Outside The Lines: Key West Art & Historical Society Launches New Adult Education Program
Key West Art & Historical Society, one of the county’s oldest non-profits dedicated to preserving, interpreting, and exhibiting the art, architecture, and the history of the Florida Keys, has moved deeper into its mission of enhancing community and cultural engagement through the recent development of its latest initiative, “Outside The Lines.”
In studying the ‘next practices’ of art museum education throughout the country, Adele Williams, KWAHS Education Specialist says she is “trying to find what best suits our community’s needs,” identifying exciting new programs that align with Key West’s own innovative arts and historical explorations.
While the organization has long honored Key West iconic artists such as Mario Sanchez, Suzie dePoo, and Ernest Hemingway, it also strives to celebrate the community’s contemporary local artists, as will be witnessed in this season’s upcoming exhibits with photographer Rob O’Neil, mixed media artist Roberta Marks, painter Marky Pierson and sculptor Will Fernandez. The premise of Outside The Lines is to explore the nature and process of creating art while engaging a diverse group of ages, something Williams has already touched upon this summer while building upon the organization’s existing ArtCamp! program at Fort East Martello for children aged 5-12.
Outside The Line’s inaugural program will feature local experts who will share their talent with participants while using the collections housed in The Society’s three museums — The Lighthouse & Keeper’s Quarters, Fort East Martello, and The Custom House— as inspiration.
“Breaking down the stilted facade of museums and encouraging aspiring artists to create and display their work is the driving force behind this initiative,” she says about the full and half-day programs she has developed.
Several workshops are already scheduled on the KWAHS events calendar including: Assignment Key West 2015, a two-weekend photographic workshop and adventure with Todd Feit that begins September 25 and embraces the current KWAHS exhibit featuring world-renowned photographer Arthur Rothstein; Which Way Is Up?, a collaborative, 4-day workshop spread out over January weekends led by artist Vera Vasek and inspired by the museum collections at Fort East Martello; and Painting the Water with Jon McIntosh, a 3-hour workshop on March 12, where participants will learn how to capture the movement of light on water from the sweeping porches of the Custom House. Each workshop will culminate with a pop-up exhibit featuring the work of the participants and the instructor.
Also on the roster are scholarship programs for the workshops and docent internships for high school students, which Williams hopes will help “encourage the artists, historians, and curators of tomorrow,” she says.
For more information about Outside The Lines or to secure registration in one of the upcoming workshops please visit WWW.KWAHS.ORG. For questions and further information please contact Education Specialist Adele Williams at 295.6616 x 115.
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