About Lance Berry
Lance Berry is a Key West painter whose work captures the island the way it actually feels — bold, saturated, a little wild, and full of personality.
Raised in Pensacola by a family of artists, creativity was always around him, but he didn’t fully commit to painting until later in life. A previous visit to Key West changed that. Friends Dave and Sarah Eckhart gave him his first real paint set, and the spark stuck. Years later he moved to the island on a whim — on April Fools’ Day — after painting a mural in Melbourne, Florida that helped fund the trip. He arrived with a brush, a love for color, and no formal plan. He never left.
He describes his approach as “unbridled art”: large, loose brushstrokes and highly saturated color that heighten contrast and pull the eye. The work is expressive rather than tight, more about energy and feeling than perfect rendering. His best-known subjects are Key West’s free-roaming roosters. He paints them with big personalities — the ones that look like they’ve been out way too late and are probably up to no good. Over the years those roosters have become a signature, appearing in originals, limited-edition prints, and murals around the island.
Beyond the canvas, Lance has painted extensively in public and commercial spaces. His murals include multiple pieces at Havana Cabana Resort, work at Lagerheads Beach, a large “Welcome to Key West” mural between the Gates Hotel and Hilton Garden Inn, and collaborative community murals created with local youth groups. He has also been an artist-in-residence at places including Clé, Southernmost Beach Café, and Red Shoe Island Bistro, and his work has been shown in locations from Key West City Hall to local restaurants and private collections. Early on he worked as a street artist at the Southernmost Point and Mallory Square’s sunset celebration and spent time as an art consultant at Wyland Gallery.
In 2025 he won the Bubba Award for Key West’s Best Artist. He was previously a finalist for the same award in 2018, alongside artists including Wyland and Rick Worth. Alongside his studio and mural work, he regularly hosts Paint & Sip (and Paint ’N Chug) events, guiding people with no prior experience through a night of painting, laughter, and island character.
Community remains central. He has donated paintings and prints to support local organizations including AH of Monroe County, The Mark House, the Sister Season Fund, and the Marine Research Center, and he has worked directly with youth groups on public murals that turn blank walls into shared color.
More than a decade into painting full-time, Lance still treats it the same way he started: as a way to share the energy of Key West with other people. Whether it’s a rooster that looks like trouble, a custom commission, or a mural that brightens a corner of the island, the goal is the same — bold color, strong personality, and a piece that feels like it belongs here.
