The Key West Citizen

First Annual Exhibition And Membership Drive Of Key West Art And Historical Society Begins

Mrs. A. Maitland Adams proclaimed this "Martello Gallery Week" in Key West to show first annual exhibition and membership drive to be put on by the Art and Historical Society at the Martello Gallery, new county beach.

Jury, consisting of Stevens and Bruce and Julius will judge the works submitted by artists for the exhibition.

It will be open to the public.

They will award a Martello award to the one most outstanding work of art submitted.

This every citizen will receive an invitation to become a member of the Historical Society, for two dollars.

Two cards designed by Cyril Marshall, will be sent to Key Westers and to 100 stationed here, so that each person having two hundred seals will automatically become a member of the society and him to any exhibition without further charge.

It is hoped that all mail sent out of Key West will be decorated which will not only advertise the art gallery but will advertise the city of Key West.

We are delighted to report membership drive is really a community enterprise. Burt Garnett, president of the Art Society stated Saturday "And that's as far as it goes since the Martello belongs to the people of Key West and Monroe County. Civic clubs have been cooperating with the membership drive by W. Curry Harris and Julius Stone, who during the past week have addressed the Rotary Club, the Lions, the Kiwanians, Jaycees, and other civic groups.

The City Electric System granted the Society the use of its address-o-graph machine to prepare campaign publicity for mailing.

Beta Sigma Phi, the cultural sorority which arranged the historical exhibition just closing at the Martello Gallery, also assisted in getting the publicity out.

We feel that so much interest in the membership drive proves that we really have something important to the community in the art gallery," said Mr. Garnett.

"It's obvious that other people believe so, too. Key West," he continued, "has already received a good deal of publicity in connection with the gallery, and it is our every intention to see that there is more to come."

Mr. Garnett referred to the national publicity received when the Associated Press carried the story about the exhibition of General Dwight D. Eisenhower's still-life painting recently. And he stated that National Geographic Magazine has requested special photographs in the gallery for the spread they are planning to do on Key West in the November issue.

"There's no doubt about it," he said enthusiastically. "Our gallery is one of the most unique in the United States, and we hope to make it one of the first places visited by tourists to Key West."

Mr. Garnett emphasized the fact that future exhibitions and improvements to the Martello Gallery depend to a great extent on the success of the membership drive, and he repeated the hope that all Key Westers will make their contributions, large or small, during this week.