Art in the Keys shines with spiritual flair

By Jim Davis - Florida Catholic

Photography: JIM DAVIS | FC

PLANTATION KEY | They came to church with paintings and carvings. They came with quilts and seaglass jewelry. They came with orchids and handbags.

And more than a thousand people came to look the artworks over -- and to eat, chat and hear music as San Pedro Church held its annual festival known as Art Under the Oaks.

The Jan. 14 festival filled several needs. It raised funds for San Pedro's general budget. It served as a focal point for the communities of the Upper Keys. And it provided exposure and a little income for the artisans.

"Many parishes have carnivals, but San Pedro is different," said Father Franky Jean, pastor at the Spanish mission-style church since July. "Here, we promote the arts."

Under spreading trees, 105 exhibitors -- many from the Keys themselves -- showed off their wares for the event, now in its 34th year. The items showed dizzying variety -- and their makers shared bits of lore:

• Seaglass pebbles glowed an eerie green under Denise Tunney's flashlight. She said they were laced with uranium, a common practice before 1920.
• A butterfly-laced artwork followed the centuries-old Japanese Sashiko style. It was one of several bed covers displayed by the Florida Keys Quilters guild.
• Abigail White of Big Coppitt Key showed her paintings of houses, each house shaped like an immense seashell.
• A gyile -- a xylophone-like Nigerian instrument -- made sounds with gourds and tuned-wood keys. Eddie Osborne of Miramar said he teaches himself to make the instruments.
• Mark Wile of Key Largo grinned as he modeled a fork, knife and spoon that appeared to pierce his head. It was among other metal items -- including a butterfly made of spoons and a crablike salsa bowl holder made of forks -- made by his daughter, Megan.
• Varieties of honey were on display by Pirate Hat Apiary -- with owner Jeff Wingate of Key Largo even comparing the different tastes to the differences between cabernet and Beaujolais wines.

Pat Dodson, co-director of the festival along with his wife, Patty, voiced pride at the quality of the artworks. The two have set a stringent rule: The vendors have to make the art themselves, or do something to make it unique -- not just resell something they bought.

But the artists need not be Catholic, Dodson said. "We don’t care what religion they are, as long as they have good art."

Colorful art, colorful artists

Some of the stories behind the artworks were as remarkable as the art itself.

Retired teacher Trisha Mihaiu of Islamorada strings tiny beads and shapes half-melted glass to make pendants of starfish, angelfish and hammerhead sharks -- when she's not shooting underwater photography.

Cinnamon Edgar makes delicate watercolors of palms, flowers and mermaids for notecards and wall art. The Islamorada resident developed her talent at the Marian Center School, Miami Gardens, which teaches people with Down syndrome like herself. She sells her work not only at art shows, but at 70 stores up and down the Keys.

Spirituality underlies Richard Sciandra's business, A Third Life, he said. He and his family specialize in artworks from reclaimed furniture.

"That's where the name came from," said Sciandra, who attends Our Lady of the Holy Rosary-St. Richard parish in Palmetto Bay. "God made the trees; then men made the wood into furniture; then we give it a third life, as art."

Early in the day, the crowds overwhelmed San Pedro's 500-car parking lot; but the organizers were prepared, shuttling people via two 40-seat buses to and from overflow parking at nearby Coral Shores High School. Some people walked from the school, taking advantage of the cool, sunny weather.

For lunch, Men's Club members served pulled pork sandwiches, which they had started cooking the previous day. Other tents sold sausage, lamb gyros, tuna nachos, funnel cake and chicken and rice with plantains.

Musical artists had their say as well. John Mavis played blues, rock and country, followed by Kenny Channels with country and Sam Nekhaila playing classic rock.

Chance Lawson found the festival after seeing a flier at a store. He came with wife Christa and their two young sons, Trevir and Wyatt.

"It's nice, cool," he said, looking around at the shaded tents. "There's some unique stuff here."

Amanda Sant of Naples came with her cousin Kennedy Johnson, who was visiting from Provo, Utah. "We were hanging on the beach and heard about this, and we said, 'Heck, yeah!'" Sant said with a smile.

The Word made sight

In its own way, Art Under the Oaks has been carrying forward two ancient church traditions: serving as a hub for the community and spreading the gospel through the arts.

"Whether icons, pictures, statues or windows, there is a spirituality in it," Father Franky said. "When we see an image of a saint -- an icon of Our Lady of Guadalupe or a statue of St. Joseph -- we are honoring the person behind it."

For their part, the vendors seemed to enjoy the atmosphere as much as showgoers.

"It's beautiful here, and the energy is phenomenal," said Noel Skiba, who was showing off acrylic canvases from her studio on Big Pine Key. "I'm blessed to be a third-generation artist. And to be on holy ground is amazing."

Juanita Contreras talked orchid care with customers at her 12th annual appearance at the San Pedro festival. It's where her customers "hang out," she said.

"It's homey and they feel very comfortable," added Contreras, a parishioner at St. Ann Mission in Princeton. "I like it here because you talk face to face. Some people don’t do that anymore."

Annie Bond, a member of San Pedro, has been selling her clay pots, cups and trays at the festival for nearly a decade. "It's nice to know you're helping the church at its biggest fundraiser of the year," she said. "Makes you feel good."

For a newcomer, the preferred art was prayer. Members of the Florida Keys House of Prayer -- a coalition of Baptists and Pentecostals as well as Catholics -- offered to pray for anyone on just about anything. By mid-afternoon, a bamboo curtain at the group's tent had more than 20 requests written on paper slips.

It was the first visit to the festival for the three-year-old ministry, said director Christi Dupre of Islamorada. "A lot of people won't come to church, but we find that they still ask for prayer."

The Dodsons have been directing the festival for the past five years. A retired businessman, Pat's jobs have included recreation director for Vail, Colo., managing concessions for Bahia Honda and Pennekamp state parks, and running glass-bottom boats in Key West.

Why do they do it? "It's for the church," Dodson, himself a San Pedro parishioner, said simply. But he passed much of the credit for the success to the 50 volunteers. "A lot of great people live in the Keys. And they're respected for doing this."

Wife Patty agreed. "We're part of a team of loving, giving people. They make the vendors feel welcome."