Have you ever entered a room and felt the energy? It may happen with people or the smell of a delicious dinner cooking, but in this case, it’s the vibrant art that’s filled the Key Largo Library and a local art gallery.
To use something someone else once told Carmen Sotolongo Kelley, “She knows how to make paint move.”
Carmen’s work, along with four other talented artists, has been featured for the month of October as part of the Hispanic Heritage Art Exhibit at the Key Largo Library. The other four artists are Eugene Kohly, Maggie Fox, Gisela Llorens’, and Tere Kelley. All the artists, plus many more, are regularly featured at the gallery she founded 16 years ago, Key Largo Art Gallery. They are all local or part-time Keys residents.
Five of the artists at the gallery have been with her from the beginning. Dan Lawler, who recently passed, was one of the founding artists, and she fondly remembers him encouraging her daughter, Tere, to pick up a paintbrush.
Kelley left Cuba with her immediate family in 1961 when Fidel Castro took over at the age of 6. They originally went to Venezuela, but then landed in St. Pete a few months later. Her father was a doctor, and her mother was a PH.D. in languages. To start their business in the U.S., they had to go back to school and re-earn their degrees, which is inspiring in itself.
Painting all her life, Kelley said it helped her communicate when she came to the U.S. and was trying to learn the language. She questioned things with art and was passionate about learning to read in conjunction with art.
“My paintings are based on happy times and sad times. People that left when their homes were taken from them, and food was rationed,” she said.
Music, royal palms, dances, cars and cigar rollers are all part of the culture and are vibrantly captured, leaving you with a sense of positive spirit and renewal. Kelley has a genuine appreciation for things that are old and eclectic. She believes in capturing memories that make her happy. She even owns a white 1959 Edsel, but due to the traffic now, it’s likely you won’t see her cruising down U.S. 1 as you may hope.
Kelley has an extensive background teaching at University of South Florida and then at Coral Shores High School for 30 years. Some of the classes she taught were marine science, languages and art, to name a few.
Kelley is passionate about her family, her husband of 46 years and her three children, and also sharing and teaching with other young adults. She started a Women in Minorities Science Grant 30 years ago with USF for young women in the ninth grade, which is still going strong.
Carmen’s daughter, Tere, is also a talented artist and writer. Tere has an innate awareness of organisms in the world that may not be here tomorrow. Her gift is to share the detail of what’s going on in the world through her painting. Looking at her paintings brings up emotions about where society is and how much Mother Nature is valued.
“Set your background, sketch, and show where movement is going.” Carmen started first with colored pencils and is still passionate about them, but acrylics are more flexible; hence her paintings are with acrylics.
“The energy of a color makes a difference. You can compliment with a softer color to make things not so harsh,” she said. Kelley paints and draws to music to experience the whole mood.
What’s important? “Talking to your kids and encouraging children, even if they are left-brained, to experience balance.” Carmen believes in the importance of parents being there for their children. And from her teaching, sharing, and encouraging, people can tell she walks the walk.
Her favorite painting? “Aqui!” Translation “Here I Am!” Visit The Key Largo Library through October 30th, to view the exhibit. Key Largo Art Gallery at MM 103.8, bayside, is in the same plaza as Num Thai. Connect on Facebook at Key Largo Art Gallery.
