A New Lease for the Arts: AN ARTIST COLONY HAS OPENED IN AN OLD KEY WEST ARMORY BUILDING TO GIVE LOCALS A CREATIVE SPACE
By Cammy Clark, The Miami Herald
Jan. 23–KEY WEST — Hays Blinckmann’s first painting studio in Key West went up in flames, the work of an arsonist. She relocated across the street, only to be flooded by Hurricane Wilma in 2005.
She resorted to creating her humorous “modern woman” still lifes in her dining room. But the 33-year-old artist with more creative ideas than work space knew she had to find her own studio when her husband went to grab a martini glass.
“No, it’s in the painting,” she told him. “You can’t touch it.”
Finally, Blinckmann’s fortunes changed. The Studios of Key West, a nonprofit artist colony several years in the works, was ready to house its first locals.
Over the holidays, Blinckmann and five other visual artists moved into the second floor of the historic old Armory building, located on tree-lined White Street that’s known for its art galleries.
Three other artists — a writer, painter and poet — are waiting for work space to open up.
“Key West has always been a haven for artists, who seem to come here for the wonderful light, and for writers, who come here for the inspiration,” said Ken Domanski, The Studios’ chairman of the board.
But poet Arlo Haskell, who also is The Studios’ program director, said that Key West has changed a lot since the 1930s when then-unknown poet Elizabeth Bishop rented an old-town apartment for $4 a week.
SKY-HIGH RENTS
Tennessee Williams would be shocked to see how the recent real estate boom in the Southernmost City has pushed rents through the tin roofs. The exorbitant costs had forced artists such as Lisa Esposito — who also works as a waitress, yoga teacher and caterer — to create her mixed-media paintings and sculptures on a door laid flat over two sawhorses in her kitchen.
Debra Yates, who created the 135-foot tile mosaic at Smathers Beach, had been working under an awning in her backyard. And mixed-media artist Deborah Goldman needed to find new space with her Stock Island studio being torn down to make way for a marina/condominium development.
For other artists, it was too late. The high costs already had driven them off the island.
“We want to help artists stay here,” Domanski said. “We want to continue our emphasis of Key West being a cultural destination.”
The Rodel Charitable Foundation of Florida began the still-evolving arts community project about four years ago. The idea sounded great, but how should such a community be formed in Key West?
To find out, the foundation sent a dozen artists to colonies around the country on full fellowship grants. The only stipulation was those artists had to return and provide a full briefing of the good and bad of the experience.
Domanski said there also was a three-year “struggle” to find the right location. Eventually, The Studios landed the bright yellow Armory that used to house the men and ammunition for the Island City National Guard and the bottom floor of Old City Hall, built in 1891.
Both buildings are owned by the state and managed by the Historic Florida Keys Foundation, which is leasing them to The Studios, which has spent hundreds of thousands to renovate them. The Studios, which receives major funding from the Rodel Foundation, is renting individual work spaces to the artists for a nearly 50-percent subsidized rate of $175 to $700 a month, depending on size.
Yates, a Key West native who creates abstract compositions with a primitive feel from her use of bamboo, copper and nails, was especially thrilled at the location. As teenagers, her mom and father used to kiss on the Armory steps in the 1920s. And her daughter took gymnastics in the building.
“I love it,” Yates said. “I think it has good energy.”
A NEW LIGHT
So does oil-and-canvas painter Peter Vey, who was enjoying the midday light beaming into his 400-square-foot studio last week as he worked on a Caribbean market scene while Tug his dog played with a ball.
Vey’s shelves are filled with 50 colors of oil paints with such names as sag green, burnt sienna and French ultramarine. He also has enough room to store his golf clubs and spear gun for fishing.
Vey worked with a palette knife to mix colors and apply the paint in layers to his new creation that he will display in an upcoming art show.
“Don’t forget to mention the gallery name,” he said. “It’s Gallery on Greene, like Greene Street.”
More artists are slated to move onto the second floor when current tenants’ leases expire in June. In the 3,000-square-foot room on the first floor, The Studios will hold workshops and lectures that will be open to the public.
Grand plans also are in the works for an artists-in-residence program to bring nationally and internationally known artists to Key West.
Ann Henderson, executive director of the Rodel Foundation, said the artists were chosen based on their work and attitude.
“We really wanted people who were gung ho about the arts and not just looking for cheap rent,” she said.
The Studios also wanted a mix of established and emerging artists. Most of the studios are for individuals, but Esposito shares hers with fellow mixed-media sculptor Cayman Smith-Martin. Asked whether they share ideas, she joked: “No, but we share power tools.”
All of the second-floor artists said they will enjoy the camaraderie of the artist community, thought to be the first major one in Key West.
“It will be nice to be able to hang out here and talk about art,” Yates said. “Most of us now work in very solitary situations. So this will be great positive energy — being with like souls.”
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Copyright (c) 2007, The Miami Herald
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.
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