Billy Kearins is the founder of COAST — a rustic, funky space made up of a retail store showroom, studio workshops, an event venue and more — all located on Stock Island’s Front Street where a hand-painted sign indicates “Mellow Folk Welcome.”
When Randy Towe was 10 years old, he asked his mother to buy him a $200 custom fishing rod. His mother didn’t agree, so he convinced her to spend considerably less and purchase the necessary parts. The young fishing fanatic then built his own rod -- and today, he crafts prized rods for others from his store in the Florida Keys.
Whether you’re an experienced or aspiring writer, a passionate reader, or simply a fan of Ernest Hemingway’s exuberant Key West lifestyle, you’ll find a rich roster of literary events during Hemingway Days 2016.
Artists and artisans from across the globe flock to the Florida Keys and stay, making the island chain their home while helping shape its reputation as a cultural mecca. Whether textiles, jewelry, housewares, reclaimed wood furniture or other temptations, their quality handcrafted items are quintessentially “Keys.”
For more than 15 years, Randy Roberts has excited and entertained Key West audiences, impersonating a wide range of characters in a live multimedia tribute to some of the world’s most beloved female performers -- from the divine Bette Midler to the incomparable Cher.
Aspiring potters working from the clay of the earth learn, find inspiration, and practice their craft at Middle and Upper Keys studios. And opportunities abound around the island chain for people eager to explore their own potential and discover others' artistry.
More than 2,100 people submitted stories to the Florida Keys Flash Fiction Contest, competing to work in Ernest Hemingway’s former Key West writing studio. But none of them could outshine “Wallpaper” by Ireland’s Denyse Woods.
Visitors can enjoy the indigenous flavors of the Florida Keys, and take home tasty edible “souvenirs” to help sustain them until their next vacation escape. The Keys are home to artisan food crafters including a master chocolatier, beekeepers and even a saltmaker.
In the Florida Keys, where the day-to-day business of living is easy, extraordinary creativity thrives. You'll find scores of freethinking spirits who, in the island chain’s nurturing atmosphere, indulge their talent for crafting wares as individualistic as they are.
If one man’s junk is another man’s treasure, then the late Key Largo resident Stanley Papio was a treasure hunter extraordinaire. And ultimately, he became a treasure creator — crafting some of the edgiest and most eclectic metal sculptures of his generation.