Permanent history exhibit features the people who struggled to build this island city, whose stories are slowly disappearing from the collective memory, becoming ghosts of our past. From the Calusa, who may have used Key West as a burial ground, to the traditions of the Jazz funerals, to the stories of Cubans who struggled to reach our shores. You'll meet Robert the Doll, the Fort's most famous, some say haunted, resident, learn the sad story of Elena Hoyos, whose body was taken from her crypt by Count Von Cosel, and much more.

▪ Tuesdays – Show & Tell - Ages 5-12, 4 PM
▪ Wednesdays - Toddler Story Hour - 10 months to 2, 10:30 AM
▪ Thursdays - Baby Group - Ages 0 to 12 months, 10:00 AM; Tween Read - Ages 10-14, 4:30 PM
▪ Fridays - Preschool Story Time ages 3-5, 10:30 AM; Teen Time - Ages 9-17, 4 PM
▪ Saturdays - Family Hour - Ages 3-8 - Films & Crafts, 1 PM; Teen/Tween Club - Ages 11-17, 3:30 PM

Visual Arts

▪ Watercolor for Beginners with Sean Callahan; October 21-23, Studios of Key West, 600 White St, 296-0458 or www.tskw.org.

▪ Jim Salem Painting classes Tuesdays. 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. $15; Sugarloaf Lodge, MM 17 Overseas Hwy., Sugarloaf; 744-9880 and Wednesdays at Cocco & Salem Imagine Art, 1111 Duval St, 10 AM – 1 PM, 292-0072

▪ Life Drawing Session, Wednesdays, 6-8 PM
The Studios of Key West, 600 White St. 296-0458, or www.tskw.org; Informal, no instruction. Bring your own materials, model provided. $12 ($8 Friends/TSKW)

▪ Painting Bootcamp with Rick Worth, Tuesdays, 6-8:30 PM
The Studios of Key West - 600 White St; Painting class with artist Rick Worth. Class starts 6 SHARP. Cost of class includes all materials. $25 Members/$30 non-members. 296-0458, or www.tskw.org

▪ Plein-air painting - KW Plein-Air Painters, Wednesdays 9:30 - 12 PM; Free, bring your own supplies, lunch afterwards. fran@frandecker.com, or 849-1581.

Music

▪ Keys Chamber Orchestra Rehearsal – Sundays, 2 PM. Lounge at Venture Out Resort, 701 Spanish Main, Cudjoe Key. Marvin Perry, 304-7544, or kco@sunlink.net. All musicians welcome.

▪ Key West String Orchestra rehearsal - 879-0560, or www.keywestviolinstudio.com

▪ The Music Room - Private piano, woodwind and guitar lessons. Robin Kaplan 294-7382

▪ Violin/Viola/Cello classes – Individual lessons in Key West – Beginning to Advanced. Local violinist, 40 years teaching. All welcome, preschool to adult. Paul – 879-0560.

▪ West African Drumming Classes - Sundays, 1-2:30 PM; 1011 Truman Ave; $7 per class, all levels welcome. Drum rental through Bongo D, 942-6716. www.tamtamkeywest.com. duane@reggaekeywest.com

Keys-wide Dance classes and socials:

Key West

▪ Bruce Moore’s Absolute Beginner Tap Dance Classes; 294-0250, or bruce@broadwaykeys.com for schedule.

▪ CoffeeMill Dance & Yoga Studio. 916 Pohalski Lane, Key West; Classical Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Tap, Hip-hop, Latin, Belly Dance, African Dance, Capoeira, Yoga, Tai Chi, Aerobics and more! Year round workshops. Performance Opportunities. 296-9982, or coffeemilldance@aol.com

▪ The Dance Factory. 906 Kennedy Dr., Key West, Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip-Hop & Ballroom classes for children and adults. 296-5015 for schedule, or dancefactory@bellsouth.net .

▪ Key West County Western Dancers, Cowboy Bills, 610 Duval St, Key West. Jay, 293-0198, or www.keywestdance.wordpress.com.

▪ Paradise Ballet Academy, Mary Immaculate School, Windsor Lane. Year round classes. Children, adult & teen classes in RxP Barre, Ballet all levels, Stretch & Strength, Tumbling & Capoeira, Jazz. Unlimited parking, air-conditioned, sprung floor. For schedule go to paradiseacademy.com.

▪ Paradise Health and Fitness Dance Studio, 1706 N Roosevelt Blvd, Key West. 305.296-6348, or www.keywestdance.wordpress.com; Hustle, Swing, Texas 2-Step, Salsa and Ballroom. All levels. 2610fog@bellsouth.net

Marathon & Big Pine

▪ Beginning & Advanced Tap Lessons; Marathon Community Theatre, MM 49.5, Overseas Hwy, Marathon. 743-0408

▪ Belly Dance Classes, Wednesdays, 5:30 PM; Marathon Community Theatre - MM49.5. www.marathontheater.org

▪ Line Dance instruction. Mondays, 1:30-4 pm and Wednesdays 6-8:30 pm
Big Pine Key Community Center; Norma 745-2383, drnormally@hotmail.com

▪ Theo & Ganine's Dance Center, Classes & workshops in ballroom and latin dance. 11450 Overseas Hwy., Suite 203 Marathon. 743-0660

Upper Keys

▪ Ballroom & Latin Dance Group Class, Thursdays & Fridays
10-11 AM; Froggy's Gym – Tavernier; Theo and Ganine group class & private lessons throughout the day. 766-3428, www.keysdance.com

Key West

Custom House Museum
281 Front St, 295-6616, or www.kwahs.com
▪ Ships and Their Stories: A Maritime History of Key West, (Thru November 30, 2009)
▪ J Seward Johnson - Man in the Street Sculptures, (Thru December 31, 2009)
▪ The Best of Times, the Worst of Times - Key West in the early 20th Century

Fort East Martello - 3501 S Roosevelt Blvd. 296-3913, or www.kwahs.com
▪ The Ghosts of East Martello

Key West Heritage House - 410 Caroline St
▪ WPA in Key West: Revisiting The Depression Era
296-3573, or heritagehouse@aol.com

Marathon & Big Pine

▪ Pigeon Key Historic District & Gift Shop,
Guided tours available. Transportation provided by ferry service daily at 10:00, 11:30, 1:00 and 2:30. Admission and transport is $11.00 for visitors, discount for Monroe county locals. Also Pigeon Key Marine Science Center offering marine based environmental education. 743 5999, or www.pigeonkey.net

▪ Daily - Monday thru Friday
Organ/Piano Recitals featuring Joe Lowe and Auwinna Weed, Noon - 1 PM
Free. St Paul's Episcopal Church, 401 Duval St, Key West. 296-5142

▪ Nightly
The Keys Piano Bar, 5 PM
1114 Duval St; 294-8859, or www.akeywestpianobar.com; Bringing in entertainers from New York every two weeks.

▪ Nightly
The Wine Galley at the Pier House Resort with Larry Smith, 8 PM
One Duval St; 296-4600, or www.keywestislandnight.com; Sunday showcases highlighting local entertainers, as well as weeknight piano entertainment.

Since October is Portrait Month, Valerie will be sharing some of her recent portrait projects in the front window of the gallery.
Her portraits range from maternity, babies and children, high school seniors, engaged couples, families and beloved pets.
Valerie has lived in the Keys since 1971. After graduating from Marathon High school, she received an AA in photography from Florida Keys Community College. She went on to Florida International University where she obtained her BFA in photography. Valerie prefers to shoot her portraits on location using natural light. You can view Valerie's work on display in the gallery along with the other many artists that are members there.
The gallery is open every day from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.
For more information call the gallery at 872-1828 or you can call Valerie at 304-8152

"Lighthouses of the Florida Keys", original oil & acrylic paintings by Glenn Lahti

The merchants of the
Caroline Street Art and Design District invite you to join them as they
open their doors for a district-wide open house. This
historic Key West neighborhood has become a shopping destination filled
with art galleries, specialty clothing and home furnishing boutiques,
restaurants and even a coffee house. Now the Seaport Shops have joined
the party! Visit the island's most unique and diverse shops!

Keys Kids presents Pinocchio, the musical based on the children’s literature classic by Carlo Collodi and immortalized by Disney. This version of Pinocchio (by Andy Beck and Brian Fisher) follows Pinocchio to his first day of school. Ahhh, what trouble will Pinocchio get into today? This production is double cast with students in grades 1 – 5 from the Lower Keys.

Preferred tickets are available online at Keys Tix.com, general tickets at Mac Arthur or all seats are available at the door one hour prior to curtain.  Tickets start at $8.00 for students, military and senior citizens and there is also a reduced ticket for a family of four starting at $30.00.  For information visit our web site www.keyskidskeywest.com or contact nora.revelin@keysschools.com 509-1370.  This is a fun filled musical and even Pinocchio wouldn’t lie about that one!

Presenting the hottest, funkiest, most avant-garde open mic night in town.  $5 buys 1st drink.  See everything from home made house music & improv to performances.

Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center and Artists in Paradise Gallery host this event. Art exhibitions, music and receptions at galleries and shops within the plaza.

Big Pine Shopping Plaza, MM 30, Overseas Hwy, Big Pine Key. GMAC Schwartz will be handing out the grand prize of a $75 gift certificate to Winn-Dixie.

Participating businesses include: GMAC Schwartz, Artists in Paradise, Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuge Center, Bagel Island, Pizzaworks, Joe's Cash Flow Pawn, Cyber Center, Radioshack, Now Showing Video, Bert & Frannies, Big Pine Key Chiropractic and the Buck Store.

Monthly Open House at Theo & Ganine's Dance Center, 11450 Overseas Hwy, Suite 203, Marathon.

Call 743-0660 for more information and a schedule of classes and workshops.

Tasting pour of any 3 wines only $10! 

Listen to guitarist Paul James.

How do you create calm in chaos?  Intrinsic Works is hosting a fun interactive workshop, Activating Your Power!  $40.

Mr Woods will be signing his new Key West thriller, "Loitering with Intent", and his new Holly Barker mystery, "Hothouse Orchid".

Coco Strauss' Naif paintings on exhibit. 

Acrylic & mixed media, Coco's images evolve in the classic primitive artist's pattern with deeply personal icons side by side with  mainstream visual emblems and common materials.  Strauss' work compiles unique paint applications, with collage elements, laces, paper doilies, photos and three-dimensional objects.  The result is a rich textural surface with strong visual magnetism.

(Summer Schedule) Meets every Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Lounge in Venture Out Resort, 701 Spanish Main, Cudjoe Key.

All musicians welcome! This is a great opportunity to keep up your skills, or dust off an old instrument and regain those skills. Call for info.

The Harvest Moon HOWL is Sunday, October 4 in the Upper Duval Arts District.  From Monkey Apple Art Factory at 1022 Duval to the 1200 block, shops, bars, restaurants and entertainment venues will be open 7 to 9 p.m. with food and drink specials, music, hospitality, arts and entertainment, and perhaps some special deals.

The exotic and sensual naïf paintings of Coco Strauss will be at SoDu Gallery in its new location at 1102 (two doors up from its original site).  Strauss’s images evolve in the classic primitive artist’s pattern with deeply personal icons side by side with mainstream visual emblems and common materials.  Strauss’s work compiles unique paint applications, with collage elements, laces, paper doilies, photos and three-dimensional objects.  The result is a rich textural surface with strong visual magnetism.

In addition to SoDu Gallery, the HOWL includes Cocco -Salem Imagine Art, WishBliss Boutique, Gilded Peach Jewelry, Island 107 Radio in Duval Square, The Keys Piano Bar, Diver City, Joy Gallery, Island Arts Coop Gallery, Flamingo Crossing Ice Cream, Grand Vin Wine Bar, Lucky Street Gallery, Gingerbread Square Gallery, Key West Light Gallery, South Pointe Gallery and Alan Maltz Gallery.

A gathering of people who are seeking to enhance their self-awareness. The Garden presents spiritual teachings, ideas and philosophies from all over the world in a cinematic format.

Suggested goodwill offering of $5

Meets first Sunday of each month. Open to all interested in poetry.

Bring in can goods to Tropic Cinema and get free popcorn. Benefits Mutter Hubbard's Cupboard Food Bank.

Help Feed Key West!

Tropic Cinema.

The Artist's Way is the seminal book on the subject of creativity. An international bestseller, it's an invaluable guide to living the artist's life. Course based on Julia Cameron's book 'The Artist's Way"

Perhaps even more vital in today's cultural climate than when it was first published a decade ago, it is a powerfully provocative and inspiring work.

The book has started a movement and has helped nearly two million people cultivate their creative selves.

www.theartistsway.com

TSKW Members $300, Non-members $350, Limited to 20

About The Instructor
Brackenbury is an award winning English writer living in Key West, who has published eleven novels and four poetry collections.

This will be the tenth time Brackenbury has presented The Artist's Way, and each student who registers before September 15 will receive the 10th anniversary edition of the Sourcebook. All other students are asked to furnish their own copy.

Every week a classic film is shown

Free parking, no dues. Informal critique group. All genres and levels welcome.

A read-aloud critique group for all forms of creative writing; prose, poetry, screenplays and more.

Free, open to the public.

Big Pine Key Library, Big Pine Shopping Plaza, MM 30. Big Pine Key.

Book related films, movie ties in with the Book Bites group that meets the following week. Call for details.

First of several free seminars.  This seminar with Caren will emphasize composition, intentional distortions, sace and understanding "less is more".

All newcomers welcome.

Kelly's Caribbean Bar, 301 Whitehead St, Key West.

At the beautiful home of Tony Konrath and Bryan Green.  Live Auction and Silent auction.  Works by Kate Peachey, Vivian Segal, Donna Barnett, Pam Hobbs, and more.  Featuring Conch Shells for auction painted by Jim Salem, Dan Cocco, Fran Decker, Judi Bradford, Rick Worth, Kate Peachey and more. 

Catering provided by Square One Restaurant. 

Support AIDSHelp and Ralph for King of Fantasy Fest!

$25 Donation requested per person.

Back by popular demand for two nights only.  Michael, and friends David Black, Lenore Troia, Gordon Ross, Laurie Breakwell and Traci Reynolds played to a sold out audience last time, and have been asked to reprise their concert. 

$5, and all proceeds benefit the Ralph for King of Fantasy Fest 2009 campaign.

The evening will be a tribute to the late beloved choral director, Mr. Joe Wilt.  Over 120 students comprise the superior music program and will be performing selections including Remembrance, from “Requiem” by E. Daley and “I Sat Down Under His Shadow” by E. Bairstow, with a rousing version of “Soon Ah Will Be Done” for the finale.

There are 5 Choirs including the Freshman Choir, Select Choir and the VIP's and Mistys and the Chamber Choir under the direction of Mr. James Carter.

Monthly meeting discussing anything by or about a specified author. Call for details.

Special exhibitions and receptions at galleries and shops along White St, from Southard to United streets, Key West. Includes Harrison Gallery, The Studios of Key West, White Street Deli, & Cafe, White Street Healing Arts, Coldwell Banker, Bone Island Appraisal, Stone Soup and more.

Call for more info, or pick up a Gallery Guide from a participating Art Gallery.

Open to the public, Free. A light lunch is served following a brief meeting and presentation.

3 PM Matinee on Sunday, October 18

STEPPING OUT
by Richard Harris
Directed by Cameron Murray

Production Dates: May 6 to May 29, 2010

Looking for NINE WOMEN Ages 18 to 60's
ALL ETHNIC GROUPS WELCOME
ALL ROLES ARE PAID

Please see character breakdown and more info at www.WaterfrontPlayhouse.org

Friends, Patrons and supporters come together! Join us for the launch of our new season!  We'll unveil the catalog, and all its creative offerings.  Then we'll introduce Florida Folk musician, Val Wisecracker, who will perform  a special concert to kick everything off.  Free for all TSKW supporters! $15 for non-members.

Ballroom, Latin, Swing/Balboa, Hustle, Country Western and more.

$5. Singles Welcome!

Quarterly meeting of the performing arts groups in the Keys.

The Historic Gato Cigar Factory, 1100 Simonton St, Key West. Meetings take place in the 1st floor Conference Room.

Director, Danny Weathers will be looking to cast 12 open roles. (Six roles have already been cast from auditions held in May.) Most of the 12 roles require strong vocal ability; although, there are a few non-singing roles (see breakdown below). All should be able to move well. All ages (from 18 to 60ish) and ethnicities will be considered.

Auditions will consist of:
SINGING: Please bring a short song that will show off your voice (accompanist will be provided).
READING: Short scenes from the script will be provided for cold readings at the audition.
MOVEMENT: A short movement combination will be learned, depending on the character for which you'll be auditioning.

The Music Director will be Michael Fauss and the choreographer is Penny Leto.

Production dates: February 25 to March 20 (performances Tuesday through Saturday.) Rehearsals begin mid-January. All roles are paid.

For questions, please contact Danny Weathers at artistic_director@waterfrontplayhouse.org

Classics and standards and original arrangements by award winning pianist Charles Lindberg.  Theo and Ganine Derleth join them as guest dance performers.

Tickets also available through Marathon Rotary.

For ten years international guitarist Matthew Jampol has regaled diners with his dinner concerts.  Join him for a romantic evening of gourmet cuisine, wine pairing and classical music.

"World class concert..."  Miami Herald

Writing group meets last Wednesday of the month.

Key Largo Library, Tradewinds Shopping Center, MM 101.4, Key Largo.

Oil paintings.

Season Opener!  Artwork by Carmen Sotolongo Kelley. 

Exhibition runs thru Sunday, October 31.

Hosted by Rich Simone- $10 gets entry, costume contest
& prop bag!  No, you don't have to wear a costume, but it's more fun
if you do. Besides, "It's just a step to the left!"