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More
Art Than You Thought
By Rebecca Valle
Welcome to the inaugural edition
of “More Art than You Thought”. This Panama
City Coastline and Panama City Metro.com column profiles
local artists, previews and reviews local cultural
events and lets you know how you can participate in
the local art scene.
Let’s begin with an introduction to local arts.
What’s available? Panama City ranked sixth in
the "100 Best Small Art Towns in America"
(John Villani, Muit Press, 1997). But you won’t
find the heartbeat of the arts cruising through on
Highway 98. You have to know to head south on Harrison
Avenue, how to find the shops and galleries in St.
Andrews or where festivals are being held.
The historic part of downtown Panama City is home
to Bay County’s art district. What does downtown
Panama City have that adds up to an art district?
Many fine shops and galleries
A multitude of events
A wide variety of art organizations
And, although downtown Panama City is Bay County’s
cultural seat and county seat, the arts are not limited
to that area. Cultural resources and activities can
be found throughout the year, throughout the county.
Our many festivals, art exhibits, theater productions,
musical performances and museum displays contribute
to our community’s artistic diversity.
The allure of specialty shops, antique stores and
unexpected art venues entices many people to browse.
Let’s take an imaginary tour to introduce you
to a little of that allure. Start at the Oleander
House at 1118 Bayview Avenue. The Oleander House hosts
several local artists on an ongoing basis. Jennifer
Bonaventura’s paintings, Jerry Hamrick’s
wood carvings, and works by several other artists
nestle among owner Karen Saline’s antique offerings.
Karen even has a few of her own paintings on display.
Just around the corner on Beck Avenue is Bay Art and
Frame. Stop in to see Victoria Bush’s impressive
work, a sample of Don Taylor’s award-winning
watercolors, some Dean Mitchell paintings, and other
talented artists’ work. Chat with the staff—you’ll
find them as knowledgeable as they are friendly. Classes
are available if you want to pursue artistic skills.
The Gallery of Art, at 36 West Beach Drive, was established
by Mary Ola Miller in 1966. Paul Brent had his first
exhibit there, and now owns his own gallery just a
few blocks west at Beach and Fifth. Mrs. Miller features
artists known regionally, nationally and internationally.
The current exhibit is “A Bird on Your Shoulder”,
which includes original paintings, prints and vintage-inspired
pins by Jane Tannehill Perry. Jane’s charming
native bird paintings contrast magnificently with
her architectural renderings. The Sherman Arcade,
just northwest of McKenzie Park and across the street
from the McKenzie House, has an open-air
gallery that never closes. Three artists |
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are spotlighted, and changed monthly
to show 36 artists’ work each year. View the
Sherman Arcade on the way to McKenzie Park or as you
browse the shops of Harrison Avenue. Look for the
pumpkin orange building, and then walk through the
breezeway to see the art.
Or stop by Joey’s Java Juice for a hit of caffeine
and peruse the art on display. These displays are
changed monthly, too, so you need to stop by whenever
you can to enjoy the current art. Culture and coffee—what
a great combination!
Another great combination is culture and contribution.
The Northwest Florida Blood Center, at 2349 Martin
Luther King Jr. Boulevard, provides blood and blood
products to area hospitals. They depend upon people
in the community to support their life saving mission.
The Blood Center has contracted with local artist
Bill Valle to use their walls as his gallery. You
can give blood while you enjoy the art display.
These few locales are a small sample of the shops
and galleries available to the art seeker. But what
if you’re looking for a festival or a celebration?
Bay County hosts cultural events nearly every month.
Let’s look at the list of annual local events:
Earth Day
Spring Festival of the Arts
Lynn Haven Founder's Day
First Friday/Friday Fest
Concerts in the Park
Independence Day Celebrations
Bay County Fair
Indian Summer Festival
Natures Gallery
Oktoberfest
Celebration of Arts at Florida State University
Covenant Hospice Mask Parade
Festival of Nations
Lynn Haven Winter Wonderland
Festival of Trees
While the events listed above come
and go with the seasons, Bay County also hosts permanent
art venues and flourishing art-oriented organizations.
These include the Marina Civic Center, Bay Arts Alliance,
the Visual Arts Center of Panama City, Panama City
Music Association, the Orchestra of St. Andrew Bay,
the Gulf Jazz Society, the Martin Theater, the Kaleidoscope
Theater, the Museum of Man in the Sea, Bay County's
Junior Museum, Gulf Coast Community College’s
Visual and Performing Arts Division, Panama City Artists
and the Art Coop. Each of these adds a unique contribution
to our thriving cultural environment. What does each
contributes?
The Marina Civic Center, located at 8 Harrison Avenue,
attracts national touring acts, competitions and individual
entertainers. It is also home to Bay Arts Alliance.
The most recent art exhibit at the Marina Civic Center
displayed more than 80 works by Panama City Artists
members. The exhibit showcased paintings in all mediums
and three-dimensional work such as weaving, sculpture
and pottery.
The Bay Arts Alliance has served as the Bay Count
arts agency since 1978, providing cultural enrichment
through
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Earth
Day 2007 - McKenzie Park-Art Tents
Marina Civic Center Art 2007
Mask Parade 2007
Oleander House
Spring Festival of the Arts-McKenzie
Park
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educational experiences and touring performances.
It presents the annual Concerts in the Park series
at McKenzie Park and the Community Music Fest at Rick
Seltzer Community Park in Panama City Beach. The Visual
Arts Center of Northwest Florida is housed in the
old City Hall. It has a permanent collection of art
and shows twelve new exhibits each year. Its mission
is to "foster the excellence, diversity, and
vitality of the visual arts through education and
exhibitions and to serve as a source of information
about the arts, activities and events in Northwest
Florida". Annual VAC shows include the Faces
and Facets National Photography Competition, the Panama
City Artists’ Show and Sale, the Bay Annual
Juried Art Competition and the Northwest Florida Regional
Watercolor Show.
The Panama City Music Association has presented five
concerts annually since 1941. The concerts are sold
by season subscription and presented at the Marina
Civic Center. Throughout the years, the Panama City
Music Association has presented top soloists, ensembles,
symphonies, operas, Broadway musicals, dancers and
ethnic groups.
The Orchestra of St. Andrew Bay was created in 1996
so local musicians could perform traditional, symphonic
music. Members of the Orchestra come from all walks
of life but share a love of classical music. They
mentor emerging artists by partnering them with experienced
musicians. The Orchestra produces four concerts each
year.
The Gulf Jazz Society preserves, encourages and advances
jazz in all styles. The organization supports youth
and adult educational programs and provides jazz performance
opportunities. The society also produces festivals,
concerts and joint ventures with allied cultural organizations.
Members include musicians, teachers, business and
professional persons, student, and jazz aficionados.
The Martin Theater was built on Harrison Avenue in
1936. It was originally called "The Ritz"
and equipped with a move screen, a stage and two dressing
rooms. It hosted movies, vaudeville and talent shows.
The Martin Theatre Ensemble Program was created in
1994 to establish a permanent professional theatre
company in Northwest Florida. The Kaleidoscope Theatre,
located at 204 East 24th Street in Lynn Haven, brings
additional theater productions to Bay County. It also
provides a speakers bureau, an educational outreach
program and sponsors the Emerald Coast Film Festival.
The Gulf Coast Community
College Visual and Performing Arts Division provides
venues |
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for visual arts, dance, music and the theater arts.
Performing groups include: GCCC Concert Choir, Masterworks
Chorale, Singing Commodores and Concert Band. Participation
is open to students and the general public. The Amelia
G. Tapper Center for the Arts boasts state-of-the-art
sound, lighting, and rigging.
Museum of Man in the Sea is Bay County’s ever-growing
museum. As the advertising brochure for the museum
states, “The Museum illustrates the early attempts
to work underwater through interpretive drawings,
dioramas and written records.” The museum's
international collection includes underwater apparatus
such as dive gear, submarines and remote operated
vehicles.
The Bay County's Junior Museum is a non-profit entertainment
and educational children's museum. Children can see,
feel, hear and participate in science, art and nature
through exhibits, concerts, puppet shows, festivals,
classes and traveling displays. A nature trail twists
through Northwest Florida environments including a
hardwood swamp, a pine island and a hardwood hammock.
The Panama City Artists is a group of artists who
have pooled their talents and resources to enrich
themselves and their community. Founded in 2002, this
organization boasts over ninety professional artists,
teachers, hobbyists, enthusiasts and patrons. They
offer exhibits, networking, programs, demonstrations
and workshops.
The ArtCoop, located at 1416 Buena Vista Boulevard,
offers an art store, classes and events. Members create,
teach and attend classes, hold meetings, store supplies
and exchange ideas. The patio is available for outside
relaxing, listening to music, networking with other
artists or creating art. The ArtCoop allows members
to use ArtCoop to suit their own artistic needs.
Finally, let’s talk about visual artists. Who
are the artists of Bay County? Unless you’re
actively involved in the local arts community, you
can probably name four or five. Scan over this list:
Nic Alford, Melissa Arrant, Jennifer Bonaventura,
Dorothy Macri Bowie, Paul Brent, Victoria Bush, Penny
Call-Morris, Jim Davis, Judy Dandis, Jean Driver,
Carolyn Finlayson, Jennifer Greenley, Harry Hammond,
Jerry Hamrick, Roland Hockett, DeDee Higbee, Anne
Huggins, Pamela Hutton, Matty Jankowski, Betty Jett,
Betty Kearney, Colleen Mayer, Angelica McClain, Deano
Minton, Barbara Mulligan, Tom Needham, Jeanne Palmer,
Heather Parker, Ricky "Geno" Peoples, Paulette
Perlman, Emilie Pritchard, Patrick Reynolds, Jane
Gillis Segrest, Jeanette Swenson, Wes Swenson, Don
Taylor, Tim Thomas, Terri Thomas, Blu Webster, and
Leslie Wentzel.
How many did you recognize? Can you name their mediums
and describe their styles? Do you know where you can
see their work? These are just a sample of the good,
even great artists who live in or near Panama City.
Many, many more live and work here, enriching our
community with their unique contributions.
Upcoming editions of this column will profile artists
and performers, preview and review local cultural
events, and let you know how you can enjoy Bay County’s
plethora of arts. We have more art than you thought!
Footnote: If you’re an artist or performer who’d
like to be profiled, please contact me at: rjvalle4800@comcast.net
or (850) 747-0363.
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Martin Theater
Natures Gallery-St Andrews Park-2006
PCA Show & Sale 2007
Street Art
Spring Festival of the Arts-Sherman Arcade
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