Saczynski Creates Art For Native Plant Demonstration Garden & Trail

Andy Saczynski, 2013 South Walton Artist of the Year, is adding flowers to the Native Plant Demonstration Garden at the South Walton Center (SWC) of Northwest Florida State College (NWFSC). Saczynski is a local folk artist known for turning “junk into funk.” This week he is donating his time, talent, and materials to transform a blank wall of the college into an astonishing bouquet. His public art piece will be a feature of the Native Plant Demonstration Garden & Trail that can be enjoyed by visitors who stroll the grounds and by students and staff of the NWFSC South Walton Center and Seacoast High School.

The public is invited to come out this Friday at 10am to view Andy Saczynski's completed public art mural, tour the garden, and meet artist Saczynski. 

Saczynski often draws inspiration from Florida’s architecture, landscape, and wildlife. He has also made a pattern of donating his efforts to local charitable organizations. As such, this piece in support of the Native Plant Demonstration Garden is a natural fit. The Garden & Trail project is designed as an outdoor learning site, which demonstrates the variety and versatility of native plants. It is a collaborative effort of the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance, Walton County Master Gardeners, Northwest Florida State College, and AmeriCorps.  Since the Garden site officially opened to the public in June, there has been an outpouring of community support, including cash, plants, materials, and labor. Saczynski’s painting will be a stunning addition to the artwork and craftsmanship already incorporated in the landscape. Existing pieces include re-purposed and hand-painted rain barrels, a custom-built trellis, a handcrafted obelisk, and a graceful sculpture. 

The Native Plant Demonstration Garden & Trail are open to the public daily from dawn to dusk. The site is located at the South Walton Center of Northwest Florida State College, 109 Greenway Trail, Santa Rosa Beach, just north of the intersection of US 98 and Hwy 331. 

For more information about the Native Plant Demonstration Garden and Trail please contact Sarah Schindele at (850) 517-6843 or schindes@nwfsc.edu. 

Garden & Trail website: http://www.basinalliance.org/page.cfm?articleID=46 Andy Saczynski Art website: http://www.artbyandyski.com/