Little art works on the wall do not all look the same. Yes, there is a green one and a pink one, a blue one and a yellow one but they are not all made out of ticky tacky and they definitely do not look all the same. If Malvina Reynolds, who wrote the 1962 hit “Little Boxes,” could come to The Studios Of Key West this Thursday, Nov. 2, she would be pleasantly surprised by the Lemonade Stand Gallery’s Small Works Show.  Still original and mesmerizing after seven years (since 2005, but not consecutive), the small works show has now become an artistic tradition in Key West and even Irma couldn’t stop the show from going on.

“Entries came from 16 countries and 46 states,” said Letty Nowak, artist and founder of the Lemonade Stand. The works are required to be no more than 10 inches in any direction in any material and this year showcases some exceptional creativity. From crafted mosaics to paintings the size of a postage stamp, the works embody the wonderful nuances of art. There are small impressionist paintings, bold metal sculptures and artful collages, all no more than a handful in size. Nowak marvels at the fact the show has grown “global” and gets better every year while still featuring many local artists such as Susan Sugar, Elizabeth Chamberlain, John Martini, Lynne Bentley-Kemp, Jim Racchi, and AD Tinkham,. Choosing more than 200 works took Nowak five days with fellow judge Caroline Stover-Sickmen, and two full days to pick the four judge’s awards.

Stover-Sickmen has been a judge for five years and said, “It’s great to see local art mixed with art from all over the world we normally wouldn’t see.” Usually four judges would be involved but due to Irma, the whole show fell on their shoulders.

“We really tried to benefit everyone by showing works that are traditional to modern, and the sculptures are really beautiful this year,” said Nowak. “It was a hard judging process.” Therein lies the joy. So many tiny paintings and sculptures will decorate the studios and, like snowflakes, no two will be the same. The show will be dedicated to the recent loss of Key West’s art maven and former Lucky Street owner, Dianne Zolotow, with remembrances printed by fellow artists. Simultaneously upstairs in the XOJ Gallery, writer William P. Bahlke and illustration artist Lothar W. Speer will be on hand to sign copies of their newly released children’s book, “Grandpa! Grandpa! What Will I See?”

Lemonade Stand’s Small Works Show

The Studios of Key West

Opening Thursday, Nov. 2

6-8 p.m.

“It’s a good kickoff to the year after the storm.” – Letty Nowak, of Lemonade Stand.

 

Hays Blinckmann is an oil painter, author of the novel “In The Salt,” lover of all things German including husband, children and Bundesliga. She spends her free time developing a font for sarcasm, testing foreign wines and failing miserably at home cooking.