Liz Young, 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 events.
This time of year, Fantasy Fest is on everyone’s minds.
Young said, “I’m excited to say that I saw the final, final, final version of the Fantasy Fest 2023 Uniforms and Unicorns poster and t-shirt design. That was part of the Arts Council sponsorship, we do the call to artists and we have a very young graphic designer who absolutely loves the Florida Keys whose design was chosen unanimously by a tough crowd of grant panelists. I’m really excited about that very artistic really great design. I think we’re going to have a great Fantasy Fest. We got also the King and Queen Contest. There’s the headdress ball and the pet parade and the masquerade march and the parade, I mean, just so much fun. It is a great fun.”
There is a grant opportunity coming up.
Young said, “We do have the once a year, very important opportunity that the Arts Council participates in, in an interlocal agreement with the other five South Florida counties. It’s a mouthful, but it’s called the South Florida Cultural Consortium and it is a $15,000 one-time grant each year for Monroe County artists. It’s an online application. You really have to have your act together. You have to have your resume, CV, complete and impressive, an artist statement, and 10 images of work that is a body of work that has been created by yourself in the last three years. It is not for students. It is for contemporary working artists.”
There are two workshops in Miami for how to apply. It will be one at lunch time, one at night and one on the weekend and the weekend is tomorrow.
Young said, “I’m also available to assist because I’m not a panelist. So if anybody wants me to take a look at their application, or their CV or artist statement, I’m happy to do that. You can just reach out to me at [email protected].”
The Key West Film Festival will be the week before Thanksgiving.
Young said, “The red barn just announced their show. The Fringe Theatre is just about to announce the Fringe season. The Tennessee Williams Theater has a very full season. The symphony, of course has announced their season they will be here in January and March and I think April.”
The Keys Choral Arts, which is an all volunteer group will be looking for singers.
Young said, “Their rehearsal schedule will be Tuesdays 7 to 9 at the Grace Lutheran Church on Flagler, and everyone is invited to join that if you’re 16 and over. The studio always rolls out their season kind of month by month. I know they’ve got some great things happening in October. The Key West Theater has amazing shows, and they keep announcing more and more things. The History of Diving Museum up in Islamorada has their whole lecture seasons planned as well as they have a beautiful gallery that they use for additional exhibits beyond their permanent exhibit at the museum.”
Woman Fest begins this week.
Young said, “Nobody’s slacking, nobody’s slacking. Everybody works hard.”
If you sign up to be a member of Florida Keys Council of the Arts, you can get a weekly e-calendar, quarterly events calendar, annual gallery guide, artists registry listing events, advanced notice of special events, workshops, and more.
Young said, “We have after 25 years, shifted our membership renewals starting with our fiscal year July 1. So some people will get a couple extra months of their membership. That membership, you do get four mailings a year, you’ll get the new gallery guide, which anybody that has a gallery anywhere in Key Largo, we’re accepting business partnerships to be included in the gallery guide, which is part of our partnership and work with the Tourist Development Council. Membership is so important for our fundraising and development, our grant giving, supporting a really vibrant, robust cultural community takes time and money and an effort and support. So people’s membership, anywhere from $50 to $5,000 and up is most welcome and we do our very best, our board and advisors and staff to support our members and everybody in the arts community. We’re so grateful for the support. We’re so grateful to our artists and arts organizations that are really in the trenches being wonderful, creative souls.”
Losing Jimmy Buffet recently was tough.
Young said, “I just wanted to give a shout out to the late, magnificent Jimmy Buffett. I’ve been seeing so much on social media and all the news and the national news. He was a friend and just really put all of us on the map and I’m just going to miss them a lot. I’m really impressed with all the tributes and to see how he touched people as amazing as Sir Paul McCartney. It’s amazing to me to see that worldwide recognition of somebody who loved Key West and the Keys as much as we all do. It is a loss to our creative community, but the tributes have been incredible.”
For more information on the Council of the Arts, click here: https://keysarts.com/