With a unique history as the home of world-renowned authors, and a natural beauty that has inspired generations of artists, the Florida Keys feature cultural offerings that can’t be found anywhere else.
And that means you can find a wide range of “only in the Keys” experiences along the island chain this winter and spring — like the three outlined here.
An art lover takes a photo of a section of the 24-foot-long Connections Project mural at its Key Largo debut reception. (Photo by Cammy Clark, Monroe County)
Discover the Connections Project Mural. A 24-foot mosaic mural featuring art by almost 400 Florida Keys resident artists debuted Feb. 6, and it’s touring the island chain to showcase the connection between the community and local cultural initiatives.
The Connections Project mural, spearheaded by the Florida Keys Council of the Arts and titled “A Mosaic of the Keys,” has begun its tour at the Murray Nelson Government & Cultural Center in Key Largo. Starting Feb. 15, it travels to Islamorada, Marathon, Big Pine Key and finally Key West, with a reception celebrating its arrival at each display site.
The mural is made up of nearly 400 individual canvases measuring 6 inches square — all provided to local artists and creative residents for them to adorn as they chose. The completed canvases feature art in mediums including painting, photography, mixed media and three-dimensional construction.
Once the Connections Project tour is over, you can acquire individual canvases through a unique “random choice” purchase process. And proceeds benefit Keys artists and arts organizations through arts council grants — which makes collecting your own canvases even more satisfying.
Follow the Emerging Florida Keys Sculpture Trail. Traveling between Islamorada and Key West? Then you can follow an 80-mile trail of large-scale outdoor sculptures whose installation is being completed along the island chain.
“Avis Gloriae” by Sheila Berger is one of nine large-scale installations that make up the Florida Keys Sculpture Trail.
The exciting new trail is a collaboration between the Florida Keys Council of the Arts, Key West philanthropists John Padget and Jacob Dekker, and the Monroe County Art in Public Places Committee. Six sculptures are already installed, with three others to debut soon.
If you’re flying into Key West International Airport, for example, you’ll be greeted by the giant sculptures “Avis Gloriae” (or “bird of glory and praise”) and “Nature Eternal.” Both were created by Sheila Berger.
Other Keys works include “Leaves of Grass,” by Markus Holtby, located in Marathon at The Art Studio at 12353 Overseas Highway. “Wind Tower,” a collaborative work of seven sculptors, is located at the site of Grimal Grove on Big Pine Key.
Three additional works will be installed on private property in Islamorada, and two can be found on Grassy Key at Keys Cable at oTHErside Adventure Park.
The sculptures first stood in Manhattan’s Riverside Park South along the Hudson River as part of the “Model to Monument” program. The public arts program is a partnership between the prestigious Art Students League of New York and New York City Parks for emerging artists.
The sculptures’ Florida Keys locations are detailed on an easy-to-use map in the arts council’s 2018 Gallery Guide.
Turn Back Time on Pigeon Key. The historic 5-acre Pigeon Key has a new gateway in Marathon, with ferry tours to the island departing from the landmark Faro Blanco Lighthouse marina at the Faro Blanco Resort and Yacht Club, a Hyatt Place.
Pigeon Key, the one-time base camp for the workers that constructed Henry Flagler’s Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad, lies beneath the Old Seven Mile Bridge. (Photo by Andy Newman, Florida Keys News Bureau)
“Stepping onto Pigeon Key is like stepping back 100 years in the Keys,” advises Kelly McKinnon, Pigeon Key Foundation’s executive director — and he’s absolutely right.
Pigeon Key was home in the early 1900s to about 400 workers who helped build Henry Flagler’s iconic Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad. It was also a supply depot, dormitory with commissary and a passenger train stop.
Hourlong tours of the amazing historic site run daily at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. On the tour, you can explore a former section-gang quarters, former paint foreman’s dorm and a historical museum — once the home of an assistant bridge tender.
Pigeon Key’s visitor center and gift shop is located at mile marker 47.5, just north of the Faro Blanco resort.
Of course, there are many more “only in the Keys” cultural offerings — all providing insights into different aspects of the intriguing, inspirational island chain. So why not embark on a Keyswide adventure and discover them for yourself?
