New Education Specialist to pilot outreach program for Key West Art & Historical Society

This month, Key West Art & Historical Society will welcome a new staff member to manage their educational programming and outreach for their Custom House Museum, Fort East Martello Museum and The Lighthouse & Keepers Quarters.

With a Masters degree in Museum Studies from the University of Massachusetts and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Arts from the University of Oklahoma, Kristi Robinson’s first job will be to strengthen the relationship between the Society, Monroe County schools and other local arts organizations, redefining the organization’s role as a leader in arts and history education throughout the region.  Specifically, she plans to accomplish this through educational outreach into the classrooms, leading group tours to the museums, curriculum development and special events at the Custom House Museum’s soon to be unveiled Research & Learning Center.

“My initial focus is to get Monroe county children into our museums and learning about the culture, art and history of Key West,” says Robinson.  “My personal educational philosophy has always been, “Teach diversely to diverse learners,” and I believe that must be our goal, short and long term. This means we need to create educational experiences that appeal to locals and visitors, children and adults.

“In terms of special initiatives, the sky is the limit, but on my personal wish list, in the long term, I would like to provide an art program for special needs children and adults, teen events where young artists can connect with professionals and student art shows for Monroe school children grades KG-12,” she continues.

Robinson’s background encompasses a wide range of skills that lend themselves well to the programs and diversity she speaks of.  In addition to her university studies, she is a multifaceted artist with more than 20 years of stage performance experience, and has exhibited her artwork at the Polk Museum of Art in Lakeland, Florida, where she also interned in their curation and interpretive program. She has spent the last eight years as a visual arts educator in Lakeland, and is a Florida certified teacher in both Elementary Education and Art Education K-12.

“I sincerely believe in the mission of the Society and the vision to create a superior museum education program that inspires locals and tourists to explore the art and history of Key West,” she says.  “Instilling a love for art and bringing out the artist within has been my calling as an Art Educator for the last eight years and now I have the opportunity to expand that to an entire community.”

Robinson enters as The Society’s Knight Arts Challenge comes to a crescendo.  There are less than three weeks left for the organization to garner text votes from the public to help secure a $20,000 grant from The Knight Foundation. If awarded, the monies would directly fund Robinson’s educational initiatives.

“The award would provide the program with start-up funding for our outreach into classrooms, allow us to create hands-on experiences and support the overall mission of the program,” she says.  “It would be a valuable kick start to our programming.”

Anyone with a cell phone can support the Key West Art & Historical Society in this campaign by text messaging VOTE4 to 22333 before November 17th.  The Society is the sole Keys-based organization nominated for the grant, and must get more votes than the other five South Florida organizations nominated. If you haven’t yet voted, they ask that you take the minute to do so now.  Winners will be announced December 2.

Your museums.  Your community. It takes an island.

For more information, call Executive Director, Michael Gieda, at 305-295-6616, extension 103.