CALL TO ARTISTS The CAA is calling all artists who are current members of the Cultural Arts Alliance to submit an application to be considered for the 2021 Spring Rotation of The Foster Gallery located in Grand Boulevard’s Town Center. Please study the criteria and submit application ONLINE prior to 11 pm on February 26, 2021. ABOUT THE FOSTER GALLERY The Foster Gallery is named for the late Susan Foster, a founder of the Cultural Arts Alliance.  It is an artist collective featuring regional artists and special exhibitions on a quarterly rotating basis.  We host artist receptions and openings, workshops, events, and serve as a community gathering point symbolizing the support the CAA strives to give artists in our community, especially those who are members of the CAA. GALLERY LOCATION AND HOURS OF OPERATION The gallery is located at 495 Grand Boulevard, Suite J-104, Miramar Beach, FL  32550. Hours are daily 12 pm – 7 pm. HOW IT WORKS Ten (10) to fifteen (15) artists will be selected for each rotation. Each artist must commit to one of the following two staffing options. Option 1:  Work a minimum of twelve (12) shifts throughout the rotation. Shifts are approximately seven (7) hours. Schedules will be coordinated by CAA Executive Director and Director of Administration. Shifts may be traded among artists, but CAA management must be notified prior to shift changes. Option 2:  Do a staff buyout of $800, which enables the CAA to cover the cost of staffing your shifts. The artist is not obligated to work any shifts. Option 2 is only available up front as a full buyout. Artists must also be available to attend the rotation opening reception. Artists are encouraged to utilize the gallery for their own special events in order to promote their work. The sales split is 60% artist and 40% CAA. The CAA is responsible for all overhead, including rent, utilities, commissions, marketing, event costs, and insurance of the gallery and its contents. All sales will be processed through the CAA, and artists will receive bi-weekly settlements. Any sales will include a 5% commission to the artist on duty. The gallery features ongoing special exhibitions throughout the year and may also host invitational at the CAA’s discretion. TIMELINE Call to Artists:  February 12 – February 23, 2021 Artist notification:  February 26, 2021 Mandatory installation and training:  March 7, 2021 Rotation begins March 8, 2021 Opening reception TBD Rotation Ends June 27, 2021 ARTIST CRITERIA Accepted artists MUST meet the following criteria: Artist must be a current member of the CAA. Not a member yet? Join today! Artist must attend mandatory installation and training on specified date. Artist must attend mandatory de-installation on specified date. Artist must be available and physically able to work a minimum number of shifts or do a staff buyout of $800 to cover paid staff, which will be coordinated by CAA Executive Director and Director of Administration. Artist must be available to help with gallery events and receptions (as needed). All exhibited work must be original work created by the applying artist. All exhibited work must be for sale. Prints and giclées are not allowed on the exhibit walls (except photography), but may be for sale in a bin within your exhibit space. Artist must have a minimum of six pieces on exhibit at any given time throughout rotation and must adhere to any rule regarding maximum number of pieces if gallery space is limited. Artist must agree to a 60% artist, 40% CAA split of each sale. Artist must be able to provide a replacement piece within 48 hours after the sale of an exhibited piece. Artist must provide an inventory of art pieces in a digital file that lists Price, Title, Medium, Dimensions and Weight, and whether the piece is framed upon installation. Artist must pay a 10% referral fee to the CAA for any commissions that are generated because of the artist’s participation in the gallery. HOW TO APPLY Submit your application ONLINE before 11 pm Central on Friday, February 26,  2021. You will need to set up an account with Submittable if you do not already have one. You only have to set up your account one time, but you will need to submit to artist calls individually.

Last week, eight new sculptures were added to the nation’s first permanent Underwater Museum of Art (UMA) in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Grayton Beach State Park in South Walton, Fla. Named by TIME Magazine as one of 100 “World’s Greatest Places,” the UMA is the first presentation of the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA)’s Art In Public Spaces Program and is produced in collaboration with the South Walton Artificial Reef Association (SWARA). The purpose of the UMA is to create art that becomes marine habitat, expanding fishery populations and providing enhanced creative, cultural, economic and educational opportunities for the benefit, education and enjoyment of residents, students and visitors in South Walton. This installation includes the following sculpture: Bee Grayt by Katie Witherspoon (Santa Rosa Beach, FL), Building Blocks by Zachery Long (Oklahoma City, OK), Dawn Dancers by Shohini Ghosh (Highlands Ranch, CO), Eco-Bug by Priscila D'Brito (Boca Raton, FL), El Plastico by George Sabra (Georgetown, TX), From The Depths by Kirk Seese (Lutherville, MD), Hope by Jonathan Burger (New Bern, NC) and Three Wishes by Marisol Rendón and Ingram Ober (San Diego, CA). On February 3rd, around 50 socially distanced onlookers, including many of the artists and project partners, were on site to view the historic deployment. With support from Visit South Walton, The Alys Foundation, Visit Florida, the National Endowment for the Arts, Walter Marine/The Reefmaker, and the Florida Department of State Division of Cultural Affairs, the sculptures were deployed with SWARA’s existing USACOA and FDEP permitted artificial reef project that includes nine nearshore reefs located within one nautical mile of the shore in 58 feet of water. This installation joins the seventeen sculptures previously deployed on a one-acre permit patch of seabed off Grayton Beach State Park, expanding the nation’s first permanent underwater museum to a total of 25 sculptures. The UMA patch will continue to be filled with several new sculptures annually. Individual sculptures are sponsored by 30A Company, Beachy Blooms, Bud & Alley’s Restaurant, Hilton Sandestin Golf Beach Resort & Spa, the St. Joe Community Foundation, Visit South Walton, Noreen & Kevin Dooney, and Kasja Larsson & JoAnn Ribaudo. A special thanks goes out to the fishing captains who transported artists, sponsors and guests to the deployment site to witness the installation, including Van R. Butler, III with Family Tradition Charters, Captain Cole Taylor of Grayton Coast Rentals, Scott Provow of Grayton Beach Charters, Mark Thompson of Fishy Booty Charters, and Mike Valentino of Trigger Happy Fishing Charters. “The UMA artists, fabricators, partners, and deployment team put much time, energy, resources and passion by into building the UMA, and the CAA is grateful for the dedication of all involved, especially during this difficult past year,” said CAA Executive Director Jennifer Steele. “We are particularly thankful to SWARA, Walton County, and project founder Allison Wickey for their constant support to ensure the UMA grows each year as a diving and marine education destination.” “It may have been a chilly morning, but it warmed my soul to see UMA's third year sculptures sink beneath the surface this February. It's been inspiring to see the artists' fantastically unique ideas come to life and witness the evolution of the art pieces over the years that have measurably enhanced the marine habitat and created new interactive opportunities for the site. SWARA's partnership with the Cultural Arts Alliance isn't just a home run - it's a grand slam,!” said SWARA President Walt Hartley. “We are continually humbled and impressed by our amazing community and look forward to building a lasting legacy of innovation, teamwork, and awareness for our future generations.” Admission to the UMA is free, however, the site is only accessible in person as a dive location. Divers who wish to visit the site can take a dive boat .93 miles off the coast of Grayton Beach State Park. The coordinates for the center sculpture (SWARA Skull) are N 30*18.754 W 30*09.562. Out of respect for the art, boaters are asked to find the center location and then move away from the park to anchor in order to avoid damage to the artwork. Visit UMAFL.org for more information about dive shops, tours and obtaining your certification while visiting South Walton. Photos and videos of the sculptures will continue to be updated online periodically to document the marine growth on each sculpture. Both SWARA and the CAA wish to extend special thanks to our deployment partner, Walter Marine, for their dedication to excellence in helping bring our vision into reality. Artists interested in submitting artwork for consideration to the 2022 UMA installation can visit UMAFL.org to complete a pre-application in anticipation of an Artist Call announcement in Spring 2021.

The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County is calling all CAA Artist Members to submit work for consideration for exhibition at the Emerald Coast Theatre Company from February 7th through June 12th, 2021. Submit up to two pieces of your work for consideration before the deadline of 11:59pm on February 3, 2021. Read guidelines & timeline and submit work online via Submittable. Not a member yet? Join HERE before submitting your work! Exhibit Location: The lobby/gathering areas at Emerald Coast Theatre Company located at 560 Grand Boulevard (upstairs), Miramar Beach, FL 32550. Enter on the south/Hwy. 98 side of the building and use elevator or stairs to get to second floor.

Recorded performances contributed by: Indigo Girls, Ani DiFranco, Graham Nash, Patty Griffin, Rodney Crowell, Susanna Hoffs, Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, Brandi Carlile, Shawn Mullins, Rosanne Cash & John Leventhal and many more. The 30A Songwriters Festival is excited to announce tickets are now available for the 2021 Virtual 30A Songwriters Festival scheduled to debut Friday, January 29th at 6:00 p.m. EST, Saturday January 30th at 6:00 p.m. EST, and Sunday January 31st at 6:00 p.m. EST. The Virtual Festival is a three-part series with each episode running approximately one hour. The presentation is a documentary of the past decade of Festivals edited from film footage shot at Festivals together with recent recordings of many of your favorite artists performing songs for our online 2021 event. Many of the festival's performers contributed special content: Jason Isbell, performing with his band the 400 Unit, contributes a remote recording presented in multiple frames to highlight the band. Rosanne Cash and her husband John Leventhal contribute a personal greeting to the 30A crowd and perform a beautiful acoustic rendition of "Seven Year Ache," and rock legend Graham Nash contributes a version of "Just A Song Before I Go" on acoustic guitar filmed at his home. Brandi Carlile and the twins perform a live song from the Moore Theater in Seattle, and Kristian Bush and his band introduce a song from their very own studio. Indigo Girls perform acoustic from the Atlanta offices of Russell Carter Artist Management (Festival co-producer), where they have performed Facebook Live shows throughout 2020. David Ryan Harris performs a solo electric song and 30A mainstay Shawn Mullins is presented live from an Annual 30A Songwriters Festival preview party at the WaterColor Lake House for members/sponsors of the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (co-producer and beneficiary of the Festival). Additional performers include Rodney Crowell, Patty Griffin, The War & Treaty, Chely Wright, John Paul White from The Civil Wars, Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles, Kyshona Armstrong, Jeffrey Steele, Robyn Hitchcock, Steve Earle, Mindy Smith, Dan Navarro, Birds of Chicago and many more. The Virtual Festival is offering special bundles this year, one of which includes tickets and a spectacular coffee table photography book with photos shot over the years at past Festivals. Tickets for the three-part 2021 Virtual 30A Songwriters Festival are $45 in advance and $50 beginning Friday, January 29th. Here is how this works...once you purchase your ticket, you can view the Friday show beginning at 6:00 p.m. EST anytime up until 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. You can at that time watch the Saturday show anytime from then until 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, at which time you can watch the Sunday show. At the completion of the initial viewing of the Sunday show, you will have the option to re-watch all three shows together for a full week. Please note, anyone can buy tickets for the three part series anytime in the future after the debut weekend and can watch the combined three-part series anytime for a period of one week. Ticket purchasers will receive an email with a link from VEEPS to view the three-part series — details can be found at 30asongwritersfestival.veeps.com. The 2021 Virtual event is sponsored in part by Visit South Walton, Florida Department of State Division of Cultural Affairs, Grand Boulevard Town Center, and Silver Sands Premium Outlets. Pre-Order BUNDLES: Weekend Pass, 30ASF Grey Hat, 30ASF 2021 Virtual T-Shirt and 30ASF Retrospective Book - $175 Weekend Pass, 30ASF Grey Hat, 30ASF Retrospective Photography Book, 12 30ASF T-Shirts (1 for each year of the Festival, including 2021 Virtual Shirt) - $520 Weekend Pass plus all 12 30ASF T-Shirts (1 for each year of the festival, including 2021 Virtual shirt) - $425 **Shirts and hats to be shipped in March and Book to be shipped in April**

We are excited to announce that tickets are now available for the 2021 Virtual 30A Songwriters Festival scheduled to debut Friday, January 29th at 6:00 p.m. EST, Saturday January 30th at 6:00 p.m. EST, and Sunday January 31st at 6:00 p.m. EST. The Virtual Festival is a three part series with each episode running approximately one hour. The presentation is a documentary of the past decade of Festivals edited from film footage shot at Festivals together with recent recordings of many of your favorite artists performing songs for our online 2021 Festival. We are equally excited to offer bundles for you to purchase with Virtual Festival tickets including a spectacular coffee table photography book with beautiful photos shot over the years at past Festivals. It is a true collectors item! Also, we are offering a commemorative hat in three colors and 12 distinctive t-shirts - one for each year of the Festival with the graphic artwork from each year on the front and the names of artists who performed that year on the back. Having a hard time deciding which ones to buy? We are discounting the bundle of all 12 years for the completists among us! Tickets for the three part series 2021 Virtual 30A Songwriters Festival are $45 in advance, and $50 beginning on Friday, January 29th. Here is how this works. Once you purchase your ticket, you can view the Friday show beginning at 6:00 p.m. EST anytime up until 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. You can at that time watch the Saturday show anytime from then until 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, at which time you can watch the Sunday show. At the completion of the initial viewing of the Sunday show, you will have the option to re-watch all three shows together for a full week. Please note that anyone can buy tickets for the three part series anytime in the future after the debut weekend and can watch the combined three part series anytime for a period of one week. Ticket purchasers will receive an email with a link from VEEPS to view the three part series and will be viewed within the VEEPS website. Pre Order BUNDLES: Weekend Pass, 30ASF Grey Hat, 30ASF 2021 Virtual T-Shirt and 30ASF Retrospective Book - $175 Weekend Pass, 30ASF Grey Hat, 30ASF Retrospective Photography Book, 12 30ASF T-Shirts (1 for each year of the Festival, including 2021 Virtual Shirt) - $520 Weekend Pass plus all 12 30ASF T-Shirts (1 for each year of the festival, including 2021 Virtual shirt) - $425 **Shirts and hats to be shipped in March and Book to be shipped in April** Purchase Tickets & Bundles HERE! If you purchase a ticket and want to purchase new merchandise in addition to or other than the bundles, visit the 30A Songwriters Festival Store. Also, if you do not wish to buy tickets to the 2021 Virtual Festival at this time, you can still buy any of the new merchandise items at the 30A Songwriters Festival store. Please note all shirt and hat pre-orders will ship in March and book orders will ship in April. Buy 30A Merch HERE!

The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) announces applications are open for the third round of grants from its Emergency Relief Fund for Artists (ERFA). The Fund was established in April to address the immediate economic needs of local, professional artists who have experienced loss of income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Applications will be accepted through December 28th through the CAA’s website, and grant awards will be available within one week of approval. A fundraising campaign has also been launched to ensure that funds remain available as long as necessary. Walton County residents and CAA Members Shawn and Richard Tomasello have already pledged a matching donation of $100,000 for the fund and challenge other individuals, businesses, and foundations to quickly donate to the fund in order to meet the needs of artists who have experienced significant loss of income. “We feel so blessed to be part of such an active art community,” said CAA Board Member Shawn Tomasello. “With that blessing comes a sense of commitment to those who make our world more interesting and beautiful.” Donations to the emergency relief fund can be made online at CulturalArtsAlliance.com/Donate and through the phone by texting ‘CaaArtistRelief’ to 76278. All donations, less any processing fees, will go directly to artists. “The emergency relief fund process was created to be simple and easy so we can quickly meet the needs of our valued artists,” said CAA Executive Director Jennifer Steele. “How many times have we asked artists to donate their work and time for our and others’ worthy causes? It is critical for the CAA to lead this effort to give artists a boost of support during this time.” ERFA grants are available to individual, professional, working artists of all disciplines who live or work in Walton County, FL and have lost income because of the cancellation of a specific, scheduled gig or opportunity or a temporarily or permanently closed business due to COVID-19 precautionary measures. Artists can request up to $1,000 to compensate for income lost between September 1 and December 31, 2020. The program is designed for artists who are struggling to meet their basic needs, including medical expenses and food, due to loss of artistic income from COVID-19. Artists who do not make the majority of their income from their work as an artist or have other significant sources of income are asked to not apply so that those who are most vulnerable can be served. Priority will be given to applicants who are full-time Walton County residents and to requests made due to cancellation of opportunities that were to occur in Walton County. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age. The third round of ERFA grants will be distributed through December 31, 2020. Artists who received an award during the first or second rounds are eligible to apply for the third round. Applicants may be awarded up to $1,000 during the third grant period. If an application is denied for any reason, the artist may reapply within the same grant period. Artists may apply online through December 28th. Visit CulturalArtsAlliance.com/Artist-Resources to review the full grant guidelines and complete the online application. Artists may be awarded only once during the grant period. An additional grant period may be added based on need and available funds. If an application is denied for any reason, the artist may reapply within the same grant period.

The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) is proud to announce the 18 local artists recently chosen to exhibit their original work in The Foster Gallery’s Winter rotation, which runs December 14, 2020 through March 3, 2021 in its new Grand Boulevard location. The selected artists are Melody Bogle, Gayle Campbell, Jose Cantu, Andrea Chipser, Donnelle Clark, Skip Deems, Kim Eifrid, Pamela GaVette, Iva Jazayeri, Linda Kernick, Betsy Latham, Sarah Page, William Polley, Mary Redmann, Kathleen Schumacher, and Jenna Varney. The gallery is also pleased to feature hand-crafted jewelry from local artisans Hardwear Merry and The Salty Sparrow. All artists are members of the Cultural Arts Alliance and each will exhibit and sell their work in their own section of the gallery. Many works are also available for viewing and purchase on the CAA website at CulturalArtsAlliance.com/foster-gallery. Curbside pick-up is now available. The new Grand Boulevard location is at 495 Grand Boulevard, Suite J104, next to Chico’s and across from Tommy Bahama. The public is welcomed to an official come-and-go “open house” on Saturday, December 18th to enjoy refreshments while shopping for holiday gifts, including sculpture, ceramics, paintings, photography, and jewelry. “We are thrilled for this move to a new location in the heart of Grand Boulevard, which will provide us an opportunity to host special exhibitions, classes, and events,” said CAA Executive Director Jennifer Steele. “The CAA is grateful for our long-term partnership with Grand Boulevard and their support of the Arts and artists in our community.” Founded in May 2016, The Foster Gallery is an artist collective led by the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County that features at least a dozen artists on a seasonally rotating basis, along with special exhibits and invitationals throughout the year. Named for the late Susan Foster, founder of the Cultural Arts Alliance and one of the area’s first professional artists and gallery owners, The Foster Gallery also symbolizes the support the CAA strives to provide for artists in our community. The gallery is open daily from 12 p.m. until 7 p.m. For more information, call 850.837.3037 or visit CulturalArtsAlliance.com.

Due to the overwhelming increase in COVID-19 cases this month, and the announcement from health experts that this increase will continue through the first quarter of 2021, we have reluctantly decided to postpone an in-person January 2021 Festival. All of us at the CAA and RCAM are as disappointed as you that we cannot celebrate music in person and support the mission of the Cultural Arts Alliance as we have done for twelve straight years over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. We're planning a unique streaming concert event for January 2021 along with a coffee table photography book commemorating the first twelve years of the 30A Songwriters Festivals. More details on these exciting releases coming soon! We look forward to making an announcement about a rescheduled Festival once it becomes clear when it will be safe for everyone to participate in and enjoy the full event on 30A. In the meantime, thank you for your patience and support during these trying times. Be safe, and enjoy the Christmas and holiday season with your families! Very best regards this December, Russell Carter and Jennifer Steele

Due to COVID-19 response, the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) was unable to host its annual Under the Sea fundraiser that normally helps cover the cost of the Underwater Museum of Art (UMA) sculpture deployment. So in true 2020 fashion, the CAA is taking it virtual and inviting everyone to support the nation’s first and only permanent underwater museum this GivingTuesday. The Under the Sea campaign will begin December 1st at 7:00 AM CST at facebook.com/CulturalArtsAlliance. In support, Facebook is partnering with PayPal to match the first $7 million in donations to all participating non-profits, and supporters are encouraged to give early in the day to ensure matching funds are secured for the UMA campaign. Sculpture sponsorships are also needed, and the first five donations of $3,000 or more will be named as sponsors of the remaining sculptures. Named in 2018 by TIME Magazine as one of 100 “World’s Greatest Places,” the UMA is presented as part of the CAA’s Art In Public Spaces Program in partnership with South Walton Artificial Reef Association (SWARA). The UMA’s purpose is to create marine habitat and expand fishery populations through art while providing enhanced creative, cultural, economic and educational opportunities for the benefit, education and enjoyment of residents, students and visitors in South Walton. “As we attempt to bring uninterrupted services to the community, the cancellation of our in-person programs and events has been crippling to the CAA’s fundraising efforts,” said CAA Executive Director Jennifer Steele. “I ask all of our regular supporters and those who are new to the Underwater Museum of Art to help ensure the success of the 2021 deployment. The UMA is a special asset unique to Walton County and Florida, and it is important to ensure its viability, especially during this irregular fundraising year.” With support from Visit South Walton, Visit Florida, The National Endowment of the Arts, Florida Department of State Division of Cultural Affairs, Alys Foundation, 30A Company, and Hilton Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort, eight UMA sculptures will be deployed in Spring 2021 joining the existing seventeen sculptures located on a one-acre permit patch of seabed off Grayton Beach State Park. The sculptures quickly attract a wide variety of marine life and, over time, evolve into a living reef. This eco-tourism attraction entices art lovers and divers from around the country and the globe, provides a much-needed habitat for local marine life and fisheries; and gives marine scientists, wildlife management professionals, ecologists, and students an opportunity to study marine life and measure the impact of artificial reef systems on the Gulf ecosystem. GivingTuesday was launched in 2012 as a simple idea: to create a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past nine years, this idea has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity. "GivingTuesday inspires people all around the world to embrace their power to drive progress around the causes they care about, not just on one day but throughout the year." said Asha Curran, GivingTuesday’s CEO, and co-founder. "With country and community leaders, millions of organizations, and countless givers of all kinds, GivingTuesday is creating a shared space where we can see the radical implications of a more generous world." Those who are interested in joining CAA’s GivingTuesday initiative can visit the CAA’s Facebook page (facebook.com/CulturalArtsAlliance). For more information about the CAA and to become a Member, visit CulturalArtsAlliance.com. For more details about the GivingTuesday movement, visit the GivingTuesday website (givingtuesday.org), Facebook page (facebook.com/GivingTuesday) or follow @GivingTuesday and #GivingTuesday on Twitter.

CALL TO ARTISTS The CAA is calling all artists who are current members of the Cultural Arts Alliance to submit an application to be considered for the 2020 – 2021 Winter Rotation of The Foster Gallery located in Grand Boulevard’s Town Center. Please study the criteria and submit application ONLINE prior to 11 pm on November 29, 2020. ABOUT THE FOSTER GALLERY The Foster Gallery is named for the late Susan Foster, a founder of the Cultural Arts Alliance.  It is an artist collective featuring regional artists and special exhibitions on a quarterly rotating basis.  We host artist receptions and openings, workshops, events, and serve as a community gathering point symbolizing the support the CAA strives to give artists in our community, especially those who are members of the CAA. GALLERY LOCATION AND HOURS OF OPERATION Located at 495 Grand Boulevard, Suite J-104, Miramar Beach, FL  32550, the 2020 - 2021 Winter Rotation will mark the gallery’s move to a new larger, centrally located space at Grand Boulevard. Hours are daily 12 pm – 7 pm. HOW IT WORKS Ten (10) to fifteen (15) artists will be selected for each rotation. Each artist must commit to one of the following two staffing options. Option 1:  Work a minimum of twelve (12) shifts throughout the rotation. Shifts are approximately seven (7) hours. Schedules will be coordinated by CAA Executive Director and Director of Administration. Shifts may be traded among artists, but CAA management must be notified prior to shift changes. Option 2:  Do a staff buyout of $800, which enables the CAA to cover the cost of staffing your shifts. The artist is not obligated to work any shifts. Option 2 is only available up front as a full buyout. Artists must also be available to attend the rotation opening reception. Artists are encouraged to utilize the gallery for their own special events in order to promote their work. The sales split is 60% artist and 40% CAA. The CAA is responsible for all overhead, including rent, utilities, commissions, marketing, event costs, and insurance of the gallery and its contents. All sales will be processed through the CAA, and artists will receive bi-weekly settlements. Any sales will include a 5% commission to the artist on duty. The gallery features ongoing special exhibitions throughout the year and may also host invitational at the CAA’s discretion. TIMELINE Call to Artists:  November 12 – November 29, 2020 Artist notification:  December 3, 2020 Mandatory installation and training:  December 13, 2020 Rotation begins December 14, 2020 Opening reception TBD Rotation Ends March 3, 2021 ARTIST CRITERIA Accepted artists MUST meet the following criteria: Artist must be a current member of the CAA. Not a member yet? Join today! Artist must attend mandatory installation and training on specified date. Artist must attend mandatory de-installation on specified date. Artist must be available and physically able to work a minimum number of shifts or do a staff buyout of $800 to cover paid staff, which will be coordinated by CAA Executive Director and Director of Administration. Artist must be available to help with gallery events and receptions (as needed). All exhibited work must be original work created by the applying artist. All exhibited work must be for sale. Prints and giclées are not allowed on the exhibit walls (except photography), but may be for sale in a bin within your exhibit space. Artist must have a minimum of six pieces on exhibit at any given time throughout rotation and must adhere to any rule regarding maximum number of pieces if gallery space is limited. Artist must agree to a 60% artist, 40% CAA split of each sale. Artist must be able to provide a replacement piece within 48 hours after the sale of an exhibited piece. Artist must provide an inventory of art pieces in a digital file that lists Price, Title, Medium, Dimensions and Weight, and whether the piece is framed upon installation. Artist must pay a 10% referral fee to the CAA for any commissions that are generated because of the artist’s participation in the gallery. HOW TO APPLY Submit your application ONLINE before 11 pm Central on Sunday, November 29,  2020. You will need to set up an account with Submittable if you do not already have one. You only have to set up your account one time, but you will need to submit to artist calls individually.

Activate your imagination as we celebrate National Arts & Humanities month this October! Join the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County for a collaboration of events and activities presented in diverse formats and various venues throughout South Walton. The calendar is full of virtual and onsite offerings, including the ArtsQuest virtual exhibit, a CAA Member Artist exhibit, Con-scious Expressions: An Insider’s Perspective, an Art on Demand episode called ‘The Nation’s First Underwater Museum of Art: From Design to Deployment’, a reveal of the CAA’s Art in Public Spaces Billboard project, the Foster Gallery Fall Rotation, Emerald Coast Theatre Company events, a CAA Membership drive, and more! For complete details on each event, visit CulturalArtsAlliance.com. “While it was disappointing to have to postpone our beloved Art Month in May due to the pandemic, we know we are one of many organizations forced to evolve and change the way we provide services and programs to our community,” said CAA Executive Director Jennifer Steele. “Participating in National Arts & Humanities month through virtual and safe in-person environments allows us to continue to celebrate our traditional events like ArtsQuest, introduce new programming, and also be a part of a national Arts community when connection is needed more than ever. We hope this format will draw more members and artists to the CAA as we enter our recovery phase and reimagine the future of the organization and the role art plays in all our lives.” National Arts & Humanities Month was established in 1993 by Americans for the Arts and is celebrated every October in the United States. It was initiated to encourage Americans to explore new facets of the arts and humanities in their lives, and to begin a lifelong habit of participation in the arts and humanities. National Arts & Humanities Month Activities include: Art in Public Spaces Billboard Project The CAA is pleased to partner with Visit South Walton and Lamar Outdoor Advertising to expand our Art in Public Spaces program to include a special billboard art exhibition. The exhibit features original artwork by Walton County artists, including Visit South Walton’s 2020 Artist of the Year Doug Foltz, Francisco Adaro, Jose David Cantu, Linda Kernick, Bailey Miller, Melanie Moore, Edward Nickerson, Nanette Ream, Sarah Riley, Allison Wickey and Jamie Zimchek. The artwork will be displayed on billboards throughout Walton, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties. The purpose of the project is for art to share messages of joy, unity, encouragement and healing, to beautify highways with original artwork, provide exposure and income to Walton County artists, and to promote South Walton as a creatively rich community where art thrives. “Art is an integral part of South Walton’s identity, with local artists finding inspiration in the area’s natural beauty,” says David Demarest of the Walton County TDC. “We’re excited to help share the works of these artists, including our 2020 Artist of the Year Doug Foltz, and we hope that perhaps seeing these creations will help remind residents and visitors of the artistic creativity and natural beauty that work hand in hand to make South Walton special.” Image 1: Allison Wickey, The Fit Soul Image 2: Bailey Miller, Moon Over Western Lake Image 3: 2020 Visit South Walton Artist of the Year Doug Foltz, Refuge Image 4: Edward Nickerson, Western Lake Image 5: Francisco Adaro, Portrait Of Us All Image 6: Jamie Zimchek, We Are All Made Of Stars Image 7: Jose David Cantu, Fall Sunrise on Choctawhatchee Bay Image 8: Linda Kernick, Calm Image 9: Nanette Ream, Reflections at Topsail Image 10: Melanie Moore, Oasis Image 11: Sarah Riley, Be The Magic ArtsQuest The 32nd annual ArtsQuest is going virtual! ArtsQuest provides an opportunity to view and purchase original art from artists from around the country, including ArtsQuest poster artwork from 2020 featuring artist Michael McCarty. Sponsors include Visit South Walton, Grand Boulevard Town Center, Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, and Emerald Coast Magazine. CAA Artist Member Exhibition The annual Betty & Johnny Main CAA Member Artist exhibit, which usually takes place at ArtsQuest, will be featured in-person in the Emerald Coast Theatre Company’s lobby October 6th through December 20th and on the CAA’s website beginning October 15th. All works are available for purchase, and awards will be given for Best in Show and Awards of Merit. Con-scious Expressions: An Inside Perspective Through a new partnership with Restorative Justice volunteers Libby Fisher and Erica Averion and the Walton Correctional Institution (WCI), the CAA is proud to introduce a very special exhibition titled “Con-scious Expressions: An Inside Perspective” featuring original work created by residents of three dorms within WCI. The title of the exhibit was submitted by WCI resident Michael George who states, “I chose this title because I truly believe that our prisons house many talented men and women. However, most of the media coverage of prisons and prisoners will never show that. Many of us are just broken individuals who made a poor choice in a moment of weakness. Our art creations are conscious expressions of our joy, pain, despair, and hope. The exhibit will hopefully give those who see it a glimpse of our humanity as well as an appreciation of our creativity.” “This art exhibit was born organically from friendships among South Walton women. CAA Executive Director Jennifer Steele mentioned to CAA board member Mimi Gavigan her goal to create a jail/prison art outreach program,” said Restorative Justice volunteer Libby Fisher. “Mimi knew of the volunteer work that Erica and I were doing, and so we met, brainstormed and developed the idea of the art exhibit. The administration at Walton Correctional Institute – the Florida state prison in DeFuniak Springs – was enthusiastic and supportive. We hope to show the public the talent and humanity of people in prison.” The exhibit can be viewed in Emerald Coast Theatre Company’s lobby October 6th through December 20th and on the CAA’s website beginning October 22nd through Spring 2021. The Foster Gallery Fall Rotation The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) is proud to announce the 15 local artists who were recently chosen to exhibit their original work in The Foster Gallery’s 2020 Fall Rotation. The selected artists are Melody Bogle, Gayle Campbell, Andrea Chipser, Donnelle Clark, Skip Deems, Kim Eifrid, Sandra Horne, Iva Jazayeri, Linda Kernick, Betsy Latham, Jason Lindblad, William Polley, Mary Redmann, Kathleen Schumacher and Jenna Varney. The gallery is also pleased to feature hand-crafted jewelry from local artisans Hardwear Merry and The Salty Sparrow. All artists are members of the Cultural Arts Alliance and each will exhibit and sell their work in their own section of the gallery. Founded in May 2016, The Foster Gallery is an artist collective led by the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County that features at least a dozen artists on a seasonally rotating basis, along with special exhibits and invitationals throughout the year. Named for the late Susan Foster, a founder of the Cultural Arts Alliance and one of the area’s first professional artists and gallery owners, The Foster Gallery also symbolizes the support the CAA strives to provide for artists in our community. The Foster Gallery at Grand Boulevard is located at 585 Grand Blvd., Ste. N102 in Miramar Beach and is open daily, 12 p.m. until 7 p.m. Emerald Coast Theatre Company October Events Emerald Coast Theatre Company (ECTC) continues its eighth annual season on the Northwest Florida Gulf Coast in October with four distinctly different productions that offer something for all ages. The first offering of the season on ECTC’s Professional Theatre Mainstage is First Date. The book for this musical comedy is by Austin Winsberg with music and lyrics by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner. Professional Theatre Second Stage is a new ECTC offering this year. As the name suggests, ECTC’s Second Stage, is an additional, intimate performance space located separately from the Mainstage that will showcase musical cabaret acts, as well as small bands, solo musicians and performing artists. Save the date for Cabaret on the Boulevard. On Tuesday, Oct. 13 come mix, mingle, and enjoy live musical selections performed by talented members of the First Date cast. The Oct. 20 Cabaret on the Boolevard will feature spine-chilling selections from “spooky” Broadway shows such as Wicked, The Addams Family, Beetlejuice and others. Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) is ECTC’s series that showcases professional adult actors performing select theater pieces designed to engage young audiences. The second offering of the season in the TYA series is DoT and Ziggy, a play by Linda Hartzell and Mark Perry. Performance dates are Oct. 23, 24, 30 and 31 at 9 a.m. This production is intended for children ages 6 months to 5 years. Discover more details and reserve tickets to all ECTC offerings online at EmeraldCoastTheatre.org. Art on Demand | The Nation’s First Underwater Museum of Art From Design to Deployment In celebration of Arts & Humanities month we’re premiering a special Art on Demand episode that gives a behind-the-scenes look at the Underwater Museum of Art (UMA), the nation’s first underwater museum located in South Walton off the coast of Grayton Beach, FL. The UMA launched in 2018 as a collaborative project of the CAA and the South Walton Artificial Reef Association. The museum has been recognized as one of TIME magazine’s 2018 100 World’s Greatest Places as well as one of National Geographic’s Best Trips 2019. The 2021 UMA installation will be the third deployment and includes work by seven artists bringing the sculpture exhibition total to 25. Art on Demand is a virtual series launched by the Cultural Arts Alliance (CAA) in April 2020 in response to the Governor’s stay-at-home order as a way to offer opportunities for connection and creativity. Art on Demand events consist of artist workshops and studio tours, mixology sessions for at-home cocktails, floral design workshops, architecture and landscape tours, virtual fitness and wellness sessions, visual art demos and classes, wine tastings and education and more. The CAA was fortunate to partner with Alys Beach, The 30A Company and Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs to produce 24 episodes airing between June and October. All previous Art on Demand episodes are viewable on the CAA’s website. For more information on all CAA events and programming, visit CulturalArtsAlliance.com.

The mission of the CAA is to advance the arts through leadership, advocacy, funding, programs, and education. In order to expand the educational component of our mission and to provide work for teachers in the creative sector, the CAA is calling artists who are interested in paid online and onsite teaching opportunities in 2021. CAA Executive Director Jennifer Steele shares, “Historically, the CAA has held over 200 classes annually in our studio at the Bayou Arts Center. Response to the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to cancel the majority of our onsite classes for 2020 and go virtual with all of our programs. We are hoping to safely revive our onsite learning programs in 2021, as well as, continue our virtual learning platform through the CAA website, which has been well and widely received.” Onsite Classes Onsite classes will take place at the Bayou Arts Center or in another appropriate and agreed upon location. Class size is dependent on subject matter and with social distancing in mind. Proposed classes can be a one-off class, a series of classes, or a multi-day experience. Virtual Classes Virtual classes will be filmed either at the Bayou Arts Center, in the artist’s studio, or in another agreed upon location. Subject Matter Class proposals can be based on but not limited to the following disciplines or subjects: Music (instrumental or vocal), Wellness (meditation, yoga), Dance or Movement, Acting or Improvisation, Painting (Oil, Acrylics, Watercolor, Mixed Media), Photography, Printmaking, Sculpting/Ceramics, Glass Arts, Fiber Arts, Graphic Arts, Literary (Poetry, Creative Writing, etc), Cooking, Gardening, Marketing for Artists. The submission deadline is December 31, 2020.