Culture Vulture / Key West Skin Sharing The Secrets

By C.S Gilbert

The past week fills me with cat images: the cat out of the bag, the cool cat, the hep (or was it hip?) cat . . . .Michael Philip’s Richard Avedon homage and commentary on aging in this special place, Key West SKIN, opened to abundant praise and it’s hard not to feel a bit puffed up about being part of it.

Until I walked into the third floor gallery at The Studios of Key West, I had no idea who the other 38 portrait subjects were—only that we were all “older,” between 67 and 99, actually. It turned out that I know most of the subjects . . . . and was frankly surprised that some of them (Lucy Carleton, Kenny Weschler, Sherry Read, Diana Heller) made the age cut-off (if indeed there were one; I suspect Philip selected us based on our lifestyles and joie de vivre and then noted the age parameters).

Of special joy was that so many of us are part of the local performing, literary and fine arts community, folks whom I’d written about in reviews or Culture Vulture: Ben Harrison, Coco Erikson, Jane Dawkins, Jon McIntosh, Joy Hawkins, Joyce Stahl, Kitty Clements. Others are arts patrons: Bob Frechette, Harvey Server and Shirley Freeman, Jack Paul and Maxine Makover, Sharron Mondo and Skip Dresner (how about a couples series next, Michael?), Lucy Barker, Mary Ann Westerlund.

There are also dear and longstanding friends: Ray Baker, Sarah Fowler, Snow Philip, John Padget; then there are Justin Kawaler from B’nai Zion, Billy Davis from the Literacy Volunteers board and Key West Patriarch Ed Knight. Finally there are other local luminaries Tony Falcone, Bobby Ciulla, Alan Kennish, Ann Reynolds, Christina VonSeggern, Dick Matson, Greg Dunbar, Lynn Wintermyer, Richard Logan, Wesley Sizemore and Will Soto. I hope that’s everybody. The Vulture doesn’t know them all—but I wish I did.

In the hubbub of Thursday’s opening, either Johnny White or Ed Krane took a picture of me in front of my portrait; later, fabric artist Avis Robinson snapped one of me hugging her husband, Gene, the Washington Post columnist. I admire and adore them both and am thrilled that their gigs at the Studios a few years ago caused them to fall in love with our island. I posted both photos on Facebook (recently having learned how). The one of me somehow got reposted without the cutline, which is regrettable, but at last look one (I forget which) had exactly 200 likes, my personal best.

In short, I’m thrilled.

Besides, the show, which runs through Feb. 25, is a series of incisive character studies and great fun whether you know us or not. Needless to say I recommend it. TSKW’s handsome, sleek new venue is located on Eaton at the corner of Simonton St.

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