Sisters, Mothers, Lovers, Others – Women Visualizing Women is a show of contemporary works by woman artists on the subject of women opening September 7 at The Studios of Key West. The exhibition also kicks off WomenFest Key West’s line-up of events with a late afternoon reception, Tuesday, September 7, 3-5 p.m. in the Historic Armory. The reception is open to the public, with many of the artists expected to be present, and will be on view thru October 6.

The artwork showcases artists living and working in the Keys, including Annamarie Giordano, Susan Sugar, Sue D’Antonio, Elizabeth Devries, Kate Miller, Lauren McAloon, Carol Tedesco, Coco Strauss, Frankie Zeh, Laurie Margolin, Marianne Motches,  Sandy Mezinis and others.

“Women weave together the various rich threads of their lives – friendships, sexuality, family, children, work, spirituality, intellectuality – into distinct and unique lifestyles.  Each woman emphasizes these characteristics differently, subduing some and flaunting others. Likewise, women share the same body elements, but each develops her own look, like refrigerator magnets, infinitely rearranged.  This exhibition attempts to capture some of that diversity, ” says Judi Bradford, guest curator for the show.

With this collection, from figure drawings and paintings to sculpture and abstracted images, the women artists of the southernmost islands see their gender with sensitive insight.

Running concurrently in SPACE 2, TSKW’s newest location to exhibit art, Jimm Sherrington: The Wild World of a Key West Legend launches the season with a sampling of new paintings paired with works from his past 30 years in Key West. Many locals will recall the “Spot Series” of work featuring his beloved canine and best friend.

Known internationally as a master Scrimshaw Artist, his career developed towards commercial lines with illustration and graphic design projects, all the while continuing to paint for pleasure, purpose and the elusive profit.

Jimm is a fixture at Blue Heaven and can be seen on his “en plein air” porch studio intensely responding to the wild world around him.

Both exhibitions will be celebrated a second time,  Thursday, September 16 from 6-9 p.m. during the Walk on White monthly Open House at TSKW.

Images: Clockwise from top left:

“I Love Love” mixed media by Coco Strauss
Encaustic image by Annamarie Giordano
Untitled pastel on paper by Annamarie Giordano
“Difference of Opinion” mixed media on canvas by Marianne Motches
“Cow Jumped Over the Moon” by Jimm Sherrington
The Artist Jimm Sherrington

TSKW would like to thank Tom Pope, owner of the property at 610 White Street, for helping us to create an opportunity for additional artists to be a part of the TSKW community.  Starting this month, several artists who applied and were accepted last May as studio artists will begin moving in to spaces at “610 Studios”.  Just two doors down from the Armory, the property will now be an extension of our artist studios and will be open for the public to tour during the September Walk on White on Sept. 16.  We’d like to welcome the studio artists who are becoming a part of the community, Maureen Tracy Venti, Sally Binard, Brooks Whitney Phillips, and Judi Bradford.

Here’s a profile of our new studio artists.

Maureen Tracy Venti is originally from the Berkshires, in Massachusetts.  She has a BA in English from UMASS Amherst, a M.Ed. in Research and Evaluation from Boston College, an MFA from Lesley University in Creative Writing, and a Certificate in Literary Publishing from Emerson College.  Her poetry has been published in The Secret of Salt: An Indigenous Journal and she has been a contributing author for Microsoft Press Publications.  A former Principal Software Consultant with Microsoft Corporation, she now lives in Key West, FL and Jackson, NH with her husband Eddie and their golden retriever Luca.

Maureen says, “My art encompasses three disciplines: Poetry, Photography and Publishing.  Poetry conveys big ideas in minimalist language.  Photography transforms by stillness, revealing the ordinary as extraordinary.  Poetography is the art of combining poetic lines with images to create a theme, a narrative, an epiphany.  Publishing is an art form too, one that adds a third dimension to works of literature and art.

I founded Stella Luca Press with the vision of publishing books that are themselves works of art, in content and in form.  In addition to my own work, I am developing book projects with other Key West writers and artists.  I have admired the work of TSKW since its inception and am excited to become a part of this artistic community.”

To see an example of Maureen’s work click here

Brooks Whitney Phillips was born and raised in downtown Chicago. She attended Franklin College Switzerland where her studies focused on European art and literature before transferring to the University of Denver. Upon graduation she spent three years working in public relations & advertising until deciding to pursue a career as a freelance writer. She was a long-time contributor to the Chicago Tribune for whom she wrote a weekly-syndicated column and feature stories focusing on music and the arts. She has published six children’s books for the popular American Girls collection as well as been a columnist and feature writer for their magazine, American Girl. She has also published two books with Scholastic and served as Assistant Entertainment Editor for CompuServe’s online publishing division. Brooks has lived in Key West for twelve years and is busy raising a young family, contributing stories to Coastal Living magazine, and finishing a novel—this one for adults!

Brooks says, “For me writing fiction is not just about story.  It’s about the rhythm of words, the lyricism of a sentence, the ability to convey senses, to vividly portray place, and from the murky depths of imagination, to ultimately create a language of one’s own.”

To read an excerpt from Brooks’ novel-in-progress, click here

Sally Binard now calls the Florida Keys home after 12 years. She came to the Keys as a biologist for the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. With a background in scientific illustration, it was a natural progression to incorporate the artistic vibe of Key West into her art and pursue painting more vigorously. She is looking forward to using her studio at 610 Studios to work on her latest series of paintings on Haiti and its’ people.

To see examples of her work, click here

Judi Bradford has had work in nearly all the galleries in Key West at one time or another, including the late Richard Heyman’s original Gingerbread Gallery, later to become Gingerbread Square.  She has been a founding partner in three Duval Street galleries: Cayo Hueso Graphics 1979, Guild Hall Gallery 1983, SoDu Gallery 2006.

For most of her career in Key West, She had a retail studio/gallery, Lizard Licks, named for the soft sculpture critters I made for retail and wholesale markets.

Judi says, “I am thrilled to be included in The Studios of Key West, where I attend the figure drawing sessions and have participated in two One Night Stands and other events. I love being part of a team and have put a lot of energy into building teams throughout my 30+ years on the island. ”

To see examples of Judi’s work, please click here

Welcome to all the new studio artists!

Local Artists Create Amazing Rolling Art!

Bum Farto Bike by Andy Thurber

Thank you for your interest in TSKW.  We welcome proposals for residencies, creative projects, workshops, exhibitions, and professional development opportunities.

A TSKW Sculpture Garden Exhibit offers participating artists the opportunity to showcase original sculptural artwork in a small, unique garden environment adjacent to the Historic Armory; home of The Studios of Key West, in the much visited heart of Old Town, Key West, Florida.

All program proposals submitted by the deadline will be reviewed for consideration, and acknowledged within two weeks of receipt.

To see an archive of Sculpture Garden exhibitions/installations from the past four years, please check out the Sculpture Garden section at www.tskw.org/campus/sculpture

To download an proposal form, please click sculpture garden proposal

Proposals may include work that is already realized.  Site informed or site specific proposals are especially encouraged.

Artists will be responsible for the transport, installation, maintenance and de-installation of their work. Assistance from TSKW staff as well as volunteers can be arranged. Insurance of artwork, if desired, must be carried by the artist.

Selected proposals will receive an honorarium/stipend of up to $500 for a partial garden exhibit (front or rear) or $1000 for a full garden installation.  Artists will receive 50% of this at the completion of installation and the remaining 50% will be received at the completion of de-installation and the return of the garden to its original condition. TSKW is willing to help artists locate housing options, if needed, to help defray costs during installing and de-installing work.

Deadline: August 1, 2010  We accept proposals year round, this deadline will prioritize applications received for this coming season for accepted artists inclusion in our annual, full color, printed and on-line catalog.
Proposals will be juried by The Studios of Key West Sculpture Garden Committee.

Accepted artists will be notified by e-mail prior to September 7 and additionally contacted to finalize all exhibition details. There will be a TSKW Sculpture Garden Exhibitor contract to review for selected proposals. Proposals will not be returned to artists. TSKW will notify artists whose proposals were not selected via email. These proposals will be kept in the TSKW Sculpture Garden Exhibition Proposal waiting list file for one year.

Works remain the property of the artist, any inquiries regarding the sale of work will be forwarded to the artist or artists representative.  Any sales realized as a direct result of a Sculpture Garden Exhibition will be subject to An agreed upon commission

An agreed upon commission will be charged for any sales realized as a direct result of a Sculpture Garden Exhibition.

TSKW must be notified of any changes to accepted proposals prior to installation, reserving the right to refuse any substitutions. TSKW staff will work with artists to determine placement of work within the garden and will retain the right of final placement decisions.

TSKW reserves the right to use any photos of work and/or artists for educational, marketing and publicity purposes.

Application guidelines for proposals and photos of the TSKW Sculpture Garden and past Exhibitions can be viewed on the TSKW web site. www.tskw.org

Further questions are welcomed by e-mailing lauren@tskw.org

On June 21,  Historic Florida Keys Foundation and the Key West Historic Marker Tour partnered with TSKW for a special marker dedication and reception at the Armory.  Following the dedication, guests were treated to a presentation on the history of the Armory by historian Tom Hambright.

This special marker that was placed  to honor the early preservationists in Key West who saved the Armory from it’s scheduled demolition in 1969. Thanks to their grassroots fight, the State appointed the first preservation board.  Eventually this first board raised the funds needed to restore the building that TSKW now calls home.

One of the only living people who was a part of that group was Ed Knight, who was in attendance at the reception.  From all of us at TSKW, and the whole Key West community, thank you!

To learn more about all the special markers placed around Key West, visit www.historicmarkertour.org/Markers

Rick Worth Retrospective A Smashing Success!

The monumental milestone exhibition “Rick Worth: Painting in Paradise: 25 Year Retrospective” curated by Martha Barnes, presented over 100 works by 80 lenders, along with mounds of archival materials showcasing the significance of the artistic and humanitarian contribution of one special smiling soul and island favorite- Rick Worth. On June 17, the community poured into the historic Armory hall by the hundreds to experience the magical environment created within it. Vehicles, theatre props, novelties and paintings (many never before seen publicly on loan from private collections). From candybars- his “sweet little ones”- to major murals filled the room forming a chronological tour of the last quarter century in Key West. From a pontoon boat to a parade of painted art cars, the exterior of the armory welcomed locals and visitors into the show with the fantasy fanfare Key West is known for. As one patron commented, “when do you get to walk through a six foot mouth with fangs?”

Posted below are a few photos from the magical evening below.

And for those of you who weren’t able to join us, please check out the links to exhibition acknowledgments, the list of lenders, and a chronology of Rick’s life – 25 years of painting in paradise.

Acknowledgements- Rick Worth

List of Lenders- Rick Worth

Rick Worth Chronology

Famed Modern Dancers Visit Key West for Dance Programs

This month, two principal dancers of two of the world’s leading modern dance companies, Martha Graham Dance Company and Limón Dance Company, will visit Key West to share their talents and understanding of the world of modern dance with a series of classes, lectures and films.

As part of their visit, on Friday, June 18 at 3:00 pm TSKW will host an informal talk-back with the two prominent dancers at the Armory. Artistic Director Maurizio Nardi will be joined by leading dancer Daniel Fetecuca Soto of the Limon Dance Company and will talk with audience members about how they became dancers and about the differing artistic visions of their dance companies. The event is free-of- charge.

“Key West Modern Dance” program has been made possible with support from Florida Keys Council of the Arts, and begins its second year in Key West. In addition to lectures and films, Nardi and Soto will also be teaching modern dance classes at CoffeeMill Dance & Yoga Studio at 916 Pohalski Street in Key West. Two classes a day start June 15 for five days. The instruction focuses on modern form and technique for students and pre-professional dancers.

“Key West is one of America’s pulse points for the arts,” said Nardi. “Literature and fine arts and film have a rich heritage here. We want to create the same kind of heritage for modern dance in Key West.”
Leaving a budding dance career in his native Florence, Italy, Nardi came to the United States on a full scholarship from the Martha Graham School in 1998. He joined the world-renowned company in 2002 and has danced starring roles in many of Graham’s signature productions.

A native of Bogotá, Daniel Fetecuca Soto earned a BFA from Folkwang University in Germany. He has won numerous fellowships and commissions including two prestigious Harlem Stage Fund grants. Soto has danced with the Limón Dance Company since 2006.

In addition to CoffeeMill dance classes, Nardi will present a “Modern Dance Film Festival” at Key West’s Tropic Cinema with documentaries about the legendary founders of the two dance companies, Martha Graham and José Limón. Jennifer O’Lear, arts and culture editor of the Key West Keynoter will introduce the short films Wednesday, June 16 and Thursday, June 17 at 7:30 PM at the popular Eaton Street moviehouse. Nardi and Soto will answer questions and talk about the films and their experiences in modern dance following the screenings. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $6 for Tropic members.
Dancer and choreographer Martha Graham founded her own dance company in 1926. The oldest, and perhaps most famous modern dance company in the world, Graham redefined performance dance as decisively as other 20th century artists changed painting, literature and music.
Mexican-born José Limón moved to New York City in 1928 and founded his own company in 1946. Limón brought an athletic, neoclassic vision of modern dance to the stage that influenced both classical and modern choreographers to this day.
For information on CoffeeMill classes, visit keywestmoderndance.com or call 305-296-9982. For film schedules and details about the Tropic Cinema’s “Modern Dance Film Festival,” visit tropiccinema.com. TSKW.com has information about Nardi’s and Soto’s dance talk-back at the Studios of Key West.

TSKW Partners with Womenfest to Create an Unforgettable Concert Event on Wednesday September 8 at 7 pm at the Armory

Though Emily Saliers is known most for being one half of the folk-rock duo Indigo Girls – she stands alone as an incredible, independent artistic force.

Among her many other talents, Emily is an author, an owner of restaurants, an avid wine collector, and has composed a film score all the while writing lyrics & music for numerous albums and touring around the US and the world.

She sings, plays the guitar, banjo, piano, mandolin, ukulele, and many other instruments. Add to that all of her work as a political and environmental activist and you’ve got one amazing woman.

Since the Indigo Girls first independently released album, 1987’s Strange Fire, they have sold over seven million albums worldwide, including one double-platinum disc, three platinum discs and four gold discs, as well as earning six Grammy nominations. In 1989, they were nominated for Best New Artist and took home the Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album. Their 11th studio album, Poseidon and The Bitter Bug was released in 2009 to critical acclaim on their own independent label, IG Recordings, distributed through Vanguard Records.

Spend don’t miss this chance to spend a special evening with Emily Saliers during Womenfest on Wednesday, Sept 8 at 7 pm

Tickets now on sale here
$25 – for general admission OR
$75 – admission to special VIP reception + priority seating (closest to the stage)

It is with great pleasure that The Studios of Key West announces the selection of visual artist Veronika Bunk as the newest member of the studio artist community.

Veronika was selected from nearly a dozen people who responded to our call for applicants in April. TSKW was honored to have so many talented artists apply for the spot, and was thrilled to be reminded once again of how rich our island community is with talent and creativity.

Veronika grew up in Germany, completed her studies in England, and eventually earned a doctorate in Modern History.  Veronika reports that she was hooked on fine art from her childhood, and learned drawing and watercolor techniques from a local artist in her home town in Germany.  She impressed the selection committee with her dedication to her artistic development and her desire to express herself through her abstract paintings.

Though Veronika is relatively new to Key West – having moved here only a few months ago with her husband – she has already become a part of the Key West art scene and has been inspired by the work of many island artists.  She first got involved at TSKW when she took the Abstract Painting Seminar with Roberta Marks this season.

“During class I found that it was the works of my fellow students which helped me progress as much as Roberta’s critique.” says Veronika, “As a studio artist, I would be thrilled to share the other artists’ insights and move forward together.”

Veronika’s artistic style has developed quite naturally into an exploration of abstract expressionism, and she plans to use the studio to work with oil paints and larger canvases. She also hopes to develop her understanding of composition, shape and line through working with collage and linocut.

She reports that even though she has yet to move into the studio, she already feels as if she is part of the TSKW community.

“The courses and shows TSKW has put on has been an inspiration to me since I arrived,” she says,  “They have made me feel part of the community quicker than I would have thought possible.”

Stop by this month’s Walk on White on June 17 from 6-9 pm to say hello to Veronika and help us welcome her to the TSKW community.

The Studios of Key West would like to thank all the artists who applied for the studio artist position.

“Transience in the Plane” acrylic painting by Veronika Bunk

“Childhood Diptych” – Collage by Veronika Bunk