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CONNECT TO THE ARTS ANDCULTURAL EVENTS THIS WEEKJanuary 7 - 14
The Connections Project: A Mosaic of Keys Artists Grand Opening
Wednesday January 14, 5:30 p.m. Kona Kai Resort & Gallery 97802 Overseas Highway, Key Largo
The Connections Project: A Mosaic of the Keys Artists 2026 will be a fabulous blend of what we've done in past years with some fresh ideas for this season! We are spotlighting visual and performing artists throughout the County at 10 "pop-up" events! Each venue will feature almost 150 unique canvases created by Keys artists along with talented musicians performing too.
Wednesday January 7, 4 - 10 p.m. Key West Cultural Center and Veterans Museum Co-Located with the William Weech American Legion Post 168 803 Emma St., Key West
Produced by MJ McGann, Presentation by United Cajuan Navy (non-profit disaster relief organization), hosted by Legion Post 168, at 803 Emma St, Key West. Fabulous Musicians to rotate through the line up all evening! Proceeds to be used to help Jamaican fisherman get back to work feeding the Jamaican people.
Wednesday January 7, 5 - 8 p.m. Margaritaville Beach House Resort 2001 South Roosevelt Boulevard, Key West
This special evening will bring together Reef Relief supporters, scientists, and community members to celebrate the organization’s work and learn about ongoing marine conservation efforts in the Florida Keys.
Saturday & Sunday, January 10 &11, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Marathon Community Park 200 36th St. Marathon
This family friendly event features Irish & Scottish music, dancing, Highland Games, sheepherding dogs & a Children's Glen with games and a free petting zoo and pony rides. Children 12 and under are free.
Sunday January 11, 9:30 a.m., 9:50 a.m., and 10:10 a.m. 701 Passover Lane or the Frances Street gate, Key West
Among the gravesites to be visited are those of Captain Willard Antonio Gomez, Los Martires de Cuba, Elena Milagro Hoyos, Archibald Sheldon Yates, Frank Booth, and the Figueredo Family Plot.The tour will take approximately 90 minutes. Participants should wear comfortable shoes and plan to walk over a mile on uneven ground. Bottled water will be provided.This is an excellent opportunity to learn first-hand about some of the fascinating people who have given Key West its colorful and significant character.
Reservations are necessary, and can be made by calling or texting (305) 304-1453 or by emailing at hfkf@bellsouth.net.
THEATER
The Odd Couple
Opens Thursday January 8 though January 31, Thurs. - Sat, 8 p.m., (Matinees Jan. 18 & 25, 3 p.m.) Marathon Community Theatre 5101 Overseas Hwy. Marathon
This classic comedy opens on a friendly card game in the untidy apartment of divorced Oscar Madison. And if the mess is any indication, it’s no wonder that his wife left him. Late to arrive is Felix Ungar, who has just been separated from his wife. Fastidious, depressed, and none too tense, Felix seems suicidal, but as the action unfolds, Oscar becomes the one with murder on his mind when the clean freak and the slob ultimately decide to room together.
Wednesday January 7 - 10, 7:30 p.m. Red Barn Theatre 319 Duval St., Key West
Join Christine Mild, vocalist star of "Always...Patsy Cline", for her newest show featuring the music of Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Linda Ronstadt, Reba McEntire, Gretchen Wilson, Beyonce, and many more!
Sunday, January 11, 7 p.m. Key West Theater 512 Eaton St., Key West
Leaving Dublin, Ireland where he was born and raised until the age of 22, David got drunk on travel and never quite hit sobriety of it. He has lived and worked in twelve countries and visited over seventy. His shows draw on his wide travels, cultural observations, attempts at language study, (occasional) international drinking session(s) and being a mildly confused immigrant.
ARTIST OPENINGS
From Her Studio: Key West artists Tory Mata and Carole Faye
Wednesday January 7, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. JAG Gallery 1075 Duval St., Space C23 Key West
Working primarily in ceramic, paper and natural materials, award winning Tory Mata’s practice is rooted in quiet observations and repetition. New and recent work drawing from the visual language of landscape but without direct representation, distilling place into texture rhythm and form incorporating clay, wild grasses, handmade paper and other elemental materials to magical effect.
Carole Faye is a self described scavenger and regardless of where she has lived; New York City, Shanghai or Key West her adventures in foraging have led to expressive creations of found objects and mesmerizing and evocative mixed media paintings inspired by the local landscape and its inhabitants incorporating oil paints and fragments of local quotidien marketing materials.
Thursday January 8, 6 - 8 p.m. The Studios of Key West 533 Eaton St. Key West
Friends new and old are invited to join us for each month’s First Thursday Open House event, when we keep our lights on late and throw our doors open to celebrate the newest work in our galleries.
The movie is an enchanting one-hour film that explores Key West through the eyes of its writers, both past and present. It offers a unique glimpse into American literature by showcasing a diverse group of authors shaped by this vibrant island town. In 2012, Carey and Jane Winfrey began filming over 30 Key West writers, capturing their reflections on what makes the community such a literary haven.
Happy Hour with the Historian: The Florida Keys on Screen, Film, Tourism, and Tropical Fantasy
Thursday January 8, 6 - 7 p.m. Comedy Club 218 Whitehead St., Key West
From classic films to hit TV shows, the Florida Keys have long captured the imagination of audiences around the world. This lecture explores how the islands have been portrayed on screen, sometimes as a tropical paradise, sometimes as a gritty hideaway, and often as a place where the rules of the mainland no longer apply.
Monday January 12, 6 p.m. Key West Library Palm Garden 700 Fleming St., Key West
Nicholas Boggs is the New York Times bestselling author of Baldwin: A Love Story, the first major biography of the iconic figure in over three decades. He also co-edited a new edition of Baldwin’s collaboration with French artist Yoran Cazac, Little Man, Little Man: A Story of Childhood (2018).
Between Two Palms led by Stephen Kitsakos: Danny Rubin
Monday, January 12, 5 p.m. The Studios of Key West, Helmerich Theater 533 Eaton St., Key West
Danny Rubin is an acclaimed American screenwriter, playwright & songwriter best known for writing the story, and co-writing the screenplay for the iconic film Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray. His musical adaptation won the Olivier Award for Best Musical in 2017. Also a musician and storyteller, he will perform some of his recent work.
Wednesday January 7, 1 p.m. Big Pine Library Conference Room Winn-Dixie Shopping Plaza, Big Pine Key
Explore writing in a fun, supportive environment with the Keys Writers Group! All styles and abilities are welcome. Participants may bring up to five pages, double spaced, to read aloud. If you can, bring 5-7 copies to share. The group offers feedback in a friendly, constructive way. Not ready to share? Come to a meeting to get acquainted and offer feedback. "Writers need readers!"
Free Youth Poetry Workshop
Saturday January 10, 10 a.m. - Noon Fort East Martello Museum 3501 S Roosevelt Blvd, Key West
Budding poets ages 7 to 12 are invited to explore the power of words and imagination a hosted by the Seawall Society of Young Poets in partnership with the Key West Art & Historical Society. Led by Key West Poet Laureate Emily Schulten Weekley and experienced facilitators, this interactive two-hour session will inspire young writers to discover big ideas hidden in small things.
Wednesdays & Fridays, 10 a.m. Departs from Key West Public Library 700 Fleming St., Key West
Join us each week for the Old Town Literary Walking Tour, a stroll through downtown Key West, illuminating stories of writers that have called our island home. Sponsored by the Key West Literary Seminar.
Tours commence in front of the Monroe County Public Library and end near Greene and Elizabeth Streets in Key West. Tours last approximately 90 minutes. Please be on time and wear comfortable shoes.
Generative Poetry Weekend at the Elizabeth Bishops House
Friday - Sunday February 20 -22, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (Feb. 20 evening) Elizabeth Bishop House 624 White St., Key West
Get into the spirit of creativity with a group of poets writing and sharing work in the newly restored Bishop House. Led by multi-genre author Rosalind Brackenbury, former poet laureate of Key West, this weekend intensive will leave you with a batch of new poems and refreshed ideas about what to do next.
Mondays, 8:30 - 11:30 p.m. William Weech American Legion 803 Emma St., Key West
Accomplished Key West Pianist Larry Smith has taken up residency in the newest historic music venue in town, creating a Jazz Lounge at the William Weech American Legion at 803 Emma Street on Monday nights.
Wednesday January 7, 6 p.m. The Studios of Key West 533 Eaton St., Key West
Award-winning and Billboard-charting artist Flamy Grant is a shame-slaying, hip-swaying, singing-songwriting drag queen from Asheville, North Carolina. Her 2022 debut record, Bible Belt Baby, reached the #1 spot on the iTunes Christian Chart (the first drag performer to achieve this feat). She is also a finalist for the 2025 International Folk Music Awards Artist of the Year.
Thursday January 8, 7 p.m. Key West Theater - Back Stage Listening Room
Key West-based singer-songwriter and story-telling icon Ben Harrison is set to bring his irreverent humor, original music, and 47 years of storytelling magic back to the stage. Known for solo shows rich in wit, warmth, originality, and a seasoned cynicism distilled from years of performing in Key West bars, Harrison takes the stage with just his voice, his droll humor, and his Martin guitar. Each performance draws audiences in with stories that are irreverent, funny, and steeped in the true – and often wonderfully bizarre – history of Key West.
The 5th Annual Iggie's: Key West Music Awards
Monday January 12, 8 p.m.
Performances by: Dave Warren, Mehgan Barter, Jack Fivecoate & Gi Buxford, Nick Norman, Jeff Clark, Caffeine Carl. Music Director: JEff Dalton, Co Host: Britt Meyers.
Sundays, 5-7 pm The Gardens Hotel 526 Angela St., Key West
Jazz Society
Thursdays, 4 p.m. Hemingway Social Club 201 Simonton St, Key West
CALLS TO ARTISTS
Art In The Park – Call for Submissions
Deadline: January 9, 2026 Marathon City Park
We live in a beautiful place and everyone can create something that relates to the Florida Keys. No categories, no specific theme. Artists may enter 1 piece of original art, not to exceed 50 united inches including the mat. There is no fee to enter your art.
The Chain: Connection in the Florida Keys – Call for Submissions
Deadline: January 18, 2026 Palm Heart Press
We are seeking submissions of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction for an anthology that highlights the connections between community and the natural environment of the Florida Keys. Selected works will be published in the titled collection supported by the Florida Keys Council of the Arts.
Daily 90 minutes prior to sunset The Dock at Mallory Square, Key West
Come watch the world-famous sunset! Meet the local makers & purchase local arts & crafts. Experience the music, mayhem & magic of our street performers and feast on freshly prepared food & drinks.
"The Annex" - 804 White St. & "By the Bay" 3340 N. Roosevelt Blvd. #2, Key West
Classical ballet, modern, jazz, contemporary, tap, Latin, hip-hop, musical theatre and more for children and adults, beginner to professional. Home of the CoffeeMill Young Dance Collective student dance company (performing group). Year ‘round workshops.
Mark your calendars for Florida Keys Council of the Arts Annual Members Meeting.
The Crane House at Crane Point Museum 5550 Overseas Hwy., Marathon
Thursday, January 29, 2026
11:00 a.m. - Board of Directors Meeting Noon - Lunch & Annual Members Meeting
Discover the natural beauty of Crane Point as we welcome our inspiring guest speakers over lunch and a brief members meeting.
JOIN TODAY!
It's time to renew your membership or join. 100% of your membership supports the artists & arts organizations living and working in the Florida Keys. Thank you for supporting our vibrant, diverse creative communities.
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