Make an Artsy Scavenger Hunt at Rosemary Beach's Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit

Stop by the Rosemary Beach Town Administration Building and pick up a map for a walking tour to check out the 2019-2020 edition of the outdoor sculpture exhibit.

Each piece has a story and each is unique. A signature event of Art Month South Walton, The Rosemary Beach Sculpture Exhibition (RBSE) marks the second biennial juried art show of contemporary outdoor sculpture on display throughout the town of Rosemary Beach from May 23, 2019 – February 14, 2020.  This year’s exhibition includes 16 sculptures from artists across 12 states and Washington, D.C.

Re-Cycled, 2015 - Steel, repurposed bicycle chainrings by Arod Charzewski & Sean Mueller - The bicycle is an integral part of our daily lives and, for many, the bicycle is an expression of their personality. Whether it be the type of bike, the color, the fenders, the tires, or even the seat, no bike is ever the same, and there is a tremendous amount of pride that each owner carries for their bicycle. Sean and Jarod were inspired by this, and set out to create an exciting and repurposed materials sculpture.

The Rosemary Beach Sculpture Exhibition sets out to provide a scenic platform for artists working in outdoor sculpture and for public art to be a part of Rosemary Beach’s design history. It seeks to facilitate a synergistic relationship between sculpture, the town’s iconic architecture and natural spaces, as well as a dialogue between art object and audience.

Duet, 2019  - Stainless steel by Gregory Johnson - The beauty of modern art is that it allows you the viewer to interpret. Duet suggests two. My current work focuses on simple, elegant geometric shapes. Inspired by curves depicted in life and nature, I like how they meander and cross over each other. My opinion is that curves are more happily found in nature than straight lines. My emphasis on the circle as a thematic symbol is something artists have been dealing with since the Renaissance. William Shakespere quoted, “The object of art is to give life shape.”

In a nod to the first architects and planners of New Urbanism, this exhibition aims to make new contributions to the manifestations of their land planning ideology. Here, the goals for an elevated quality of living, by way of aesthetics and artistic commentary, come to fruition in a new way and carve out a renewed place for Rosemary Beach in New Urbanism’s design tradition.

Golden Oak Leaf Arch II, 2018 - Powder coated aluminum by Jim Gallucci - The arch is a perfect form to capture a theme for this work. Invented in ancient times by the Etruscans, and perfected by the Romans, it defies gravity and cultivates wonder through its form. The arch defines a space by the position of two touch-down points, where they rest. An arch defines time as a passage through a portal. The movement gives one a concrete grasp of time. My sculpture uses the fascination of an arch to celebrate the magnificence of nature using a simple form, the leaf.

Materials for the contemporary sculptures are as varied as their subject matter. Made of steel, aluminum, bronze, stainless steel, and wire, some address issues such as the environment and freedom, while others explore nature or formal elements like color, perspective and balance, with one towering to 16 feet high.

In addition to the juried show, a science-based sculpture created by students from Ohana School will also be on display. Made of debris from our Gulf waters, beach, and surrounding areas, the sculpture will raise awareness of the ever-growing problem of single use plastics and its threat to oceans, marine life and humans alike. Find it in front of Rosemary Beach Town Hall in the city center on the south side of Scenic 30A.

Visitors who tag photos of sculptures with #rosemarybeachsculpture will have a chance to win a $100 gift certificate from Rosemary Beach Trading Company; and, can also vote for their favorite sculpture in the People’s Choice Award contest.

The purpose of the show is to complement the architectural heritage in Rosemary Beach and to contribute to the cultural arts environment in Walton County and surrounding areas. Learn more, get a preview of the sculptures, and vote online at www.rosemarybeachsculpture.com.

Rosemary Beach Sculpture Exhibition is part of Art Month South Walton, an initiative of the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County with the purpose to bring communities, organizations and businesses together to present quality arts and entertainment to the community. Spanning the month of May, Art Month will feature visual, performing and literary arts programming in diverse formats and in various venues throughout South Walton.

Sea Glade II, 2015 - Steel by Cathy Perry - The sea grasses sway at the mercy of the ocean breezes. The underwater sea grasses dance to the tune of the changing tides. Seasons are reflected even in the sea grasses that live in the sea. The seasons are replicated in the red hues of Sea Glade II. The ever-changing motion of the sea grass as the tide dictates its rhythm is shown in the lines and variations of edges in Sea Glade. The peacefulness of the sea and its mysteries inspire me to create work capturing these feelings of tranquility.

Low-Poly Open Heart (R.I.D.E.), 2019 - Welded laser-cut aluminum diamond plate, tractor paint by M.L. Duffy - Missing my wife Elizabeth during her trip to Japan, I used an advanced algorithm to reduce an archetypical heart form into 96 triangular panels (polygons). I then opened each plane so that he could explore the play between front/back, interior/exterior, color/materiality, as well as form/process of the hand-welded sculpture.

From the website: www.rosemarybeachsculpture.com

The Rosemary Beach Sculpture Exhibition (RBSE) is a biennial juried art show of contemporary outdoor sculpture on display throughout the town of Rosemary Beach. It is the signature event of this quintessential New Urbanism town located on the Gulf of Mexico along scenic highway 30A in northwest Florida, between Panama City and Destin. Architectural Digest recently name Rosemary Beach as one of the 30 most beautiful main streets in America. 

New Urbanism towns, also known as Neo-Traditional, are built according to traditional neighborhood principles that preceded suburban sprawl. It is a return to walkable paths and sidewalks surrounding a town center and public spaces where people live, work and play. 

Public art has long been a staple in many traditional towns, whether it is to honor a local hero or to bring attention to some aspect of the town’s cultural heritage. In our postmodern time, a show of contemporary outdoor sculpture in a Neo-Traditional town can uplift and inspire in similar fashion. It can encourage locals and visitors alike to view the world and their own heritage in perhaps new and inspiring ways as they engage with the personal artistic expression of each sculptor.  

PURPOSE. The purpose of this sculpture exhibition is to enhance the quality and excellence of Rosemary Beach through complementing its architectural heritage and natural beauty with outdoor sculpture; and, to contribute to the cultural arts environment in our county and surrounding areas.

HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE 2019-20 EXHIBITION  

Artists & Sculptures. Sixteen sculptures by 16 artists were selected from 77 entries for the exhibition. The entries came from 53 artists across 20 states, Washington D.C., and Paris France. Visit the Artists & Sculptures page to view the sculptures and to learn more about them and the artists.

Events. Several events are being planned around the Exhibition, including a Patron’s Party, Artist Panel Discussion, Opening Reception, Homeowners' Only Event, Student Participation, and more.

One of the events leading up to the exhibition will be an Earth Day Celebration in conjunction with Ohana School. Students there, working under the guidance of their art and science teachers, are creating a science-based sculpture that will teach stewardship of our oceans and earth. To be made from debris from our gulf waters, beach and surrounding areas, the sculpture will raise awareness of the ever-growing problem of single use plastics and its threat to oceans, marine life and humans alike. The sculpture will be unveiled on April 22, 2019 (Earth Day) in Rosemary Beach. 

Printed Material. A printed brochure with a site map will guide visitors through the RBSE and A Catalogue of the Exhibition will be available for visitors who want to learn more about the artists and their works. 

Audio Tour. An audio tour narrated by the artists themselves will be offered through the free ‘Otocast’ smartphone app, enabling visitors to hear the artists as they view the sculptures.

 Media. Posters will promote the exhibition and news and updates will appear in traditional media, as well as on the social media sites, Facebook and Instagram. 

FUNDING. Private donations and in-kind sponsors fund the RBSE, a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, the country’s largest arts fiscal sponsor. The RBSE sought sponsorship from this 501(c)(3) entity in order to enable contributions to the RBSE to be tax deductible, and to take advantage of other benefits of sponsorship from an organization with a national reach such as Fractured Atlas. There are many levels of sponsorship available and we invite you to visit our Donate page to learn how you can make a contribution. We thank you in advance for your support of the arts in our community.

SCULPTURE EXHIBITION COMMITTEE. Five Rosemary Beach homeowners make up the Committee that plans and implements the Exhibition. They are, Project Director Tom Kramer, Linda Gifford, Marsha Aldridge King, Victoria Lee, and Lawrence Pugh. Backed by the Rosemary Beach Property Owners’ Association (POA), the POA staff and numerous volunteers work with the committee to help mount the Exhibition.