The calendar for the Council for the Arts is packed for the coming weeks.
Liz Young, the executive director for the Florida Keys Council of the Arts, joined Good Morning Keys on KeysTalk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about upcoming programs.
Young said, “I thought I’d start with some really terrific theater happening. The Marathon Community Theater has another weekend of Scapino. I hear it’s really great fun. They’ve also got a matinee this weekend. Congratulations to them on another great season.”
The Key West High School drama club will be presenting the high school version of Mean Girls tomorrow in the auditorium at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance online.
Young said, “The kids have been rehearsing for months. Super excited. It’s a great show. They’ve got a great production team, so everybody get out and enjoy that.”
The monthly movie on the street under the stars at the Tropic will be Footloose tomorrow.
Young said, “Congratulations to them, too, for showing free movies out on the street for the community. I think it’s a really great program. Footloose is a terrific film.”
On Mother’s Day at 3 p.m. at the Tennessee Williams Theater on Stock Island at the college will be the Dance Factory’s annual recital.
Young said, “I spoke to the director and they decided to do it at 3 o’clock because it is Mother’s Day, so happy Mother’s Day to everybody, but they figured that everybody could go to Sunday brunch and come to the recital or come to the recital at 3 o’clock and then head out to dinner for Mother’s Day.”
Next weekend will be the Coffee Mill’s dance recital. The Marathon dance recital is also coming up.
Also on Sunday at 4 p.m. auditions for the Fringe Theater will be held at 600 White Street.
The Key West artisan market will also begin this Sunday at the VFW on the boulevard.
Young said, “We also have fantastic music at the Key West Theater on Saturday night, Sunday night and I think Tuesday night. They’re box office is open every afternoon. You can buy tickets at keywesttheater.com.”
The Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Gardens are also open every weekend with an exhibit called “Art in the Garden.”
Young explained, “Where you wander through the garden and find cool sculptures that are made of recyclable materials.”
Monroe County is also celebrating the bicentennial. Next weekend will be the Sunset Celebration on the Old Seven Mile Bridge in Marathon at 6 p.m. on Friday. Trolley service will be available. It’s is a free celebration.
Young said, “That bridge, it’s incredible to be on it. It was worth every nickel that they spent on it, in my opinion. It’s created a central park in Marathon. It’s so awesome to be out there. It’ll be more celebration until we get to the big celebration on July 3.”
The deadline for Art Builds Community Grant will be June 30.
Young said, “We have a great online application for our three grant program, artisan schools, special projects and the big Art Builds Community Grant. We have explanations on our website.”
Funding is being provided from $2,000 to $10,000.
For more information, click here: https://keysarts.com/grants_more/ABC/ABC.html
Young said, “We will then present those grant applications over the summer. The funding will be approved in August. People will be informed early August about their project for the coming season.”
The grants are for Monroe County artists.
Young said, “The Art Builds Community Grant and the artisan schools one does require a partner, a well thought-out partner. We’re really trying to show the power of art and how it can really be the focal point of a really great project to address multi-generational projects, just a visual project, a music project, a literary project. We’ve funded programs this past year in Key Largo, Marathon, two programs in Key West. We’ve got great examples on our website.”
There are also a lot of great art classes going on right now. Check all that out on their website here: https://keysarts.com/index.html