Dive Into Creativity: May is Art Month in Walton County

Art Month Walton County, an initiative led by the Cultural Arts Alliance (CAA) of Walton County and sponsored in part by Visit South Walton, will provide a full month of creative offerings in May, including the “Dine + Dive” fundraiser for the Underwater Museum of Art, 36th Annual ArtsQuest Fine Arts Festival, Longleaf Writers Conference, Digital Graffiti at Alys Beach, Mary Poppins at Emerald Coast Theatre Company, Emerald Coast Storytellers events, Sinfonia Goes Pop in Alys Beach, and more. All happenings are part of the Art Month mission to bring together communities, organizations and businesses to present quality and diverse arts entertainment.

The mission of the Cultural Arts Alliance is to foster creativity through the inclusive and collaborative advancement of the Arts. In that spirit, we are pleased to spread the word about Arts events and programs in the month of May presented by our pARTners whose work is aligned with the CAA’s vision for a thriving community in which everyone experiences the power of the Arts.

Join us Wednesday, May 1 to kick off Art Month in Grand Boulevard’s Grand Park for the ‘Dine + Dive’ fundraiser in support of the sixth installation of the Underwater Museum of Art (UMA), the nation’s first permanent artificial reef sculpture park created by the CAA and South Walton Artificial Reef Association. Doors open at 6 p.m. and guests are invited to view several of the UMA sculptures, enjoy a full cash bar with specialty cocktails, mingle with the artists, sample more than 50 wines from the Martinelli Family Winery and Sonoma County Vintners Association, taste featured items from popular area restaurants and celebrated Chefs including Bijoux, Cantina Laredo, Cinders and Salt, Citizen at Alys Beach, Down Island, Grayton Beach Catering, Great Southern Cafe, Marrow Chefs, Mozey’s, Red Fish Taco, Roux 30A, Stinky’s Fish Camp, Surfing Deer, and Swiftly Catered. Enjoy live musical entertainment from opening act Boukou Groove followed by headliner, Cousin Curtiss! 30A Songwriters Festival favorites Cousin Curtiss and Harrison B are on a mission to electrify audiences everywhere with their two-man full-band sound. Think, “blues at bluegrass speeds.” Imagine, “rock americana with a soulful drip.” General admission tickets are $100 in advance and $125 at the door (if available). Tickets are on sale now at CulturalArtsAlliance.com/upcoming-events. To learn more about UMA, visit UMAFL.org.

The Foster Gallery at the Miramar Beach Creative Campus, is the CAA’s professional artist collective showcasing over 40 rotating regional artists and special exhibitions, is currently featuring the work of the Spring Rotation artists in addition to a Special Exhibition of select works by fine photographer Patrick McFeeley scheduled to run through May 31, 2024. Patrick has spent the past three decades exploring and capturing the Island of Maui bringing to the world the now iconic Jaws Maui, home to some of the largest waves in the world and capturing natural beauty that draws visitors from around the world. The devastating wildfires of 2023 that destroyed the town of Lahaina, Maui forced Patrick to leave his beloved island to start over. With the support of friends and family these images represent some of the beauty, majesty, and peace that is the Island of Maui. Gallery hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The annual Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation Concerts in the Village series continues May 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30. Each Thursday evening concert features family-friendly premier musicians and bands performing everything from classic rock, reggae and disco to modern pop. Visit MKAF.org for the complete lineup and to purchase tickets.

May 3 is the opening night of Mary Poppins presented by Emerald Coast Theatre Company. Sprinkle a spoonful of sugar on your spring with the delightful and enchanting Mary Poppins! This show is “practically perfect in every way” for all ages and feels like a “jolly holiday” with friends and family. Don’t miss this supercalifragilisticexpialidocious show that will lift your spirits and leave you feeling like you want to go “fly a kite!” Performances are Friday, May 3, through Sunday, May 19. For tickets and more information regarding performance dates and times, visit EmeraldCoastTheatre.org.

The 36th annual ArtsQuest Fine Arts Festival will fill Grand Boulevard’s North Park with over 120 exhibiting artists on Saturday, May 4 from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Sunday, May 5 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Produced by the CAA and presented by Grand Boulevard and Visit South Walton, ArtsQuest includes a CAA Member Artist Gallery, student exhibitions, live art demonstrations, an interactive Public Art project, a special exhibit from the CAA’s Prison Art Program, Art on Demand LIVE workshops, continuous live music from Will Thompson Band, Anne Cline, Christon Birge Band, Alex Napier, Mari Gleason, Ohana Rock on the Road, Anthony Peebles and more, delicious food and beverage options, ImagiNation: where kids rule, and an exhibition of two of the newest Underwater Museum of Art sculptures.

Back by popular demand this year at ArtsQuest, the CAA is excited to bring its virtual Art on Demand series to the event. Art on Demand LIVE interactive workshops scheduled throughout the festival weekend and include some of our best-loved instructors Gisselle Barnhart, Melissa Davis, Mindy McClendon and Nicolaus Seegel offering instruction in painting, ceramics and fused glass workshops. Workshops are ticketed separately and registration is available at CulturalArtsAlliance.com/upcoming-events.

ArtsQuest is a rain or shine event open to the public. A $5 donation per person is requested at the gate. A list of artists, the entertainment schedule and other details will be available online at CulturalArtsAlliance.com/arts-quest. ArtsQuest and Dine + Dive are supported by Grand Boulevard Town Center, Visit South Walton, Florida Arts & Culture, CHELCO, David Frank Luxury Swings, Latitude Margaritaville, Salty Girls, Seaside® and Emerald Coast Magazine.

The Emerald Coast Storytellers join the Art Month lineup this year on May 9 with an Open Mic Night at The Miramar Beach Creative Campus. Listen along to brave local storytellers as they share their written and spoken tales. Doors will open at 5 p.m. and stories will begin at 6 p.m. sharp. For more information and tickets, visit EmeraldCoastStorytellers.com.

The 12th Annual Longleaf Writers Conference will take place in Seaside, Fla and in other venues May 11 through 18, featuring award-winning, visiting authors Adam Johnson and Maggie Smith with other special guests including literary agents Martha Wydysh, Anjali Singh, and Duvall Osteen. Full conference registrations and a la carte seminars are available, along with options to participate in special events throughout the week, including personal consultations, readings and more. Register and purchase tickets online at LongleafWritersConference.com.

Celebrating its 17th anniversary, Digital Graffiti is a one-of-a-kind projection art festival where artists use the latest digital technologies to project their original works onto the white walls of Alys Beach. This year’s event takes place Friday, May 17 and Saturday, May 18. Each year, the festival attracts international digital artists, filmmakers, musicians, interactive designers, photographers, VJs, producers, celebrities, agency executives and fans of art, technology and architecture. Visit DigitalGraffiti.com for tickets and details.

Sinfonia Gulf Coast presents Jurassic Park in Concert featuring visually stunning imagery and groundbreaking special effects, this epic action-packed adventure pits man against prehistoric predators in the ultimate battle for survival. Sheer movie magic 65 million years in the making, bring the entire family to experience Jurassic Park in Concert as never before: projected in HD with Sinfonia Gulf Coast performing John Williams’ iconic score live to picture. Welcome… to Jurassic Park in Concert! Tickets are $30-$55. Purchase online at SinfoniaGulfCoast.org.

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ABOUT CULTURAL ARTS ALLIANCE:
As the creative core of Walton County for three decades, the Cultural Arts Alliance (CAA) of Walton County offers support, connection and access opportunities for all forms of art, every variety of maker, all levels of learners, and especially, art lovers. Since its founding in 1993, the CAA has granted over $750,000 to the Walton County creative community through its Art For All program. Through sponsorship, performance, and educational programs, the 501(c)(3) organization directly connects the people of Walton County with the broader view, the critical exploration, and the answers only the Arts have the power to provide. For more information, visit CulturalArtsAlliance.com.