Keys schools, Adrienne Z and Diving Museum launch Art Builds Community performances

The History of Diving Museum in Islamorada partnered with local performer Adrienne Z, the Art Guild of the Purple Isles and students from Coral Shores and Marathon High Schools to present "Art Builds Community," a series of musical performances and readings tied to the museum’s new "Dive Into Art: Stories From the Sea" exhibit. The program culminated in a benefit concert at Florida Keys Brewing Co. that raised funds and spotlighted student work.

The museum held an opening reception and ribbon cutting on Jan. 21 with a lecture in the museum’s “Immerse Yourself” series that traced the exhibit’s inspiration to early underwater painters. The exhibit was fabricated with Art Guild members and required over 300 hours of volunteer time. Pieces by Art Guild members and student artists are available for sale, with proceeds benefiting the museum.

Students from Coral Shores High School and Marathon High School took a central role in the performances. Adrienne Z worked with student poets to set their poems to music and led a group performance that kicked off the Feb. 6 benefit. The Feb. 6 event at Florida Keys Brewing Co., mile marker 81.6, began with a 5 p.m. student poetry reading on the Blue Marlin Stage and continued with Rainbow Full of Sound performing in the beer garden from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Event features included limited-edition Jerry Garcia giclée prints and merchandise, raffles and silent auctions, Wire Sculpture Live, a Tacos Jalisco food truck, Grateful Diver merchandise, and photos with the Key Westys’ hippie van. Proceeds from sales and fundraising activities support the museum’s "Dive Into Art" exhibit.

The series ties arts education directly to local economic and cultural networks. Sponsors and partners named in local publicity include the Art Guild of the Purple Isles, Blue Marlin Jewelry, the Carolan Foundation, Crane Point Museum and Nature Center, the Florida Keys Council of the Arts, Monroe County Tourist Development Council, NOAA, Divers Alert Network, Key West Art and Historical Society, and several local businesses. The Monroe County Tourist Development Council’s involvement signals the program’s role in arts-driven tourism and destination programming within the Keys.

Beyond ticketed and donated revenue, the program offers micro-sponsorship opportunities: the museum has sought contributions "for as little as $15" to sponsor student artists. That model spreads participation and keeps fundraising accessible while converting creative output into museum-supporting sales and community investment.

The History of Diving Museum remains open daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at MM 83 bayside, 82990 Overseas Highway, Islamorada. A recorded “Immerse Yourself” presentation by Executive Director Lisa Mongelia with Adrienne Z and Diane Smith was posted to YouTube on Jan. 25 to document outreach and creative process. With three February performances planned, community members can expect more student-led readings and concerts tied to the exhibit as the museum continues to convert classroom creativity into public programming and local economic activity.