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.
Many of the Florida Keys most appealing festivals and events celebrate visual, performing and literary artists’ passion and talent. And while each one is different, they all spotlight the Keys’ vibrant history, natural richness, and irresistible vibe that inspires creative spirits.
Key West has inspired creative types for decades, and perhaps none so much as painters. I know at least a dozen men on the island whose passion is capturing on canvas the island’s landscapes, wildlife and people.
Not unexpectedly, given its exuberant community of artists, Key West is home to a diverse variety of galleries. One of the earliest established — and still flourishing — is Guild Hall Gallery, an artists’ cooperative located at 614 Duval St.
David Kaufelt’s greatest accomplishment, and the one that made perhaps the most lasting impact, was founding the superb and critically acclaimed Key West Literary Seminar. In early February, a national literary landmark was dedicated in his honor on the island he loved.
Nothing exemplifies the size, diversity, and exuberant creativity of the Florida Keys arts community more than the 2016 Connections Project mural. The mural, which stretches 24 feel long, is a mosaic featuring small canvases by nearly 400 Keys artists and arts-minded residents.