Holiday Party Membership Renewal 11-30-10

Quarterly Brochure Deadline Approaching 11-25-10

Recollections Exhibit In Historic Gato Building 11-16-10

Artists In Schools Application Deadline Nears 10-20-10

$15,000 Fellowship Award Available 09-27-10

Student Art Fills Gato Building 09-22-10

Two Hours of Happy Fundraiser 07-01-10

Membership Meeting and Luncheon 05-11-10

Nan Thurn's Art part of AIPP 05-7-10

David Harrison Wright at Freeman Justice Center 04-11-10

Dartmouth Glee Club Concert 02-26-10

Art and Paella at the Gato 02-26-10

2011 CU Application Available 02-12-10

Lois Giffen Receives CF Award 02-09-10

Noel Paul Stookey In Concert 01-25-10

CU Needs DC3 Representative 01-11-10

Murray Nelson Government Center Grand Opening 2-8-09

Side by Side on Simonton - 11-07-08

Grand Opening Freeman Justice Center - 11-07-08

Art In Public Places Workshops - 6-17-08

2008 Writers Guild Winner Announced - 6-4-08

FKCA Annual Meeting - 5-7-08

Cultural Umbrella Application Workshops - 3-17-08

Calls to Artists & Writers: Culture Magazine - 3-14-08

Artist Development Series - 3-03-08

Keys Arts Deadline - 2-22-08

FKCA Stairway II Art Exhibit - 2-18-08

Biannual RFQ - 2-6-08

FKCA Staff Announcements - 2-5-08

RFP for Freeman Justice Center - 1-29-08

Board Retreat - 12-21-07

Keys Arts Brochure Deadline for Feb/Mar 08 - 12-17-07

2007 Holiday Party - 12-17-07

GLEE Expo - 11-15-07

The Stairway, FKCA Art Exhibition - 11-2-07

Marty Groffman Memorial - 10-29-07

Keys Arts Brochure Deadline - 9-24-07

SFCC Workshop Notice - 8-9-07

Florida Art In Public Buildings Deadlines - 6-29-07

Two Important Deadlines Approching - 6-25-07

RFQ for Murray Nelson Government Center - 5-24-07

Florida Keys Gallery Guide - 5-18-07

MKAA Chihuly Trip - 5-1-07

FKCA Input Forum - 3-27-07

Fools For The Arts - 3-26-07

Letter To Members - 3-2-07

Mull Membership Invite - 2-28-07

Local Artists Win Prestigious Award - 2-25-07

Culture Magazine Call To Artists - 01-29-07

Culture Magazine Call To Writers -01-29-07

Florida Art In Public Buildings Deadlines - 01-11-07

Seward Johnson Call To Action - 01-01-07

Monroe County seeks artists for $117,000 commission - 12-19-03

FKCA to Administer $15,000 Grant for Artists - 12-12-03

Florida Keys Council of the Arts announces grant winners - 11-04-03

Opening on Cultural Umbrella Committee, District 4 - 10-16-03

Music in the Airport! - 09-24-03

Who, What, When & Where Deadline - 8-22-03

2004 S. Florida Cultural Consortium Fellowship Workshops - 7-14-03

New Grant for a Writer! - 7-4-03

Stites & Schemmel Featured at Arts Show - 6-23-03

Arts Leaders Catch Entrepreneurial Spirit - 6-10-03

Arts council grant deadlines - 5-16-03

Children's Festival of the Arts - 4-30-03

Key West Airport Art - 4-10-03

Children’s Festival of the Arts - 4-5-03

Opening on Cultural Umbrella Committee - 4-2-03

Mull's Membership party - 3-28-03

Arts in the Afternoon - 3-25-03

Cultural Umbrella Workshops Coming Up - 3-22-03

Arts Council Awards Keyswide Grants - 2-27-03

Audience Survey Results - 2-26-03

Arts in the Afternoon - 2-1-03

Lookout Lodge Membership party 1-16-03

Hot Night - Cool Event membership party - 8-26-02

New officers & board members 8-20-02

Membership party, fellowship workshop 7-29-02

State arts grants awarded 6-18-02

$30,000 county art commission 6-16-02

Visual artist fellowship workshop Aug. 2002

Cultural Umbrella opening 6-3-02

Grant deadlines 5-02-02

Arts & culture survey, public meetings 1-10-02

Businesses support membership party 3-23-02

Membership party 3-23-02

Mayor's cocktail party 2-21-02

Thomas Mann workshop 4-6-02

New officers 1-28-02

Arts in the Afternoon 4/5/02

Arts in the Afternoon 03/01/02

Arts council events, spring 2002 01/30/02

Arts Council Surveys the Community, Holds Public Meetings 01/10/02

Arts Council Presents Workshop by Renowned Jewelry 11/28/01

Arts Council Welcomes Board Members 11/27/01

Third Thursday Gallery Night Goes Keyswide 11/09/01

Arts Council Holiday Gift Membership Drive 10/31/01

Arts Grantwriting Workshops in Upper Keys 10/31/01

Florida Keys Observe Arts & Humanities Month

Arts Council Announces Renaissance Award Winner

Your Arts Council by (Not Just) Any Other Name

$15,000 Fellowship Workshop Reminder; State Grants Available for Artist 8/10/01

Arts Council Welcomes New Officers and Board Members 8/7/01

Glenn Casselman Memorial Scholarship 6/4/01

Monroe County Commissioners Pass Public Art Ordinance 6/1/01

Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs awards over $74,000 in Monroe County Grants

Dolphins On Parade on Ebay 4/17/01

Renaissance Award 4/01

Arts Council Launched Annual Membership Drive 4/01

Dolphins on Parade a Bubbling Success 4/01

Frost granddaughter to keynote Frost poetry reading, 3/3/01

Arts Council Welcomes New Board Members, 3/3/01

Michael Haykin Opens Exhibition in March 2001, 3/3/01

Zeller wins scholarship, 1/18/01

WPA artists featured in phone directory, 1/18/01

Fisher to hold writing seminar, 1/18/01

Art Collecting Workshop at San Carlos Institute, 1/18/01

Dolphin Auctions Planned, 12/26/00 

WPA Art Featured on New Phone Directories, 12/20/00

Arts Council Offers Workshops, 12/20/00

Key Largo Park Welcomes New Winter Resident, 11/28/00

Record Number of Keys Artists Seek Prestigious Fellowship, 10/12/00

Inaugural Celebration of Art in Public Places, 10/10/00

October is Arts & Humanities Month, 10/2/00

Join our Parade of Dolphins!, 9/11/00

Arts Council Honors Barry, 8/23/00

Grant Recipients Announced, 8/14/00

As part of an overall effort to establish the Keys as a national and international arts and cultural destination, the Florida Keys Council of the Arts launched an exciting new public art initiative called "Dolphins on Parade."  Patterned after the successful art event held in Chicago, this year-long, Keys wide promotional event was designed to spotlight the artistic diversity and creative talent that is abundant throughout our island chain.

Why?
Recent studies have consistently shown that culture ranks high on the list of reasons people give for selecting vacation destinations.  Visitors interested in cultural and historical destinations tend to have higher income levels, stay longer, are more likely to stay in hotels, have a greater interest in shopping, and spend more money with less negative impact on the environment.

What was "Dolphins on Parade?"
Craftsman Matt Olk designed a wooden dolphin, five feet high and three feet wide, as a template for the dolphins in the series.  Businesses and individuals became part of this major promotional event by sponsoring a dolphin for $750.00, which covered the artist's fee and cost of materials.

Sponsors selected an artist on their own or chose one from a list of participating artists provided by the Arts Council. Each dolphin was a unique, original piece of art created out of the artist's imagination!  "As original works of art, the dolphins generated a huge amount of interest throughout the Keys," said Mayor Shirley Freeman.  "We saw 'Dolphins on Parade' from Key Largo to Key West."

Art and business partnership!
Sponsors displayed their dolphins at any location of their choice.  Over 100 businesses and individuals sponsored, and proudly displayed, dolphins. The "parade of dolphins" was a 110-mile art exhibit stretching from Key Largo to Key West!

All for a Good Cause!
In addition to drawing positive national attention to the Keys as a cultural destination, and providing a focal point for visitors at businesses throughout the Keys, the dolphins were auctioned at gala fundraising events.  The artists who created these original works of art received a percentage of the sale price.

The balance supported the projects and programs of the Arts Council, such as Artists in Schools and ArtReach grants.