07/07/2026
It's with heavy hearts — and a deep sense of loss — that we share the passing of Norbert Szilagyi, a beloved fixture of the Key West Artisan Market and our Daily Plan-it vendor family. 💔
He arrived in Key West in the late 1980s and spent decades developing what he called "tropical primitivism" — bold, high-gloss, hand-framed paintings full of color, humor, and, underneath the whimsy, real symbolism and folk storytelling.
Norb left Hungary as a young boy with his mother and sister, eventually settling in the U.S. and earning a degree in Art History from Kent State University before making Key West his home.
In November 2024, the Key West Museum of Art & History honored him with a full retrospective, "Monkey in Paradise," featuring more than 40 works spanning his sculpture, early paintings, and decades of island scenes.
Norb was a constant, familiar presence at our markets. No matter how a sales day went, he stayed upbeat — always ready with a smile and easy conversation. Every season he'd roll out a new style or theme, always evolving, always creating. Most recently he'd started testing new t-shirt designs at our shows, gearing up for next season. Regulars at his booth will remember the small Buddhist-pose gnome he kept tucked under his display table — a quiet, funny little signature that was pure Norb. Norb was showing his work at the Artisan Market this past Sunday — doing exactly what he loved, right up to the end.
On behalf of his entire Artisan Market family, we will miss his calm presence more than words can say. Our thoughts are with his family and everyone who knew him at the shows, in the galleries, and around town. 🎨🕊️
