Lorenzo Buhne - Studios of Key West Artist in Residence

Kiwi Singer-songwriter is first Musician-in-Residence at The Studios of Key West
New Zealand-based Italian musician writing new songs in Key West through mid-May
will perform at the Historic Armory for May 15 Walk on White reception

In January of this year The Studios of Key West opened its Mango Tree House, a temporary home for visiting artists from all over America and the world. Since then the cottage in back of the Armory has hosted photographer Curt Richter, Miami-based new media artist Charles Recher, culinary writer Crescent Dragonwagon, metal worker Thomas Mann, and a handful of visiting workshop instructors.

Lorenzo Buhne, an Italian musician who now lives in Wellington, New Zealand, recently became the first official Musician in Residence at the Old Town campus. Buhne’s artistic past crosses many genres, from 1980’s American punk rock to 16th Century Italian ballads. He comes to Key West after putting the finishing touches on his second CD, Bon Giorno, which was recorded last year in the Southern Hemisphere and mastered last week in Los Angeles.

Four-by-four at The Studios of Key West

Four artists, all associated with the first program year at The Studios of Key West, will take over the Armory main hall in late April to present a quartet of installations relating to their creative work and ideas. Canadian conceptual artist Helen Verbanz, recent instructor Carlos Ferguson, Chicago-based provocateur Mike Lash, and local artist Deborah Goldman will show four very disparate bodies of work under the one roof. The public is invited to view the exhibition, Four-by-four at TSKW, and a closing reception is set for Thursday 15 May during Walk on White.

Canadian Helen Verbanz, who will be artist-in-residence at The Studios of Key West in June, has travelled to the same village on Lac Des Deux Montagnes, near Montréal, every February for the last ten years. Ice-fishing is an age-old tradition there, and people build temporary huts on the frozen ice and meditate in the still, quiet landscape. Verbanz’s series of 11 large photographic images of this winter environment, Ice Prints, will be featured at the Armory as part of Four-by-four.   

The Return of the Key West Picture Show

Local Film and Video Artists Bring You The Return of the Key West Picture Show
With a little help from The Key West Film Society and The Studios of Key West; World Premiere is set for Tuesday 15 April at The Tropic Cinema

Over the past few months, a handful of local  film  and video makers have been quietly shooting, editing, and producing new short films in response to the 1978 local classic,  The Key West  Picture Show. Now thirty years old, the original film by B. J. Martin serves as an inspiring overview of our island’s past  and a humorous look  the unique cultural aspects of our Southernmost community. After accepting the challenge put forth by The Studios of Key West and the Key West  Film Society late last year, a diverse group of modern-day media artists are about to give us time capsules of our own.

“The original film captured colorful local characters, quirky historical features, and real commentary from real people,” said Elena Devers, project coordinator at The Studios. “And we wanted to find a way to do that again, in the here and now...and use the art  of the short video to leave something behind for posterity.”

The Return of the Key West PIcture Show project was designed around that notion, and the public will have a chance to see the end results when over a half dozen new short films by and about Key West have their premiere on Tuesday 15 April.

The blue thread / one life, beautiful life

The blue thread / one life, beautiful life…
Artist Eric Anfinson to exhibit at The Studios of Key West

KEY  WEST (Florida) — While perhaps invisible to the eye, there is an ethereal thread that ties our life's experiences together.  For painter Eric Anfinson it is also one that runs through all the paint in his confident and solid new body of work to be presented from April 4th to April 25th  at the Studios of Key West.  Anfinson’s exhibition,“the blue thread—one life/beautiful life,” will feature more than twenty original oil on canvas paintings and a special installation for the opening reception on Friday evening, April 4, from 7-9 p.m.

“The blue thread is the path,” says Anfinson, “while one life/beautiful life is the intention of healing.”

Anfinson, who often weaves in dreams, myths and archetypes while at work at his canvas, also allows his subconscious to guide him.  In between these two spaces of linear and non-linear process, the depth of chaos, difficulty and emotion reveal themselves through his paint.

Flickering Light

Giant Aluminum Magic Lantern Seen in Old Town
Artist Carlos Ferguson, Classic Airstream, and Moving Images to Hit the Streets This Week

Carlos Ferguson, visiting artist at The Studios of Key West, has come to town in his classic 1962 Airstream trailer. Outfitted with a mobile projection system and portable sidewalk screen, Ferguson and his magic lantern will appear at various island  locations this week and present moving images to pedestrians and passers-by. The scenes are a hodge podge of found footage and classic family films from the 1940's to 60's. Locations will be unannounced, but you are invite to view tonight's twilight installation on Caroline Street, near the Tropic Cinema. Ferguson is in town as visiting instructor at The Studios of Key West, where he is currently teaching a drawing workshop at the Armory. For details, please call TSKW at 305-296-0458.

Click here to see images from last evening's trial run outside the Armory.

A Spectacular One Night Stand

This Summer Key West's Historic Armory Exploded with Drama!

In August, The Studios of Key West (TSKW) presented "One Night Stand", a collaborative summer theatre event that featured a full cast of home-grown talent. Four teams the island's writers, directors, actors and artists came together to create and produce four brand-new ten-minute plays... in only 24 hours.