Purple Isles Art Guild's 60th Judged Show Moves to Dolphin Life Hospital

The Art Guild of the Purple Isles is staging its 60th Members’ Judged Art Show in a new location at Dolphin Life Hospital in Islamorada, with members’ work displayed among lighted sea life tanks in the facility’s Protect Center space (82748 Overseas Highway, mile marker 82.7). AGPI’s event listing shows the exhibit running Feb. 18 through March 30 during Protect Center hours, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., while Keysweekly reported a Feb. 19 opening; the Protect Center listing also notes entrance fee is waived for the art show.

Show chairwoman Karen Kubacki framed the move as a partnership that blends the arts with the hospital’s public mission, saying, “We are so excited about collaborating with the Dolphin Life Hospital, which features a truly unique atmosphere combining education, animal rescue and rehabilitation, and history in an old Keys building.” Kubacki also acknowledged the shift from the previous venue, adding, “We regret that the History and Discovery Center was no longer able to accommodate us, but congratulate them on their expansion of history exhibits into the previous gallery space.”

Miami’s Andres Lopez will judge the 60th judged show; Keysweekly described Lopez as “an artist who has won awards on a global scale,” and Kubacki said, “We are honored to have an artist of such caliber to be judging our show this year.” Organizers say works will be judged across multiple media including watercolor, oil, acrylic, pastel/pastel drawing, mixed media/experimental, photography, digital art, sculpture and plein air, with ribbons awarded for first, second and third place in each category as well as a People’s Choice Award and Best of Show.

Practical details for visitors include gallery hours listed at 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily on the AGPI and Keysnews calendars for the judged show; the judged show reception is listed by Keysnews for Feb. 19 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. AGPI’s 60th-season programming also includes a Dive Into Art: Stories from the Sea exhibit at the History of Diving Museum (82990 Overseas Highway, Jan. 21–April 15), a Wildlife of the Keys show at Our Place in Paradise Gallery (88711 Overseas Highway, March 7–March 30 with a reception March 7, 5–7 p.m.), and a Botanical Art Show tied to the Francis Tracy Garden Walk at Francis Tracy Garden Center (94040 Overseas Highway, Tavernier) on Feb. 28.

Beyond the exhibition schedule, AGPI is marking its 60th season with online history materials and a 60th-anniversary slideshow on the guild’s YouTube channel; Keysnews notes the guild was founded in 1966. The Protect Center’s waived entrance fee combined with Kubacki’s emphasis on education and rehabilitation signals an effort to increase public access to arts programming at a facility that also serves as an animal rescue and rehabilitation site.

Details remain inconsistent across sources: AGPI lists a Feb. 18 opening while Keysweekly lists Feb. 19, and AGPI identifies the exhibit location as the Protect Center at 82748 Overseas Highway whereas local press uses the Dolphin Life Hospital name and mile marker 82.7. AGPI President David Bader has recently announced the 60th-year exhibits and receptions for the guild.