The Studios of Key West has partnered with Wonderdog Production to offer its first-ever live online exhibit opening.
Mango Madness will open live online at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 2. Broadcasting from The Studios’ building on Eaton Street, Susannah Wells and Morgan Fraga Pierson from Wonderdog will walk viewers through the exhibition during the one-hour segment, giving them a glimpse of nearly 100 works created by members. All artwork will be available for purchase, with 75% of the sale proceeds going directly to the artist.
“Our goal is to create a shared experience that keeps us engaged with our creative community,” said The Studios executive director Jed Dodds. “It’s free to attend, and even by Key West standards the dress code is lax – wear whatever you want, or nothing at all, we honestly don’t care.”
The evening will also feature spotlight interviews with exhibiting artists, as well as remote check-ins with The Studios’ roving bartenders, Erin and Andy.
“It just wouldn’t be Mango Madness without Perry Arnold’s signature Mango Margaritas,” Dodds added. “So we’ll make up a generous batch, hop in the car, and deliver some signature libations to a few lucky friends throughout the evening.”
The opening will be broadcast on Facebook Live, with a link available at tskw.org for those without a Facebook account.
“We also hope viewers will see this as an opportunity to support local artists,” said Dodds. “Americans for the Arts reports that artists/creatives are among the most severely affected workers by the COVID-19 crisis. So it’s the perfect opportunity to throw support in that direction while adding a new piece to your collection.”
The Studios is encouraging attendees to order takeout from their favorite local restaurants, and to pick up a bottle of wine to recreate an opening-like atmosphere.Mango Madness will remain on display at The Studios through Aug. 22. Starting Friday, July 3, the gallery will be open for real-life visits from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. To make an appointment to see the work outside of normal viewing hours, call 305-296-0458 or email info@tskw.org.
