Great art, great space, great people. And they even have a cat. What more could you ask for?!
My husband and I visit the Keys every few months, and we had seen this gallery before when it was at the Rain Barrel. But their new digs are absolutely stunning: they purchased a piece of property which has two homes, both of which are now galleries, separated by a small patch of native forest.
It is a short but extremely pleasant, shady walk from one gallery to the other, due mainly to the fact that there are well-cleared paths that meander through the foliage, and many of the trees and bushes are labeled with beautiful handcrafted clay signs made by Cindy.
The smaller of the two homes on the property is one of 29 original homes built by the Red Cross in the 1930s after a major hurricane. The walls are 12 inches thick and are made of poured concrete (that house ain't going *anywhere*, LOL). It has been beautifully redone: when you walk in, the first thing you see that takes your breath away is the glossy floor, which is a work of art in and of itself. Next, your eye will be drawn to the many beautiful paintings that adorn the walls of the house. They are all made by local artists and there is a nice variety of subject and technique.
The main gallery is light, airy, and welcoming. It also contains works of art by Florida artists, mainly clay and bronze sculptures and dinnerware. My husband and I purchased a coffee mug by Teresa Bowen which has her signature "footprints in the sand" marching along the bottom of the mug. The resident artists, Cindy and Dwayne King, have a variety of sculptures on display. Many of Cindy's are whimsical clay animals, while Dwayne focuses more on metalworks. They're both extremely talented and you will definitely enjoy walking around and looking at everything.
Look in the southwest corner and you might catch a glimpse of Mooch, the rescue cat, dozing in his favorite chair. Cindy donates some of her time and energy to a variety of causes, including spay/neuter efforts in the Florida Keys and volunteering at the nearby bird sanctuary. In fact, when we later visited the sanctuary (thanks to Cindy for the great recommendation), we noticed that the same beautiful handmade clay signs that labeled the trees on her property were also adorning many of the birds' cages.
We did not have the privilege of meeting Dwayne but Cindy was extremely warm, welcoming, and gracious. As I said at the beginning of this review, great art, great space, great people (and they even have a cat). What more could you ask for?! I see this becoming a regular stop for us on future trips to the Keys. read more