It All Began With A Couple of Clothespins.  The Key West Art & Craft Festival Celebrates 59 Years

Back in 1965, they called Key West’s Old Island Days Art Festival the “Clothesline Art Show.” It was a small Key West affair intended to raise renovation money for the historic building at 301 Front Street, now the home of the Key West Art Center.

At the time, local artists actually used clothespins to display their works on a fence in front of Key West’s old Custom House, so the name was more than apropos.  Competition for inclusion in the funky little fine art show became so fierce that by1985, festival organizers decided to limit participation to approximately 100 exhibitors.

Now, fifty-nine years later, the Old Island Days Art Festival and the popular Key West Craft Show have joined forces to become the new Key West Art & Craft Festival.

This juried open-air show is nationally recognized and includes 150 exhibitors from across the country and Canada vying to showcase their original creations.   In addition to special art demos and hands on art stations, you’ll find everything from watercolors, acrylics, and oils, to sculpture, collage, and photography.

This year, there’s also a huge selection of hand crafted jewelry, pottery, glass, and woodworks, as well as many other fine craft items. Lots of fabulous art (minus the clothespins!) all backdropped by the beautiful scenery of Truman Waterfront Park, 21 E Quay Road in Old Town Key West.   The former “Clothespin Art Show” is one of Keys West’s signature free events and takes place on Saturday and Sunday, February 24 and 25 from 10am – 5pm.