December 26, 2023 – (KEY WEST, FL). On January 12, 2024, the Key West Museum of Art & History will open the solo exhibition “Charmed Life: Assemblages by Christine Fifer”. Known for her saturated paintings with detailed composition, Christine Fifer is surprising us with a new twist on her art with a special nod to history. Thousands of vintage Cracker Jack charms found their way into her series of mixed media assemblages, proving it IS a charmed life. The Society welcomes the public to a special reception on January 12 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Key West Museum of Art & History, 281 Front Street, to mark the exhibit opening.
“Charmed Life” took its first breath when Fifer realized her vast collection of vintage Cracker Jack prizes deserved a life beyond staid glass jars up on a shelf. The charms amassed in her collection are all from the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, and she has been foraging for these Lilliputian gems for years. They speak volumes of what was important to and popular when her parents were children, and so for her, they shoulder profound, sentimental value. It is her hope that these surprisingly appealing and wildly addicting tiny treasures take you back to your own histories and the things you hold dear. And most importantly, she hopes the show brings you joy and helps you find the kid in you again.
“With her unique vintage style and storytelling abilities, Fifer is delighting museumgoers with her new sculptural pieces,” says Dr. Cori Convertito, curator and historian for the Society. “Cracker jack toys evoke the purest sense of Americana. Around 1912, the Cracker Jack company began including tiny celluloid prizes inside every box in the shape of miniature books, spinning tops, wartime heroes, animals, everyday household items, and baseball gloves. These prizes delighted the consumer, and many young children sewed these charms onto hats and bags as a badge of personality. Seeing the charms reinvented in Fifer’s work will bring out the kid in all of us.”
“Charmed Life” runs through March 3, 2024, in the Bumpus Gallery and is sponsored by the Florida Department of State, Division of Arts & Culture, with additional support provided by The Helmerich Trust. For more information, call Cori Convertito at 305-295-6616 x 507 or [email protected]. Your Museums. Your Community. It Takes an Island.
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IMAGE 1: The mixed media assemblages of Christine Fifer will be the subject for the forthcoming exhibition “Charmed Life” which opens with a special reception that is open to the public at the Key West Museum of Art & History on the evening of Friday, January 12 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Photo Credit: Christine Fifer)
