At 100 years young, Anne McKee still speaks in a clipped accent that betrays her roots in Newfoundland, where she was born in 1923, before the region became part of Canada.
But the rest of her is all Key West, which makes sense, as McKee has lived here since 1971 after leaving an accounting job for warmer weather. She met her husband, Ross, here and they married in 1976.
A former resident of Key West by the Sea, McKee’s walls were lined with artwork — and her fridge was always filled with champagne, her drink of choice for an afternoon refreshment.
The community celebrated McKee’s 100th birthday on July 16 with two proclamations, naming the day “Anne McKee Day” and noting her vast contributions to the Key West arts community.
McKee launched the Anne McKee Artists Fund in 1992 to provide grants that enable local artists to complete a project that is a passion of theirs. Since its inception, the organization has distributed more than $300,000 to local creators to get books printed, sculptures installed, art shows completed and other worthy endeavors.
The nonprofit’s biggest annual fundraiser is the Anne McKee Art Auction, which auctions original works by local artists. When sold, the artist keeps 50% of the proceeds and the Artists Fund keeps the other half.
“Anne McKee has worked for the betterment of Key West since arriving in 1971,” reads the proclamation, “taking action in support of the local arts.”
Long before she launched the artists fund, McKee was the very first president of the Friends of the Key West Library, ensuring the library had the materials it needed to serve the community. She continues to be an avid reader and a literacy advocate. She continues to devour books and at age 99 was still reading a book every two days or so.
McKee was honored as the Keys’ American Red Cross Humanitarian of the Year in 1998. Samuel’s House honored her as a Woman of Integrity in 2000, and in 2017 she received the Golden Mango Award from the Studios of Key West for her lifetime support of the arts.
In 2000, the Key West Woman’s Club honored McKee as the Woman of the Year in the Arts.
McKee was presented with many awards and mementos from admirers, including one from Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau. Members of the Anne McKee Artists Fund board and the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys presented her with a book of artwork and personal messages from the many artists she has helped support throughout the years.
