Once upon a time, on the tiny island of Key West, lived a young man who was allowed to create atop a magical castle. From 1986 to 1996 I was fortunate to have an artist studio at the former Harris School, located smack-dab in the middle of “Old Town” in Key West. I occupied two large school rooms on the top floor (pictured top left) and a long balcony I shared with my friend Molly, another artist, who had the space directly across from me. It was a 5-minute walk from where I lived, the rent was reasonable, the view spectacular and it allowed me to work on large scale installations I could never do anywhere else on the island. It was one of the most creative and exciting times, and leaving the castle and Key West for our move to Eureka Springs was sometimes difficult . The castle now sits abandoned and boarded up for sale – the multi-million dollar price tag and remodeling cost, preventing it from being sold in our economic recession. I’ve never regretted the move to Eureka Springs and am still spoiled with a wonderful studio. I still miss good friends, the ocean, the tropical climate, the beautiful house and garden I shared, and still have fairy tale dreams of the castle.
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