Everything You Need To Know About The Connections Project Mosaic In The Florida Keys

The Florida Keys Arts Council is currerntly holding its annual Connections Project in the Keys. Every year, the Mosaic of the Keys gives Monroe County artists and community members a chance to create and display their work in one large mosaic that travels throughout the Keys. Here’s your need-to-know guide.

The Connections Project is the brainchild of the FKAC, which aims to promote the arts in the community and enhance the cultural heritage of the Florida Keys. It works like this: the council presents each artist with 400 canvases (6×6 inches) to work on, where they can express their artistic visions. Participants are also offered workshops with advice and materials to guide them in creating their masterpiece. The artworks vary in mediums from photography to quilting, to oil paintings and watercolor. Each piece is unique. When the artworks are complete, the council groups together the 400 canvases into one large mosaic which is then exhibited in six different venues from Key Largo to Key West.

The project encourages artists from all backgrounds

This year, the mosaic’s grand opening was held at the Murray Nelson Government & Cultural Center on February, 6. The tour continued on to showcase in different locations within Key Largo, Islamorada and Marathon.

The next receptions will be from March, 16 – April, 4 at the Artists in Paradise Gallery in Big Pine Key; from April, 5-25 at the Royal Furniture in Key West; and from April, 26 – May, 8 at the Gato Building, also in Key West. Free admission is offered from 5.30-7.30pm at the first day of each reception.

Art lovers can view the installation and can even take one home at the end of the traveling project by making a donation of USD$50 for a single canvas, or USD$125 for three canvases.

Once the receptions come to a close in May, the mosaic will be disassembled and each canvas will be shipped out to those collectors who donated.

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