May Is Art Month In Walton County

Art Month is an initiative of the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) 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 Walton county. ​

2024 Art Month Walton features events and programs presented in locations throughout Walton County, including Dine + Dive - a fundraiser for the Underwater Museum of Art, ArtsQuest Fine Arts Festival, Digital Graffiti at Alys Beach, Art Classes, Gallery events and more.

ART MONTH WALTON SCHEDULE

MAY 1
‘DINE + DIVE’ FUNDRAISER WITH COUSIN CURTISS BENEFITING THE UNDERWATER MUSEUM OF ART
Grand Park, 600 Grand Boulevard, Miramar Beach
6 - 9 p.m.

MAY 1-31
FOSTER GALLERY SPECIAL EXHIBITION AT MIRAMAR BEACH CREATIVE CAMPUS
13370 U.S. HWY 98, Miramar Beach

MAY 2
MATTIE KELLY ARTS FOUNDATION CONCERT SERIES - THE MULLIGANS
4323 Commons Dr. W, Destin
Gates open at 6 p.m. Concert begins at 7 p.m.

MAY 3 - 19
MARY POPPINS
Emerald Coast Theatre Company
560 Grand Boulevard, Upstairs, Miramar Beach

MAY 4 - 5
36th ANNUAL ARTSQUEST FINE ARTS FESTIVAL
North Park in Grand Boulevard Town Center, Miramar Beach
Saturday, May 4: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. and Sunday, May 5: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

MAY 9
EMERALD COAST STORYTELLERS OPEN MIC NIGHT
Miramar Beach Creative Campus, 13370 Emerald Coast Pkwy, Miramar Beach
5 - 8 p.m.

MAY 9
MATTIE KELLY ARTS FOUNDATION CONCERT SERIES - RUMOURS ATL: A FLEETWOOD MAC TRIBUTE
4323 Commons Dr. W, Destin
Gates open at 6 p.m. Concert begins at 7 p.m.

MAY 11 – 18
LONGLEAF WRITERS CONFERENCE
Academic Village and other locations in Seaside, FL

MAY 16 - 18
DIGITAL GRAFFITI
Alys Beach

MAY 16
MATTIE KELLY ARTS FOUNDATION CONCERT SERIES - GOTTA GROOVE BAND
4323 Commons Dr. W, Destin
Gates open at 6 p.m. Concert begins at 7 p.m.

MAY 23
MATTIE KELLY ARTS FOUNDATION CONCERT SERIES - MITCH MALLOY
4323 Commons Dr. W, Destin
Gates open at 6 p.m. Concert begins at 7 p.m.

MAY 26
SINFONIA GOES POP
Alys Beach
6 - 9:30 PM

MAY 30
MATTIE KELLY ARTS FOUNDATION CONCERT SERIES - HALEY REINHART
4323 Commons Dr. W, Destin
Gates open at 6 p.m. Concert begins at 7 p.m.

MAY 30
EMERALD COAST STORYTELLERS AFTER-HOURS WRITING NIGHT
CAA’s Bayou Arts Center, 105 Hogtown Bayou Ln, Santa Rosa Beach
6 - 8 p.m.

Dine + Dive

Join us in Grand Boulevard Town Center on Wednesday, May 1 from 6 - 9 p.m. for Dine + Dive, a fine art, food and wine event igniting all of the senses to benefit the nation’s first Underwater Museum of Art.  Get Tickets Now! The CAA and South Walton Artificial Reef Association (SWARA) are pleased to expand the former Under the Sea event to feature more than a dozen restaurant tasting stations, scores of incredible wines to sample as well as incredible live music from Cousin Curtiss, a 30A Songwriters Festival favorite!​

NEW this year… a UMA Experience where party-goers can virtually “dive in and swim” through the digitally projected sculptures as if they were moving along the Gulf floor.

Cousin Curtiss brings to the stage a fiery dynamic rarely seen by a solo act and now partnered up with the equally enigmatic and soulfully driven electric guitar prowess of Harrison B, these two road warriors 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." Experience rapid fire acoustic guitar, incendiary harmonica, fiercely energized solos, all driven by a thunderous kick drum.

Guests are invited to celebrate the Underwater Museum of Art’s 6th deployment with a night of art, wine tasting, continuous live music, cocktails, food, and fun! View several of the UMA sculptures, enjoy a full cash bar with specialty drinks, meet and greet with the artists, and taste featured items from popular area restaurants and celebrated Chefs.

Read more about Dine + Dive.

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.

36th Annual ArtsQuest Fine Arts Festival

In its 36th year, ArtsQuest Fine Arts Festival is planned for May 4 & 5, 2024! Produced by the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County and presented by Grand Boulevard Town Center, ArtsQuest provides an opportunity to view and purchase original art from over 100 artists from around the country.

ArtsQuest is a juried show that includes artists in the categories of Ceramics, Fiber, Glass, Jewelry, Metal, Mixed Media, Oils & Acrylics, Original Digital Art, Photography, Sculpture, Wood and Works on Paper (Watercolor, Printmaking, Pastels, Pencils, Ink). ArtsQuest awards $10,000 in cash prizes.

The rain or shine event also features live performances, artist demonstrations, ImagiNation: where kids rule, food, beverages and more! Join us in the Town Center of Grand Boulevard, from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 4 and again on Sunday, May 5, 10am - 5pm. A $5 donation will be accepted at the entrance gate.

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.
 

 Digital Graffiti at Alys Beach

The 17th Annual Digital Graffiti at Alys Beach festival, underwritten by The Alys Foundation, will be held May 17-18, 2024.

The Scenic 30A community of Alys Beach, located along the northwest Florida coastline, provides the environment for the Digital Graffiti festival, the open-air, organic gallery for the projections of these original artworks. Staged against the elegant white walls of Alys Beach, Digital Graffiti provides a large-scale blank canvas for artists to explore the visual intersection of art and architecture. The engagement between the art, architecture, and audience is transformative, creating an immersive and interactive art projection experience that is entirely unique to the Digital Graffiti festival, named as one of the top “24 Unconventional Art Destinations Around the World” by National Geographic.

Artists, designers, photographers, and architects are invited to submit their artwork to be projected under the night sky and onto the pristine, reflective white walls of Alys Beach. This evening festival features the town, buildings and landscape, illuminated by the latest in design, animation, and projection technologies; two glowing evenings of innovation and inspiration, with artists from around the world exhibiting works of projection mapping, generative art, experimental short films, and animation, as well as sound, motion, and light-responsive installations.

Digital Graffiti is a juried festival of original works of digital, projection art. The 2024 awards include Best of Show ($5,000 prize), Curator’s Choice ($2,000 prize) and three Special Recognition honors (at $1,000 prize each), selected by the festival’s curator, John Colette, and esteemed panel of judges. The Alys Foundation has donated more than $300,000 in awards and artist stipends over the past 15 years, all to further digital work in the public realm.

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.

Celebrate the Memorial Day holiday weekend in Alys Beach at the Sinfonia Goes Pops concert on Sunday, May 26 at 7:30PM. Sinfonia Gulf Coast orchestra will bring the classic sounds of Memphis alive with Symphonic Soul at this FREE family-friendly music spectacular. Bring blankets or low back chairs and grab a spot on the amphitheater lawn. For more information visit SinfoniaGulfCoast.org or AlysBeach.com. 

Come experience the more intimate side of Emerald Coast Storytellers: face to face, pen to paper, fingers to keys on Thursday, May 30. No matter where you are on your own writing journey, this event is open to all. We'll be at the CAA’s Bayou Arts Center armed with our pens, journals, and laptops, and ready to talk shop and get to work. The evening will begin at 6 p.m. with a brief discussion followed by breakout time to work on individual projects or an optional writing prompt. The event is free to attend, but rsvp’s are encouraged. For more information, visit EmeraldCoastStorytellers.com.

Art Month Walton sponsors include Visit South Walton, Grand Boulevard Town Center, Florida Arts & Culture, Alys Beach and Emerald Coast Magazine. Additional event sponsors are listed on individual event websites. For more information on all Art Month events, please visit CulturalArtsAlliance.com/art-month. 

 What is Art Month?

Art Month is an initiative of the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County with the purpose to bring neighborhoods, 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 Walton County. See the official Art Month Walton County Calendar.

 Where does Art Month take place?

Art Month events happen throughout Walton County. Events can take place in galleries, businesses, restaurants, outdoors, indoors, and in any traditional or non-traditional space – the sky’s the limit.

 What events are included in Art Month?

In its first year, Art Month included Under the Sea - a fundraiser event for the Underwater Water Museum of Art, ArtsQuest – a fine arts show in Grand Boulevard, Digital Graffiti – a projection art festival in Alys Beach, the Longleaf Writers Conference, and more! Our goal is to include all kinds of performing, visual and literary art events, workshops, exhibits, concerts and creative experiences! See the official Art Month Walton County Calendar.

 How can my business or I be included in Art Month?

Interested organizations and individuals can submit an event to be included in Art Month. Submissions are accepted year-round, but must be received by the submission deadline each year to be included in the current year’s Art Month.

 Where should I stay while attending Art Month?

Most events have their own lodging partners who usually offer special discounts to those coming into town for Art Month events.

 How can an artist or organization can be involved?

    Workshops or classes in gallery or studio
    Behind the scenes sneak-peak during creation process (painting, theatre, music)
    Literary readings
    Talks, tours, panels to discuss creative topics of any kind
    Film showings
    Multi-day festivals, events, conferences
    Public art installation
    Be creative and come up with a unique idea! We are happy to brainstorm with you!

 Is there a fee to be included? What are my obligations?

There is a nominal fee to be included on the official AMSW event calendar and marketing collateral. We do require that you include the Art Month logo on your event collateral (posters, brochures, postcards, print ads). Logos and brand standards will be supplied to you.

 What benefit is there for my event to be a part of Art Month?

Your event will be promoted on the Cultural Arts Alliance website and in social media campaigns. Additionally, Art Month will be marketed locally, regionally and nationally through digital, print and radio campaigns. You will also be a part of this special community-wide arts initiative.

 How do I attend an Art Month event? Is there a cost?

Some events are free and some are ticketed. Visit each event’s listing on our website for complete details.

 What if I have more questions?

Feel free to send us an email at info@culturalartsalliance.com and we will help in any way we can.

Art Month Volunteers - there is a variety of volunteer opportunities for enthusiastic individuals, complete the online application.

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