Kirby And Kate And Irene Oh My

 

By C.S Gilbert

 

This column was intended to be a sweet, feel-good narrative about a much-lauded writer, Key West Poet Laureate Kirby Congdon, who at almost age 90 was to enjoy basking in the spotlight of his first solo art exhibit opening May 2 and almost simultaneously play his second gig as Key West Poetry Guild's featured poet on May 4.

 

 

     Wrong. Almost totally wrong.

 

 

     Congdon is indeed appearing as featured poet at the Guild's May meeting Sunday at 7 p.m. And the opening of his show, Collages, is indeed taking place the previous Friday, 6 till 8 p.m., conveniently in the same space, upstairs in the old bordello at Blue Heaven.

 

 

     But this is not Congdon's first one-man show. Au contraire. He has been quite widely recognized for his art work for more than 50 years. His first solo art show took place at the Ageas Gallery in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, and elicited tough NY Times critic John Canady's view that Congdon was “a delightful talent,” he remembered last week.

 

 

     Friday April 25, not incidentally, marked the unveiling of his poem I Walk on Sand, embedded in the sidewalk in front of Captain Tony's Saloon on Greene St., the first of more than a dozen winners in the Art in Public Places contest to be stamped as visible literature into the streets of Key West.

 

 

     Congdon began writing poems at age 7 – “bad poems,” the Connecticut native smiled – and began drawing while in the Army in Germany in the mid-1940s, including one year during the Occupation following World War II. Back home, he attended Columbia University on the G.I. Bill, graduating in 1950. He exhibited in a couple of group shows in college, he said. This work then consisted mostly of pen and ink drawings and what he calls “found objects” – constructions of wood and metal.

 

 

     The Blue Heaven show is comprised of the collages of its title, one of which elicited positive critical mention when displayed in a Florida Keys Council of the Arts members' show at the Gato, and some watercolors. Congdon has won several grants from the council.

 

 

     In addition to Friday's opening, the artist will greet visitors on Saturday, May 3, from 10 a.m. till 3 p.m. and Sunday at 6 p.m., before the poetry reading.

 

 

     Blue Heaven is located at the corner of Petronia and Thomas streets in Bahama Village. There is no charge and everyone is welcome.

 

 

Not long after I began writing about fine as opposed to performing art, I discovered  a pair of sister galleries, a block apart on upper Eaton St. — Stone Soup and the Kate Peachey Gallery. They were distinguished, among many reasons, for hosting twin openings midday Saturdays or Sundays and serving smoked salmon and champagne. Stone Soup now thrives on White St. and Peachey has a wonderful indoor-outdoor studio in an old carriage house behind her home on upper Whitehead St.

 

 

     She does, however, occasionally show her work elsewhere, and will be featured at The Cork & Stogie , 1218 Duval St., during the May Upper Duval First Friday art stroll, 6 till 9 p.m.
     “Kate has lived on the island of Key West since 1988. She studied commercial art at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and fine art at the University of Cincinnati. Known for unique island images, portraits, and large scale abstract installations, her work is collected the world over. Kate has been working long hours lately creating new, exciting art pieces for our May day Lei day event,” they write, adding that the evening will also feature a tasting of food paired with wines along with the creative music of Greg Trudeau and Lynn Dalton. There is no charge to attend.

 

 

Irene Stanton is an artist long admired by this critic whose geometric abstracts — oil or acrylic paintings, mostly subdued but sometimes accented with vivid color — have morphed into miniature wooden constructions reminiscent of famed 20th century artist Louise Nevelson's massive, signature black sculptures. Offering that observation to Frangipani Gallery owner Fran Decker at the sidewalk poetry reception noted above (full disclosure: she and I are among the winners), it shouldn't have been a surprise when Decker said, “Oh, yes, she cites Nevelson as one of her influences.”

 

 

     Frangipani, at 1102A Duval, will open a solo show of Irene Stanton's Assemblages at a meet the artist reception during the Friday, May 2 art stroll 6 till 9 p.m. The show will continue until May 31.

 

 

That's all for now. Gotta fly!

[livemarket market_name="KONK Life LiveMarket" limit=3 category=“” show_signup=0 show_more=0]