CAA Receives NEA Funding for Partnership with PWMC

The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) is pleased to announce it has been approved by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for a Grants for Arts project award of $20,000. This matching grant will support public art and arts education at the Point Washington Medical Clinic. In total, the NEA will award 958 Grants for Arts Projects awards totaling more than $27.1 million that were announced as part of its first round of fiscal year 2024 grants.

“The NEA is delighted to announce this grant to the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA), which is helping contribute to the strength and well-being of the arts sector and local community,” said National Endowment for the Arts Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “We are pleased to be able to support this community and help create an environment where all people have the opportunity to live artful lives.” For more information on other projects included in the NEA’s grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.

As part of its mission to foster the inclusive and collaborative advancement of the Arts in Walton County, the CAA establishes program partnerships with mission-aligned nonprofit and for-profit organizations in support of its vision for a thriving Walton County in which everyone can experience the power of the Arts. In this spirit, the partnership between the PWMC and the CAA’s Art in Public Spaces program serves to enhance the interior beauty of the clinic’s new facility by bringing in 2D and 3D works by local artists, large scale murals and an exterior sculpture by Anthony Heinz-May, crafted with oak material from the surrounding natural landscape. Participating artists include Francisco Adaro, Melody Bogle, Lynn Crow, Doug Foltz, Justin Gaffrey, Ashley Longshore, Mindy McClendon, Bailey Miller, Sarah Page, Nicolaus Seegel, Dorothy Starbuck, Allison Wickey, Arix Zalace and Jamie Zimchek. The collaboration will grow to include rotating exhibitions, arts education, and interactive art activities for children and adults.

The NEA funds awarded require a one to one match and the organizations are actively seeking financial contributions to support this initiative. If you are interested in learning more about this meaningful opportunity, contact Gabby Callaway at gabby@culturalartsalliance.com.

Sarah Page Mural at PWMC. Photo courtesy of Lynn Crow Photography

Allison Wickey Mural at PWMC. Photo courtesy of Lynn Crow Photography

Just Gaffrey Artwork at PWMC — Justin Gaffrey Artwork at PWMC. Photo courtesy of Lynn Crow Photography

“The Point Washington Medical Clinic is a necessary gem in our community, and we are proud and grateful to the NEA for enabling us to support local artists that have created original artwork for the clinic’,” said CAA Executive Director Jennifer Steele. “From small art activities to art classes for all ages to vibrant art around every corner of the facility, our goal is for everyone to have access to and experience the healing power of art in all forms.”

In addition to the art installations at the clinic, a new 11’ x 30’ mural created by local artist Sarah Page and funded by the St. Joe Community Foundation was recently installed at The Pavilion at Watersound® Town Center. The abstract design serves as a backdrop for events and gatherings and evokes movement and play in a space that is a major focal point of the Watersound® community.

The mural adds to the CAA’s growing Art in Public Spaces program that includes the nation’s first Underwater Museum of Art, the Watersound® Monarch Art Trail, art works throughout Walton County as well as planned installations at the upcoming U.S. Highway 98 Pedestrian Underpass.

Sarah Page Mural at the Pavilion at Watersound Town Center — Sarah Page Mural at The Pavilion at Watersound® Town Center

As part of the CAA’s ongoing partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Walton County, the CAA facilitated the donation of a large-scale mural that was installed in an interior hallway of the South Walton Club. The art work, donated by the Watersound Inn, is by renowned Southern artist duo Patterson & Barnes whose compositions incorporate the use of many mediums including acrylic, watercolor, India ink, collage and constructions. The CAA and Boys & Girls Club wish to thank the St. Joe Company, Watersound Inn and Blue Water Property Management for their sponsorship of this project.