Salvadoran artist Carlo Mejía serves as a conduit to the ancient Mayans, whose rooftop observatories were the wonders of the pre-Colombian world. His porcelain vases and colorful paintings are steeped in myth, with bold patterns and stylized faces that seem to gaze through time. Sales from the exhibition benefit the construction of “Hugh’s View,” The Studios’ rooftop terrace due to open late 2019.
The Tom Majors Wood Art Invitational is a month-long, island-wide celebration of the creative potential of wood, and by extension, a statement of faith that the intersection of humankind and nature needn’t be disastrous, but can result in objects and experiences filled with beauty and meaning. The Studios of Key West, in addition to serving as the hub for the invitational, will host With the Grain, an exhibition of contemporary wood artists from across the country.
People have been living on boats off Key West longer than there has been a town called Key West – or even Cayo Hueso. On The Hook is a photo a photo narrative project focussing on this community — a mix of old timers, new comers, and sailors who are here to earn enough money to make it to the next deepwater port — the people who live on the edge of the edge.
After a decade away Emma Starr reconnects with our island through her analogue photographs, seeking peace and beauty within the intimate landscape. Her images explore the native flora, surrounding waters and emotive sky that have, again, become her second homeland. Starr’s deconstructed polaroids are released from their dormant form and transformed into personal narratives.
The rules of the show are simple – nothing more than 10” in any direction – but the possibilities are endless. Since 2005, Lemonade Stand’s annual Small Works Show has become one of the most anticipated exhibitions on the island. Last year, a record number of submissions, from forty-four states and sixteen countries resulted, in nearly two hundred selected works on view.
Stories are at the heart of Zlamany’s project, which explores the positive impact of portraiture. This multimedia exhibition features community portraits she created, and narratives she collected, during her residency.
10,000 Memories Deep consists of mixed media images that, like dreams, are fragmented yet connected, familiar yet uncertain. In Esposito’s work, past meets present, form and color traverse time, and personal narratives prevail.
A true artist of the Keys, Kerry Hoeppner is known for his ability to turn palm fronds, coconuts and other natural bits into whimsical sculptural creations.
Delgado works with the idea of experience – mining visual images for their emotional and spiritual content. Never having a preconceived image in mind, he seeks to portray things that are not obvious in reality, focusing instead on the composition and the balance of the work. This amalgamation of uncertainty and confidence brings his work to life in surprising ways.
Alaina Plowdrey explores ideas of physicality, drive and determination in her portraits of active duty service members. Linking her paintings to the ideas of philosopher and poet Lucretuis, Plowdrey delves into the psyche of the soldier.
To create her latest works, a series of digital images on wood, LaRance spent countless hours transferring, burnishing, sanding and varnishing. This hands-on process also ensures “beauty marks” – tiny imperfections that are LaRance’s favorite part of the work.
Every summer, we celebrate slowing down and heating up with a special Members’ Show and party. Mango Madness welcomes paintings, sculptures and assorted art objects that capture the color of Key West (or simply what our talented members are up to lately). Join us for one of Perry Arnold’s famous mango margaritas while checking out the latest works from our family of artists.
