The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-05-30
FEDERAL ARTS PROJECTS


The Byrnes Bill providing for
Federal work relief after June
30th omits entirely the Federal
Arts Projects, which include the
Writers, Art, Theater, Music,
and Historical Records. To say
that this is a serious omission is
not enough; it is gross mistake.
All of the Federal Arts Prof.
ects that have operated in Key
West have been of incalculable
value to the life and progress of
the community.
Consider the achievements of
the Writer'S Project: the key
West Historical Pageant" that
has become an annual event, i'm
pressing both residents and visi-
tors with the colorful back
ground of the city; splendid pub
licity for Key West and Monroe
County in such volumes as Flor
ida, A Guide To The Southern
most State" ~. S. One, Maine
To Florida" Florida Water
ways" and Life In The South"
The key West Guide" more
than 80 per cent complete, con-
tains a wealth of information
that will be of tremendous value
if completed and published, but
a total loss if filed away to col
lect dust. Key West certainly
needs an adequate guide book.
Money has been spent on this
one-why throw it away?
Then there is the Art Project:
the FERA originally brought
celebrated artists to Key West,
beautified local buildings with
Key West paintings, and their,
excellent art work added inn
measurably to the charm of those
rehabilitation guide books; the
present project and its Art Cen
ter, one of the outstanding points
of interest on the island; the art
classes for visitors, adults, chill
dren; the work in Cuban art ap-
probation groups; and the cur
rent Worlds Fair publicity OBJ
tanned for Key West through its
art exhibits.
AS for the Music Project: well,
Voltaire said that life without
music would be mistake. To
music loving Key Westers such a
life would be tragic! The Key
West Hospitality Band, composed
of local musicians, has an en-
viable record of innumerable en-
joyable concerts for special oc-
casions, receptions, celebrations,
The Week of Joy, and, most OF
all, weekly concerts under Key
Vests palms and tropic sky.
And there were the superlatiVe
productions of pirates of Pen
zance" and INNS. Pinafore"
that brought state and national
acclaim for the polished perform
ances of local talent.
The Historical Records: with
its painstaking and deliberate
compilation of records of all
kinds-historic, municipal, civic
has not only benefited contem-
porary Key West, but its work
will be boon to future admins
trations, historians, writers. Val
liable records that would other
wise have been lost forever have
been located, diligently CLASH
fled, indexed, and safely filed
away.
Except that Key West is par
ticularly fortunate and favored
in many respects, it is very much
like any other American city.
And Key Vests experience
shows that the Federal Arts Prof.
ects fill a very definite need in
providing employment for writ
ers, artists, musicians, actors, and
clerical workers-in addition to
the dollars-and-cents and cul-
tural benefits derived by the
whole population.
: Key West needs its Pageant,
Guide Book, Publicity; it needs
its Art Center, Art Glasses, Art
Lectures, and Worlds Fair Ex-
hibits; it should never part with
its Hospitality Band, Weekly
Concerts, Receptions and Light
Operas; the rich history of Key
West should be preserved for
future generations: in other
words, Key West needs the Fed
eral Arts Projects!
Efforts to curtail government
tai expenditures should be gov
erned by sound discretion; the
Byrnes Bill should be amended
to include the Federal Arts Prof.
ects.
STETSON KENNEDY.
May q, 1899
1910 Duval Street,