August 10, 2026 – (KEY WEST, FL). The Key West Art & Historical Society announced today the donation of a culturally significant woodcarving by distinguished Cuban American folk artist Mario Sanchez, gifted to the Society by Holly S. Merrill. The work, inherited by Merrill from her mother, Scotti Merrill, depicts a traditional Key West funeral procession traveling along Center Street between Petronia and Olivia streets, passing in front of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church on its way to the Key West Cemetery.
The donation continues a longstanding tradition of stewardship by the Merrill family, whose contributions to historic preservation have helped safeguard and celebrate Key West’s unique cultural heritage. Through her gift, Holly S. Merrill has ensured that this important work by Sanchez will become part of the Society’s permanent collection, where it can be preserved and shared with future generations.
The woodcarving portrays a traditional funeral procession for a local fisherman, Mr. Salinier, traveling along Center Street toward the Key West Cemetery. With its horse-drawn hearse, mourners, and Welters Cornet Band, the scene offers a compelling glimpse into Key West life and ceremonial traditions during the 1940s. As with much of Sanchez’s work, the carving captures not only a specific moment in the island’s history but also the customs and community traditions of Key West during an earlier era.
Sanchez, a Key West native, is among this country’s finest and most recognized folk artists. The self-taught artist was born in Key West in 1908, the grandson of Cuban immigrants. In the 1940s, at the urging of his mother-in-law, he began creating intricate carvings depicting life in Key West as he remembered from his childhood. Of his work, Sanchez adopted as his motto: “Se que mi modesto arte no es bueno, pero gusta,” or “I know my modest art isn’t good, but it pleases.” Sanchez’s works are held in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the American Folk Art Museum in New York City.
“Scotti Merrill understood the importance of preserving the stories that make Key West unique, and Holly’s decision to donate this work continues that legacy in a meaningful way,” says Dr. Cori Convertito, curator and historian for the Society. “Mario Sanchez had an extraordinary ability to capture the character and customs of Key West, preserving intimate glimpses of island life that might otherwise have been lost to time. We are honored that Holly has chosen to share a work that was part of her family’s history with the entire community, ensuring that it can be preserved, studied, and appreciated for generations to come.”
The Sanchez woodcarving has been digitized and is available for viewing through the Society’s online collections at kwahs.org/collections. For more information about the donation or the Society’s permanent collection, contact Cori Convertito at 305-295-6616 x507 or [email protected].
Your Museums. Your Community. It takes an Island.
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IMAGE 1: The Key West Art & Historical Society has announced the generous donation of a Mario Sanchez woodcarving depicting a traditional Key West funeral procession traveling along Center Street toward the Key West Cemetery. The work was donated by Holly S. Merrill, who inherited it from her mother, Scotti Merrill. (Photo Credit: Key West Art & Historical Society Collection 2026.11.0003).
