Key West The Newspaper

The American industrialist, developer and philanthropist Henry Flagler built luxury hotels; and then built railroads to link the hotels, founding the Florida East Coast Railway.

Now Key West Art & Historical Society will take students on a history and engineering journey as they launch both a new ‘Overseas Railroad’ traveling STEM-based workshop (science, technology, engineering and math) and pop-up exhibit, funded by a recently won, $100,000 William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust grant and host a hands-on bridge building workshop for children led by KWAHS Education Director Adele Williams this Friday, November 25 and Saturday, November 26 at the International Sand Art Competition, held at the Casa Marina Resort.

As artist’s craft incredible sand sculptures on the Casa Marina Resort beach, children are invited to join Ms. Williams and test their engineering genius by building bridges from unlikely tools such as duct tape, popsicle sticks, and pipe cleaners, with a competition to see who can build the sturdiest bridge. Friday’s adventures also include ‘Flagler’s Treasure Dig,’ an opportunity for people of all ages to search for hidden treasures in the sand surrounding a new Flagler train sand sculpture created by renowned sand sculptors Marianne van den Broek and Chris Guinto.

For more information about the new Flagler ‘Overseas Railroad’ traveling – and online – exhibit and STEM-based workshop that will debut at Casa Marina Resort and take to the road in December of 2016, and the International Sand Art Competition workshop and treasure hunt, contact Adele Williams, KWAHS Director of Education at 305.295.6616 extension 115.

For more information about the International Sand Art Competition, which runs Wednesday, November 23 through Sunday, November 27, visit sandartkeywest.com/international-sand-art-competition.