EDITOR'S NOTE: Some of our readers have suggested that we publish more "good news". Okay. Here's some.
Early in January, the supporters of Fort Zachary Taylor State Park and Historic Site will once again be presenting Art in the Park.
In the mood for a little metallic pirate-skeletons, 6-foot multi-colored birds? How about some sculpted DNA sprinkled amidst a field of 20-foot-high aluminum poles representing seagrass?
These are the type of ecletic offerings viewers might see in early 2002.
And for the art aficionado, who also loves sand between the toes, snorkeling in the city's cleanest waters and perhaps, a chance to flip a hamburger fresh from one of the grills in the park's picnic area, January 10 might be a date to remember.
The eighth annual exhibition of sometimes wacky, always thought-provoking, outdoor sculpture will run from January 10 through February 23, with an opening reception set for Sunday, January 20, from 3-6 p.m.
First begun in 1995, by park ranger and metal sculptor Jim "Rocky" Racchi, the exhibition has been growing in popularity. Last year, about 20 mostly local artists displayed their efforts among the sand dunes.
The displays last year included painted spots in the sand, a Stonehenge, Easter-Island-type stone exhibit and a piece called, "Homage to the Spider," a weaver's interpretation, which depicted beribboned pines, with various park paraphrenalia attached to a makeshift web and strung throughout the trees.
Racchi's latest can be seen now on the rock jetty at the point. A popular fishing area, the metal work shows an exuberant fisherman exulting in his catch.
Racchi said he had always had the idea of putting environmental sculpture in spectacular settings. The award-winning artist studied in Florence, Italy, in 1987 and moved to Key West in 1990.
He continued to pursue his work in welding steel and discovered that collecting scrap metal from dumps and old construction sites could be an inexpensive source of material.
He also taught metal sculpture in the Florida Keys Community College before becoming a park ranger, where he can be found most days collecting entrance fees at the gate.
Sponsors of the exhibit, the Friends of Ft. Taylor Inc., comprise a not-for-profit group of volunteers, who have as one of their stated goals to try and save the fort from further deterioration and decline.