ART UNDER THE OAKS RETURNS TO ISLAMORADA THIS SATURDAY

a group of people standing under a tent selling flowers
Orchids on display by a vendor during the Art Under the Oaks festival. KEYS WEEKLY FILE PHOTO

Fine art by local and non-local artists will be displayed beneath the canopies at San Pedro Catholic Church this Saturday, Jan. 18, for the 41st annual Art Under the Oaks festival. 

With dozens of registered vendors set to display fine paintings, photographs, sculptures, jewelry and crafts, the Upper Keys’ popular, premier fine and unique arts fair will offer its curated variety of works for public viewing and purchase. 

This year’s event is spearheaded by Captain Keith Douglass in his fourth year of festival chairmanship. Having taken charge after the passing of Lynn Clements, the event’s previous chair, Douglass has overseen many notable changes to the festival.

The event now includes an extensive lineup of continuous live performances by local bands and musicians, diverse cuisine offered by food vendors, raffles, and an ever-expanding roster of talented artists. In addition to the food vendors, the Islamorada Brewery and Distillery will now offer patrons local beers and wine. 

The festival has also accrued a broader range of sponsors. Douglass expressed gratitude to the fest’s generous financial supporters, including the Rotary Club, the Florida Keys Electric Cooperative, RIVA Motorsports, and the Tourist Development Council, which recently issued San Pedro a grant for funding Art Under the Oaks.

a man and a woman standing under a tent
A festival-goer visits an art vendor during the Art Under the Oaks Festival in 2022. The event returns for its 41st year on Saturday, Jan. 18 at San Pedro Catholic Church in Islamorada. KEYS WEEKLY FILE PHOTO

This year’s lineup consists of more than 100 registered art vendors, including, notably, Jewels By the Sea offering handcrafted sea glass jewelry, home decor by Angela’s Decorations, and sculptures from Jerusalem olive-wood by Treasures of the Holy Land. “We are very finicky about who we let be a vendor,” said Douglass. Vendors, many of whom have traveled across the state to display their work, go through an extensive review process. “You’re not going to see a bunch of tacky T-shirts. You’re going to see some real fine arts, crafts and sculptures.” 

Volunteers play a pivotal role in the running of the yearly festival. Douglass singled out the work of Coral Shores High School students, who offer their committed support. Signup forms for prospective volunteers, as well as general information regarding Saturday’s festival, are available at artundertheoaks.com.

The event is set to begin at 9 a.m., with continuous live performances starting at noon, and will conclude by 4 p.m., in time for Mass. Admission is free, with parking available at San Pedro’s church parking lot for a $5 donation. Plantation Key School, which lies within walking distance of the church, will offer free parking to festival patrons.

Money raised by the festival, through parking donations and raffle tickets, supports associated ministries, including local charities and Boy Scout Troop and Cub Pack 914, which operates out of San Pedro. Vendors are asked to provide a donated item from their art or crafts to be given out as raffle prizes. Donated funds will support those in need, going towards local food pantries and charities geared towards helping the local homeless. “We help people not because they’re Catholic, but because we’re Catholic,” said Douglass, who sees charity as a main, underlying purpose of the annual festival. “Our goal is to help our community become a better community.”

Zack Woltanski
Zack Woltanski is a Coral Shores grad and aspiring novelist. After three years of high school and a gap year in Germany, he will be studying at Brown University, with a potential major in english or philosophy.