In anticipation of a surefire highlight of our holiday season, we present selections from the fabulous art collection of Campbell Cawood, the longtime philanthropist and friend of Key West, who died in 2022. The mark of a true collector, Campbell’s home was filled with art in every corner of every room.

They say change is constant, but there are certainly times when you feel it more than others. Time passes at the same speed overnight, for example, but reaches a crescendo at sunrise. The pop of a seedling emerging from the soil arrives after weeks of slumber as a humble pip. We’ve all been through a moment, so to speak, and invite our artist members to share what’s changed, even if it was always there.

This past June, a group of watercolor enthusiasts met at the beach, just before sunset, with paints, brushes and open imaginations. Led by beloved Key West-New York artist Susan Sugar, the students learned new ways of observing the ephemeral shapes and transitory moods of the evening sky. A selection of student watercolors will be shown alongside one of Susan’s own in the Zabar Lobby Gallery.

Chiechi has produced a 200-page graphic novel exploring the pirate magic behind Mallory Square. From anchorage to attraction, this small Gulfside spot holds a strange draw which Chiechi explores through interviews and colorful sketches.

Atmospheric nature sounds from the Boreal forest fill the gallery in January, where the floor is covered with islands of pillows nestling clusters of stone-like glass sculptures. Visitors are invited to explore, touch and rearrange the rocks, a gentle metaphor for the fragility and vicissitudes of nature, and of the impact we have on it as humans.

Bennett’s series of intimate paintings illuminate the slower side of Key West, and the expansiveness of vistas beyond the island. Each work is observed from nature, but not plein air, allowing her memory of the scene to inform the painting.

The Shavers depict the Black experience of Key West from their perspective—a family that has lived on the island for six generations. The exhibition includes the VMFA award-winning short, “Southernmost” alongside screen prints and photographs.

One of Cuba’s most beloved artists, Alpízar is a master of his craft at a level that approaches the magical. With the technique of an old master, he combines surreal juxtapositions and razor sharp wit to fashion whole worlds within his paintings and objects.

Jeff Ware’s own unpredictable journey brought him to woodworking four years ago. In the time that’s followed, he’s excelled at the craft producing numerous freeform sculptures from local and non-local woods.

“Mechanisms of Life” is Heverin’s ode to the amalgam of spiritual and technical ingenuity. He starts with a common object of beauty (a horse, a violin), bringing that object to life with polished brass, woodwork and vintage clock parts.