The Florida Keys Council of the Arts Executive Director Liz Young joined Good Morning Keys on Keys Talk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about the organization.
The latest grant review process highlighted both the quality of creative work being produced across the Keys and the ongoing need for arts funding.
“We are so happy with the applications throughout the county,” Young said. “We got some really superb project submissions for Art Builds Community Special Projects and Artists in Schools, but it also really showed the need locally of funding for arts and creative projects.”
Volunteer board members and advisors recently completed grant panel reviews. Funding recommendations will be presented to the organization’s board of directors during its Aug. 7 meeting, which will also include a board retreat and planning session for the council’s 30th anniversary celebration.
“We’ll be planning our 30th anniversary year of serving the Florida Keys,” Young said. “We don’t brag a lot about the work we do behind the scenes. We try to push everybody else out in front, but this year my board and I will be tooting our horn a little bit more to show all the good work that the Arts Council is doing.”
The council’s grant programs provide critical financial assistance to artists and nonprofit organizations throughout Monroe County.
The anniversary comes as Key West celebrates Hemingway Days, one of the island’s signature cultural festivals honoring Nobel Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway.
Young said the annual event showcases the literary heritage that continues to shape the Florida Keys.
“It’s such an iconic, perfect festival for the Florida Keys,” Young said. “It brings that legacy of his love of the Keys and certainly Cuba. It’s part of the soul of Key West.”
She also highlighted the work of the Key West Writers Guild, whose annual awards continue to recognize local authors and preserve the region’s rich literary tradition.
Beyond literature, the Florida Keys also has a growing reputation as a culinary destination following recent Michelin recognition for Blue Heaven and Moon Dog Cafe & Bakery.
“We have fantastic food up and down the Keys,” Young said. “It’s not just the key lime pie. It’s fantastic seafood, farm-to-table—we call it sea-to-table.”
She encouraged residents and visitors to explore the current cuisine exhibit at the Key West Art & Historical Society’s Custom House Museum, which explores the cultural history of food in the Keys.
“Our history is our future,” she said. “The authenticity of this destination, the history, the fishing, the diving, the cuisine, the culture is what makes people want to come here and live here.”
The Arts Council is also preparing its annual Culture Magazine, which features a yearlong calendar of arts and cultural events across the Florida Keys. The publication is distributed to hotels, chambers of commerce and visitor centers to help tourists discover events throughout the year.
Organizations planning events between October and next September are encouraged to submit listings before the Aug. 1 deadline by emailing [email protected].
Membership renewals began July 1 with the start of the council’s new fiscal year. Membership helps fund local grants while providing benefits including quarterly arts calendars, gallery guides, invitations to special events and educational programs.
“Your support supports all of our grant giving, which is local,” Young said. “We give to people working and living in Monroe County. Please join at any level that is comfortable for you.”
More information about grants, membership, events and arts programs is available at KeysArts.com.