with a suggestion by Runi Goyal, proprietor of the Old Town Manor, an historic inn just off Duval Street. Goyal met with the staff at The Studios of Key West in mid 2007 to tour the studios and facilities.
“There’s a great level of creativity and new art being made in the Armory building, and in other nearby studio spaces,” said Goyal, “and this seemed like a perfect way to connect Key West artists with the hospitality community.”
Marc Caren, a painter originally form New York, is creating new canvasses of the two sites that will house his work during the Historic Lighted Inn Tour. Caren, who is now based at a studio in the Armory, is currently studying and painting images of the Paradise Inn and Island City House to be exhibited as part of the 15-property tour.
“It’s exciting that this project is actually generating new works of art, and possibly inspiring both artist and innkeeper to become closer creative partners,” said Goyal, who also serves on the board of the Innkeepers Association.
The Studios of Key West was established in late 2006, and is presently building a creative base at the historic Armory in Old Town. It’s mission is to support the creative process, local artists, and cultural experiences in Key West. The organization will host an ambitious slate of workshops, public programming, residencies, and new cultural initiatives in 2008. For details on arts opportunities, or to become an annual member of The Studios of Key West, contact the office at the historic Armory, 600 White Street, at 296-0458 or info@tskw.org. To learn about the 2007 Historic Lighted Inn Tour in Key West, contact 295-1334
Open Doors at the Historic Armory
November 15 Walk on White offers local hand made objects, live music, food, new art,
and an open house at The Studios of Key West
The Studios of Key West will open its main and studio doors for the next Walk on White on Thursday, November 15 from 6 to 9 pm. The public is invited, and those dropping by will be treated to live music by Matthew "Phatback" Watson, new art from the 12 TSKW studio artists, and wonderful food and refreshments. And just in time for the holidays, the main hall will feature ready-to-buy work from up to a dozen local crafts-people from throughout the Keys.
“We expect a lively turn out and an incredibly creative atmosphere,” says Project Coordinator Elena Devers. “The public will have the chance to meet our studio artists, register for creative workshops, join our new Friends group, and learn about some of the wonderful cultural projects ahead.”
Striking outdoor works by local artist Anja Marais remain on view in the Armory Sculpture Garden, and fresh art has also been installed in the main interior space. The exhibition area, originally used as a drill hall for the Florida Militia, also features a new painting by former Key West resident Kevin Sloan. The 4-foot square canvas has been gifted to the Key West Symphony Orchestra in support of its 10th anniversary season, which opens in January 2008.
The Studios of Key West, founded in 2006, recently renovated the historic Armory building at 600 White Street to serve as a hub for the Key West arts community. The campus comprises a main hall for workshops, lectures, and exhibitions, twelve studios for local artists and writers, a well-landscaped sculpture garden, and main office. In 2008, the organization will expand its programming to include visiting artist residencies, free professional development sessions for Keys artists, and exciting new partnerships with Sculpture Key West, Southern
Arts Federation, Red Barn Theatre, Key West Symphony, and other local arts organizations.
“As the season approaches, our board and staff are working hard to turn the Armory into an artistic and cultural nexus for the island,” says Devers. “And thanks to new partners, friends, and community partners, it’s already become a place where people can come to discover the creative process, and develop their own.”
The Studios of Key West staff keeps an open door, and always welcomes new ideas, cultural projects, and creative possibilities. To learn more about Friends/TSKW, next Thursday’s Walk on White, or the upcoming creative season, contact The Studios of Key West at 296-0458 or info@tskw.org.
and an open house at The Studios of Key West
The Studios of Key West will open its main and studio doors for the next Walk on White on Thursday, November 15 from 6 to 9 pm. The public is invited, and those dropping by will be treated to live music by Matthew "Phatback" Watson, new art from the 12 TSKW studio artists, and wonderful food and refreshments. And just in time for the holidays, the main hall will feature ready-to-buy work from up to a dozen local crafts-people from throughout the Keys.
“We expect a lively turn out and an incredibly creative atmosphere,” says Project Coordinator Elena Devers. “The public will have the chance to meet our studio artists, register for creative workshops, join our new Friends group, and learn about some of the wonderful cultural projects ahead.”
Striking outdoor works by local artist Anja Marais remain on view in the Armory Sculpture Garden, and fresh art has also been installed in the main interior space. The exhibition area, originally used as a drill hall for the Florida Militia, also features a new painting by former Key West resident Kevin Sloan. The 4-foot square canvas has been gifted to the Key West Symphony Orchestra in support of its 10th anniversary season, which opens in January 2008.
The Studios of Key West, founded in 2006, recently renovated the historic Armory building at 600 White Street to serve as a hub for the Key West arts community. The campus comprises a main hall for workshops, lectures, and exhibitions, twelve studios for local artists and writers, a well-landscaped sculpture garden, and main office. In 2008, the organization will expand its programming to include visiting artist residencies, free professional development sessions for Keys artists, and exciting new partnerships with Sculpture Key West, Southern
Arts Federation, Red Barn Theatre, Key West Symphony, and other local arts organizations.
“As the season approaches, our board and staff are working hard to turn the Armory into an artistic and cultural nexus for the island,” says Devers. “And thanks to new partners, friends, and community partners, it’s already become a place where people can come to discover the creative process, and develop their own.”
The Studios of Key West staff keeps an open door, and always welcomes new ideas, cultural projects, and creative possibilities. To learn more about Friends/TSKW, next Thursday’s Walk on White, or the upcoming creative season, contact The Studios of Key West at 296-0458 or info@tskw.org.
01 November 2007
The Studios of Key West Continues its Free Lecture Series
John Dewey’s many winters in Key West to be focus of lecture by noted author and scholar, Dr Larry Hickman
Late-life love letters. Intimate exchanges with family members. Occasional gossip about neighbors such as Ernest Hemingway. And letters revealing personal thoughts on matters of national and international significance.
The letters and life of John Dewey in Key West, the esteemed American public figure, philosopher, and educator will be the topic of The Studios of Key West next free lecture. Distinguished Dewey scholar, Dr. Larry A. Hickman, will present his talk at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, November 14, and the public is invited. Generously funded by the Florida Humanities Council, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the event will be held in the exhibition hall of the historic Armory at 600 White Street. An interview discussion will follow the talk, moderated by noted scholar and author, Dr. Robert D. Richardson.
For several months each year between 1938 and 1950, John Dewey found sanctuary from the New York winters in cottages on Flagler, Greene, Dey and South Streets in Key West. Despite his advanced age (Dewey died in 1952 at the age of 92), he produced a quantity of lectures and publications during those years that many academics could claim with pride as the production of a lifetime.
“We are excited about this event,” says Martha Barnes, Program coordinator TSKW. “And are planning a new format in addition to the lecture, which will include an ‘Actor’s Studio’ style taped conversation. Those in attendance will be integral to the experience as members of the live audience, and their questions and ideas will play into the mix.”
Dewey’s letters from Key West provide a unique portrait of the man and the city he chose as his winter home. Dr. Hickman, Director of the Center for Dewey Studies at Southern Illinois University Carbondale since 1993, has authored four books and edited or co-edited ten additional titles, including The Correspondence of John Dewey. Hickman’s most recent publication, Philosophical Tools for Technological Culture: Putting Pragmatism to Work, will be available at the November 14 lecture.
This event is the sixth in the Florida Humanities Council sponsored series of seven lectures exploring the history of the Key West, its place in 20th century culture, and the lives of artists and writers who lived and worked on the island.
The Armory doors will open at 6:30 pm, and the lecture is free and open to all. For details, please contact The Studios of Key West at 296-0458 or info@tskw.org
The Studios of Key West is located in the Historic Armory, 600 White Street, and recently announced an upcoming season of creative workshops, innovative projects, and new partnerships. To learn more, visit the organization’s website at www.tskw.org
Late-life love letters. Intimate exchanges with family members. Occasional gossip about neighbors such as Ernest Hemingway. And letters revealing personal thoughts on matters of national and international significance.
The letters and life of John Dewey in Key West, the esteemed American public figure, philosopher, and educator will be the topic of The Studios of Key West next free lecture. Distinguished Dewey scholar, Dr. Larry A. Hickman, will present his talk at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, November 14, and the public is invited. Generously funded by the Florida Humanities Council, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the event will be held in the exhibition hall of the historic Armory at 600 White Street. An interview discussion will follow the talk, moderated by noted scholar and author, Dr. Robert D. Richardson.
For several months each year between 1938 and 1950, John Dewey found sanctuary from the New York winters in cottages on Flagler, Greene, Dey and South Streets in Key West. Despite his advanced age (Dewey died in 1952 at the age of 92), he produced a quantity of lectures and publications during those years that many academics could claim with pride as the production of a lifetime.
“We are excited about this event,” says Martha Barnes, Program coordinator TSKW. “And are planning a new format in addition to the lecture, which will include an ‘Actor’s Studio’ style taped conversation. Those in attendance will be integral to the experience as members of the live audience, and their questions and ideas will play into the mix.”
Dewey’s letters from Key West provide a unique portrait of the man and the city he chose as his winter home. Dr. Hickman, Director of the Center for Dewey Studies at Southern Illinois University Carbondale since 1993, has authored four books and edited or co-edited ten additional titles, including The Correspondence of John Dewey. Hickman’s most recent publication, Philosophical Tools for Technological Culture: Putting Pragmatism to Work, will be available at the November 14 lecture.
This event is the sixth in the Florida Humanities Council sponsored series of seven lectures exploring the history of the Key West, its place in 20th century culture, and the lives of artists and writers who lived and worked on the island.
The Armory doors will open at 6:30 pm, and the lecture is free and open to all. For details, please contact The Studios of Key West at 296-0458 or info@tskw.org
The Studios of Key West is located in the Historic Armory, 600 White Street, and recently announced an upcoming season of creative workshops, innovative projects, and new partnerships. To learn more, visit the organization’s website at www.tskw.org
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