The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) is calling all kids to flitter to Watersound Origins to celebrate 26 years of the Flutterby Arts Festival. This year’s event takes place Saturday, October 19 and Sunday, October 20, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm on the green located directly behind Two Birds Coffee + Café. Produced by the CAA, The Flutterby Festival is a two-day event filled with arts, nature, science and fun in celebration of the migration of the Monarch butterfly through South Walton. The festival will feature live entertainment for the entire family, including music, theatre, and dance. Art activities like the butterfly wing creation station, craft-making, pottery hand-building, and face-painting will be available all weekend. Kids can also enjoy the “Clay 30A” butterfly learning center, carnival games, bounce houses and a butterfly parade at the end of each day. Flutterby entertainment will be provided by Mari Gleason, 30A Dancewave, the South Walton High School Dance Team, Ohana Records, and more! Professional artists will be exhibiting and selling their work throughout the weekend, and official Flutterby merchandise featuring artwork by Lillian Li, a 4th grader at Freeport Elementary School, will be available for purchase. The Flutterby Festival is presented by Watersound Origins with additional sponsorship support from Amici 30A, Amigos 30A, Clay 30A, and the Florida Department of State Division of Cultural Affairs. Admission to the festival is free and open to the public. Some activities within the festival require tickets, which can be purchased on-site. Volunteers are needed to help create all the fun. Please email beck@culturalartsalliance.com to be a part of the team. Watersound Origins is located at 560 Pathways Drive, Watersound, FL 32461. Parking will be available on-site.

30A Songwriters Festival Announces First Round of 2020 Lineup: Brian Wilson, John Prine, Indigo Girls, Tanya Tucker, Don McLean and Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone, and more to perform! January 17-20, 2020 along Highway 30A in South Walton, Florida For the past 10 years, the 30A Songwriters Festival has attracted thousands of die-hard live music fans from around the country to hear original songwriters representing many genres of music perform their songs. The beach resort towns along Highway 30A on the Gulf of Mexico feature 30 venues presenting over 200 songwriters and 250 solo, band and in-the-round performances throughout the weekend of January 17 – 20, 2020. GET YOUR TICKETS HERE The 30A Songwriters Festival will celebrate its 11th year with performances on the main stage at presenting partner Grand Boulevard’s Town Center. This year’s headline performances include iconic artists Brian Wilson, John Prine, Indigo Girls, Tanya Tucker, Don McLean and Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone. The following prominent songwriters are confirmed to perform two shows each throughout the weekend: Dan Wilson (Semisonic), Peter Yarrow (Peter, Paul and Mary), Mindy Smith, Todd Snider, Elizabeth Cook, Birds of Chicago, Sierra Hull, James McMurtry, Carlene Carter, Shawn Mullins, Nikki Lane, Matthew Sweet, Mary Gauthier, Chastity Brown, Hayes Carll, Gretchen Peters, Will Hoge, Marc Broussard, Sarah Lee Guthrie, Darrell Scott, Chely Wright, Over the Rhine, Jeffrey Steele, Pat McGee Band, Amy LaVere, Livingston Taylor, Paul Thorn, John Fullbright, Steve Poltz, The Secret Sisters, Robyn Hitchcock, Miles Zuniga & Tony Scalzo (Fastball), Ken Block & Drew Copeland (Sister Hazel), Aaron Lee Tasjan, Lindsay Lou, Radney Foster, Bob Schneider, Allison Moorer, David Ryan Harris (John Mayer band), Dan Bern, Cory Chisel & Adriel Denae, Amy Ray (solo), Emily Saliers (solo), Robert Ellis, Jonny Fritz, The Honey Dewdrops, Grant-Lee Phillips, Griffin House, Peter Holsapple (The dB’s), Chris Stamey (the dB’s), Chris Stills, Amy Rigby, Abe Partridge, Liz Brasher and AJ Ghent. The 30A Songwriters Festival production team transforms amphitheaters, town halls, restaurants, theaters, bars and covered patios into unique music venues ranging in capacity from 75 to 750 seats indoors and 6,000 outdoors. Brian Wilson will perform with his heralded nine-piece band to recreate his most beloved and musically sophisticated productions, from early Beach Boys’ hits (“Don’t Worry Baby,” “Fun, Fun, Fun,” “The Warmth of the Sun”) to songs from their revered Pet Sounds album (“Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “God Only Knows,” “Good Vibrations”) live at Grand Boulevard. Indigo Girls have just completed their new studio album entitled Look Long, recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studio in the UK. Produced by John Reynolds and scheduled for release in early 2020, they will introduce new songs from this much-anticipated album at 30A. Songwriters’ songwriter John Prine and his band return to 30A by popular demand. Country music legend Tanya Tucker will showcase new songs from her acclaimed new album, While I’m Livin (produced by Shooter Jennings and Brandi Carlile), and will sing “Delta Dawn” and other classic hits. On Sunday’s headline stage, Don McLean will perform hits spanning over three decades. The RIAA and the National Endowment of the Arts named McLean’s iconic song “American Pie” a top 5 “Song of the Century,” joining “Over the Rainbow,” “This Land is Your Land,” “Respect,” and “White Christmas.” Hailing from Manchester, England, Peter Noone, touring as Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone, distinguished himself as the youngest musician of the British Invasion to break big in the U.S. His legacy is eight gold singles, 52 million records sold, hundreds of TV appearances and a Broadway play. The 30A Songwriters Festival is a benefit for the nonprofit Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County, which supports artists and nonprofit cultural events and businesses throughout the county. 100% of net proceeds from the event benefit the CAA to help fund its annual budget. The festival is co-produced by Russell Carter Artist Management and the Cultural Arts Alliance. The festival is sponsored in part by Visit South Walton. Additional artists now confirmed and performing are: John Driskell Hopkins, Cliff Eberhardt, Dan Navarro, Kyshona Armstrong, Kim Richey, Scott Miller, Levi Lowrey, Pat Byrne, Peter Karp, Mac Powell, Marti Jones & Don Dixon, Stephen Kellogg, Will Kimbrough, Erin McKeown, Balderdash, Ltd., Nora Jane Struthers, Daphne Willis, The Tall Pines, Kristy Lee, Louise Mosrie, Chasing Lovely, Peter Bradley Adams, Alexa Rose, Jeff Black, Randall Bramblett, Eliot Bronson, Grayson Capps, Kyle Jacobs, Jennifer Knapp, Joe Leathers, Liz Longley, Phil Madeira, Charlie Mars, Michael McDermott, Cooper Carter & The Royal Senders, Matinee Idols, Billy Montana, Sarah Potenza, Amilia K Spicer, Sugarcane Jane, The Talbott Brothers, Michael Tolcher, Brian White, Karyn Williams, Noah Zacharin, Raye Zaragoza, Adam Hood, Heather Maloney, Ross Newell, David Olney, Dan Rodriguez, Dave Rowe, Mary Bragg, Kevin Gordon, Robby Hecht, Jerry Joseph, Millie McGuire, Amy Speace, Becky Warren, Paul Burch, Wyatt Durette, Diane Durrett, Lindsey Lomis, Emily Scott Robinson, Chris Alvarado, The Bittersweets, Misty Boyce, Cat Carter, Wyatt Edmondson, Dave Franklin, Tom Gray, Emily Hackett, Heather Lynne Horton, Shannon LaBrie, Jeremy Lister, The Mosleys, Chuck Cannon, Gurufish, Alex Guthrie, Molly Parden, Sarah Peacock, Gretchen Pleuss, Sam Rae, Cat Ridgeway, Mando Saenz, Chas Sandford, Bradley Cole Smith, Molly Stevens, Trisha Ivy, Kate Vargas, Webb Wilder, Tommy Womack, Kyle LaMonica, Nicole Chillemi, Boukou Groove, Donnie Sundal, Michelle Malone, The Sundogs, Jennifer Lynn Simpson and Drew Tillman. Co-producers Russell Carter and Jennifer Steele commented on the 2020 30A Songwriters Festival: “Let me summarize what the 2020 30A Songwriters Festival is all about,” stated Russell Carter, President of RCAM and festival co-producer. “It’s about great songs — ‘God Only Knows,’ ‘American Pie,’ ‘Closer To Fine,’ ‘Angel From Montgomery,’ ‘Delta Dawn,’ ‘Puff the Magic Dragon,’ ‘Good Vibrations,’ ‘Closing Time’ — just to touch the surface. There is a calm along 30A early in the third week of January, a typically quiet time in the resort town. By the week’s end, an explosion of music, food, wine and spirits combine to create an indescribable, sustained vibe as 200 musicians gather to perform for the multitude of fans throughout the weekend.” “The 30A Songwriters Festival is a beloved and anticipated tradition for locals and visitors to South Walton and a major source of funding for the Cultural Arts Alliance,” said Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County Executive Director and Festival Co-Producer Jennifer Steele. “The Festival fulfills the CAA’s vision for creative placemaking, establishing the area as a home for rich and rewarding cultural entertainment and experiences. We are so proud to be able to bring it to life each year and grateful the event allows us to fulfill our mission to advance the arts in our community.” The 30A Songwriters Festival has again teamed up with many non-profit organizations as sponsors. Returning in 2020 will be the ASCAP Showcase at the Lake House in WaterColor, Folk Alley producing its Folk Alley Sessions at 30A for its nationally syndicated Folk Alley Radio Show. The Oxford American showcase will feature artists exclusively from the state that will be featured in its annual Fall music issue. The Americana Fest returns to stage Americana artists for whom both the 30A Songwriters Festival and the AMA share a fondness and commitment. This year we introduce the Grocery On Home showcase stage curated by Matt Arnett, known throughout the music community as one of the more prominent producers of house parties. Festival Weekend Passes are currently available at 30asongwritersfestival.com. VIP tickets that include premium seating on the lawn at Grand Boulevard for the headline shows on Saturday and Sunday afternoons along with access to the VIP tent serving complimentary food, beer, wine and cocktails are also available. For a full description of each ticket package, VIP transportation packages for groups of 2 up to 12, and details for the special night of music and free craft beers at festival sponsor and locally based Grayton Beer Company Taproom, visit 30asongwritersfestival.com.

How can you fight the dreaded turkey day fatigue this Thanksgiving? By volunteering with the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) for the annual 30A 10k Thanksgiving Day races! This family-friendly event provides a wonderful opportunity to give within the community before enjoying your holiday meal. Bring the whole family to volunteer together either on Wednesday afternoon, or on Thursday morning for the exciting race festivities. Volunteers can enjoy the action of the race without breaking a sweat. The CAA will be hosting two water stations, providing a fun atmosphere with music and cheering on the runners. We will provide CAA swag for volunteers to wear to show their creative spirit, and 30A 10k will provide a free t-shirt for all volunteers. Be a part of this positive movement in our community and sign up the entire family at https://culturalartsalliance.com/volunteer/ . The 30A 10K race is a 501(c)3 event with a mission to raise funds for local non-profits as well as promote the spirit of healthy living and thankfulness as we come together to celebrate the Thanksgiving Day holiday. The race event, now in its 8th year, has given more than $350,000 to non-profits directly impacting our community, and the CAA is honored to be chosen for two years in a row as a charity partner along with Anchorage Children’s Home, Girls Inc, The Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance and The Foye Belle Foundation. Each charity will provide volunteers in order to receive donations from the race with the CAA tasked to fill 40 slots on Wednesday and Thursday. The CAA will use donations received from the race to support our ‘Art For All’ program, which funds grants and scholarships for artists, arts organizations, teachers, and students throughout Walton County. Grants can be used by artists to take advantage of specific skill-building educational opportunities to advance their work, area teachers to enhance the visual, literary and performing arts experiences of all Walton County school-age children K-12, and non-profit organizations looking to further arts education in our county. Scholarships are provided for need-based Walton County school-aged children K-12, and outgoing high school seniors or current college students who have declared or intend to declare a major in the visual, literary or performing arts at the undergraduate level. To register for the race, visit 30A10K.com.

The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) is proud to announce the 22 local artists who were recently chosen to exhibit their original work in The Foster Gallery’s Fall Rotation, which runs July 16 through September 30, 2019 in the Grand Boulevard Town Center location and July 30 – October 27, 2019 in the Ruskin Place Artist Colony location. The selected artists for the Grand Boulevard location are Gayle Campbell, Donnelle Clark, Lee Clark, Skip Deems, Rebecca Dier Hart, Sandra Horne, Iva Jazayeri, Linda Kernick, Jason Lindblad, Merry Beth Myrick, William Polley, Mary Redmann, Kathleen Schumacher, Jenna Varney and Martin Zurla. The selected artists for the Ruskin Place Artist Colony location are Melody Bogle, Marscha Cavaliere, Donnelle Clark, Lee Clark, Patrick Connolly, Skip Deems, Iva Jazayeri, Linda Kernick, Marian Pacsuta, Mary Redmann, The Salty Sparrow, Jenna Varney and Krista Vind. All artists are members of the Cultural Arts Alliance and each will exhibit and sell their work in their own section of the gallery. The public is invited to join us in celebrating all of the artists at our upcoming opening receptions scheduled for Wednesday, July 24 at the Grand Boulevard Town Center location from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m., and Wednesday, August 14 at the Ruskin Place Artist Colony from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Enjoy tasty sips and snacks while perusing and purchasing all of the beautiful works on display. Receptions are weather permitting. 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. The Foster Gallery at Ruskin Place Artist Colony is located at 201 E. Ruskin and is open Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m. until 5 p.m and Sunday, Noon – 5 p.m. For more information on the galleries and Art Month South Walton, call 850.622.5970 or visit CulturalArtsAlliance.com.

Late last week, eleven 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. Recently 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. With support from Visit South Walton, The Alys Foundation, Visit Florida, 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. The 2019 installation joins the seven sculptures deployed last June on a one-acre permit patch of seabed off Grayton Beach State Park, expanding the nation’s first permanent underwater museum. The UMA patch will continue to be filled with several new sculptures annually. Read the full press release on the UMA website.

The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) is excited to announce it has opened a new Pottery Studio at the Bayou Arts Center in Santa Rosa Beach. Classes will begin in Fall with reservations being on a first-come, first-served basis. The gift of pottery equipment several years ago by long-time CAA members and artists Tom and Karen McGee was the catalyst for the idea of the Pottery Studio, which came to fruition through a generous donation from Shawn and Richard Tomasello. “Richard and I are grateful for the opportunity to support our community via the Pottery Studio, said Shawn. “Research has shown the positive mental and spiritual effects of pottery for students and participants. We see the Pottery Studio as one more way to influence community wellness.” Pottery is having a resurgence as of late with the New York Times claiming, “Pottery Is The New Pilates.” Working with clay, which requires the participant to focus, be precise, and engage, allows them to concentrate their creative energy while taking a break from everyday stressors and to claim many health and therapeutic benefits including gentle exercise, increased sociability, and improved quality of life through artistic expression. “Pottery is a balm not only for stress, but for those suffering from depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or other forms of trauma such as the death of a family member or a divorce, said George “Skip” Deems, a CAA Member Artist and prolific ceramic artist who spearheaded the Pottery program. “It has been clinically shown that the tactile, meditative experience of molding clay improves physical health, too. It can lower heart rate and blood pressure, which regulates breathing.” “Along with the gifts from the Tomasellos and McGees, the Pottery Studio would not have been possible without the vision and hard work of Skip and his committee, said CAA Executive Director Jennifer Steele. “We are also grateful to the Walton County Board of County Commissioners and Tourist Development Council for their support of the Bayou Arts Center expansion, which allows us to offer a new creative discipline to the community.” The Pottery Studio will offer professional instruction for a range of students. Locally, few classes in ceramics are being offered, enabling the studio to become a future Walton County asset. Open studio time will also be available for ceramic artists to create without instruction. Newcomer to the CAA fold, Stacy Martin, is the first pottery instructor to mold young minds this summer during Creative Kids Camp, running through July for a range of ages. Campers are learning the basic techniques of hand-building, glazing, and firing, giving them the distinction of being the first artists to create in the new studio. The CAA is seeking potential students and future lovers of pottery while also actively recruiting instructors to lead workshops and classes throughout the year. Any ceramic artist hoping to be considered for a teaching position should contact the CAA through email, info@culturalartsalliance.com, or call at (850) 622-5970.

The Cultural Arts Alliance (CAA) of Walton County has been selected as a charity partner for the 2019 30A 10K Thanksgiving Day races. The CAA joins other benefiting organizations including Anchorage Children’s Home, Girls Inc., The Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance, and The Foye Belle Foundation. The 30A 10K race is a 501c3 event whose mission is to raise funds for local non-profits as well as promote the spirit of healthy living and thankfulness as we come together to celebrate the Thanksgiving Day holiday. The race event, now in its 8th year, has given more than $350,000 to non-profits directly impacting our community. This year’s activities are scheduled for Thursday, November 28 in downtown Rosemary Beach with a 10K, 5K and 1 mile fun run. The fast & flat, out-and-back course route is designed for running enthusiasts looking for a great race to set a personal record or families that want to start a new, fun tradition on Thanksgiving Day morning. Registration is open at 30A10K.com and a sell-out is expected. The 30A 10K is a Peachtree Road Race qualifier with certification #FL12097EBM and is honored to be the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) state of Florida Championship 10K race for 2019. The race has been rated one of the top 10 Thanksgiving Day races in America by both Southern Living Magazine and Active.com. “Giving back to our local community is what makes the 30A 10K Thanksgiving Day Races such a special event for us, the race directors, and all our volunteers, participants and sponsors,” said co-race director Amy Stoyles. “We have especially enjoyed partnering with the CAA because of their focus on providing arts and educational experiences for families in our area. The CAA works tirelessly to encourage children in the arts and expand their horizons through so many different kinds of activities and experiences. We strongly believe that the work they do transforms children’s lives and touches their hearts. All you have to do is go to one of the CAA’s events and watch a child’s eyes light up as they dance, sing and paint. It is a pleasure to support an organization that does so much for our area.” “It is an honor to be selected as a non-profit partner of the 30A 10K, and we are grateful for the support for and attention being given to the arts,” said CAA Executive Director Jennifer Steele. “The 30A 10K is one of our favorite events of the year, and we invite our friends, members and volunteers to either run the race or volunteer at one of the CAA’s water stations. There is a magical feeling of camaraderie that morning, and participating in the race in any way is a memorable way to begin Thanksgiving Day.“ Proceeds received from the 30A 10K races will support the CAA’s ‘Art for All’ program. Through the ‘Art For All’ grant program, teachers, students, artists and arts organizations are able to regularly apply for support through a quarterly application process. Since 2007, the ‘Art For All’ program has funded more than 450 grant recipients, impacting 7,500 Walton County students annually helping the CAA to fulfill its mission to support the arts through leadership, advocacy, funding, programs and education. To make a tax-deductible donation, become a member, volunteer or learn more about the Cultural Arts Alliance, find them on Facebook, call (850) 622-5970 and visit CulturalArtsAlliance.com.

The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) is proud to announce the 26 local artists who were recently chosen to exhibit their original work in The Foster Gallery’s Summer Rotation, which runs April 23 through July 15, 2019 in the Grand Boulevard Town Center location and April 20 – July 29, 2019 in the Ruskin Place Artist Colony location. The selected artists for the Grand Boulevard location are Gayle Campbell, Donnelle Clark, Lee Clark, Heather Clements, Skip Deems, Iva Jazayeri, Linda Kernick, Jason Lindblad, Merry Beth Myrick, Rosalyn O’Grady, William Polley, Mary Redmann, Kathleen Schumacher, Shelly Swanger and Connie Sweetland. The selected artists for the Ruskin Place Artist Colony locations are Melody Bogle, Marscha Cavaliere, Donnelle Clark, Patrick Connolly, Skip Deems, Joyful Enriquez, Victoria Guennewig, Marian Pacsuta, Mary Redmann, The Salty Sparrow, Nikki Staks, Jenna Varney, Krista Vind, and Judy Walton. All artists are members of the Cultural Arts Alliance and each will exhibit and sell their work in their own section of the gallery. The public is invited to join us in celebrating all of the artists at our upcoming opening receptions during Art Month South Walton on Friday, May 3 at the Ruskin Place Artist Colony location from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. as part of First Friday Art Walk and on Wednesday, May 22 at the Grand Boulevard location from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Enjoy tasty sips and snacks while perusing and purchasing all of the beautiful works on display. Receptions are weather permitting. 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. The Foster Gallery at Ruskin Place Artist Colony is located at 201 E. Ruskin and is open daily, 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. For more information on the galleries and Art Month South Walton, call 850.622.5970 or visit CulturalArtsAlliance.com.

Santa Rosa Beach artists and Cultural Arts Alliance members Joan Vienot and Theresa Grillo Laird recently received the prestigious honor of being awarded two of the four slots in the state as Ambassadors for the Forgotten Coast en Plein Air, America’s Great Paint-Out in Apalachicola May 3-12, 2019. Vienot was also selected as an Artist-In-Residence. Plein air characterizes the activity of painting outdoors in open air, capturing scenes with natural lighting. Artistic excellence and the production of investment quality art is the trademark of this 10-day festival. The event will focus on the natural environment as the area communities recover from the impact of Hurricane Michael. “I am happy to have been selected a second time. I also served as an Ambassador in 2016, so I know it to be a big job, some of the hardest work but also some of the most rewarding work I have ever done. It involves mentoring artists new to plein air, one-to-one, in two hour sessions, 3 sessions a day with a different artist each session, working with 15 artists over 5 days,” said Vienot. As part of her Artist-in-Residence program, Vienot will be housed in Cape San Blas for a week and will observe, learn, and paint scenes relating to the event theme focusing on the natural environment as it recovers from the effects of the recent hurricane. Vienot will also be looking at mitigation efforts including the installation of living shorelines, planting sea oats, and restoration of longleaf pine forests. She will also be taking a walking tour of St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge, and attending two workshops at the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve. She will give a presentation and exhibit her residency paintings at the Paint-Out in May. In addition to the four ambassadors, the invitational features 20 internationally acclaimed artists, exhibits, a collectors’ forum, distinguished guest speakers, and more. To register for workshops or learn more about the festival go to: https://forgottencoastculturalcoalition.wildapricot.org/ About Joan Vienot An avid paddleboarder and nature photographer, artist Joan Vienot often returns to scenic areas, palette in hand, capturing a scene on canvas en plein air. Born and raised in Colorado, Joan received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Northern Colorado with majors in fine art and in health, physical education, and recreation. Vienot taught art and coached girls sports in the public high school in her hometown before moving to Seagrove Beach in Northwest Florida in 1980, where she developed and managed a pool service business for the next 35 years. Since selling her business, Vienot now is pursuing her art career full-time. Her art can be seen by appointment at her studio in Point Washington in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. Selected works are at Bohlert-Massey Interiors in Panama City Beach, and at East End Gallery in Inlet Beach. She blogs and posts her work online at joanvienot.com and on Facebook at Joan Vienot Art and Instagram @JoanVienotArt. About Theresa Grill Laird Originally from the Northern US, Theresa Grillo Laird currently lives in Gulf Breeze Florida. She finds her inspiration in the dunes, marsh and coastal woods of Gulf Islands National Seashore, capturing the mood and sense of place of the coastal environment in all its seasons. Describing her process as “engaging with the forms and features within the landscape to reveal the animated movement inherent in all of nature”, Theresa creates paintings described as both peaceful and dynamic. Committed to sharing the experience of plein air painting, Theresa conducts workshops and teaches privately as well as through the Continuing Education program at Pensacola State College. Her works have appeared in Plein Air Magazine and she has exhibited with the Oil Painters of America, the American Impressionist Society and in solo and group exhibitions. Her coastal works will be the subject of a solo exhibit at the Carnegie Visual Arts Center in Decatur Alabama in May 2019. Her paintings and blog, The Passionate Palette, can be found on her website theresagrillolaird.com.

The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) announces the return of Creative Kids Camp, a series of week-long visual arts camp sessions designed to give primary, elementary, and middle school-aged children a different daily hands-on experience. Camp sessions are scheduled Monday through Friday with a different age group served each week. Primary sessions for ages 4-6 run June 10 – 14 and July 15 – 19 from 9am – 12pm. Elementary sessions for ages 7-9 will run June 17 – 21 and July 22 – 26 from 9am – 2pm. Middle school sessions for ages 10-13 will run June 24 – 28 and July 29 – August 2 from 9am – 2pm. Creative Kids Camps take place in the CAA’s Bayou Arts Center located at 105 Hogtown Bayou Lane in Santa Rosa Beach. Creative Kids Camp lead instructor Sue Davis is a former school teacher who incorporated arts education into her twelve years of teaching preschool and elementary aged students in Destin and Tallahassee. Sue and Pottery instructor Stacy Martin will lead students in various projects throughout each week, including two pottery hand-building projects where they will tour the CAA’s new pottery studio and learn the basics of glazing and firing pottery. Campers will learn how to work with a variety of mediums and use different techniques so that they go home at the end of the week with a diverse portfolio of work. Early bird pricing of $175 – $200 per child is available now for each five-day session, and space is limited. Early bird registrants will not be charged ticketing fees for additional cost savings. Prices will increase to $200 – $250 per child one week in advance of each camp session, and daily drop-in registrations will be available as well. Multiple week discounts apply per child. All supplies are included. Registration is available online at CulturalArtsAlliance.com. Students should be dressed for a fun and messy art experience and should come to class with a peanut-free lunch and water bottle. Snacks will be provided. For more information, call 850-622-5970 or email info@culturalartsalliance.com.

CALL TO ARTISTS The Cultural Arts Alliance is calling all member artists interested in submitting work for consideration in the 2019 Foster Gallery Summer Rotation. The Grand Boulevard location rotation is scheduled for April 23 – July 15, 2019. The Ruskin Place Artist Colony location rotation is slated for April 30 – July 29, 2019. Artists with an interest is both locations can indicate such on the application and need only complete one. The submission deadline is Friday, March 29 at 11PM CST.

The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) is proud to announce Executive Director Jennifer Steele has been recently elected to serve on the Americans For The Arts Private Sector Network Council for a three-year term effective January 1, 2019 – December 31, 2021. This group is comprised of leaders from Private Sector Network organizations elected to assist in developing programs and resources to promote professional development and networking opportunities for local arts organizations. The Americans for the Arts Council is a volunteer position. Americans for the Arts works to promote the message that business sector support for the arts is integral to the success and longevity of the arts, and essential in building communities in which the business sector can thrive. They believe that initiatives that encourage partnerships between the arts and the private sector should be occurring at all organizations, of all sizes, to strengthen the vitality of our communities. Steele has been the Executive Director of the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County since 2008 and a part of South Walton her entire life, having spent summers in her Grayton Beach family home before making it her full-time residence in 2000. After receiving a BFA from Valdosta State University and then working in the development office in Atlanta’s Center for Puppetry Arts, Jennifer co-founded the Seaside Repertory Theatre, Northwest Florida’s first professional year-round theatre company. She served as the Rep’s Managing Director for seven years and then went on to form a consulting firm for non-profit development, organization, marketing and event production, which led to her current role as the Executive Director of the CAA. Jennifer has served as Chair of Walton County’s RESTORE committee, as a member of the Walton County Tourist Development Council (TDC) and has chaired the TDC’s Arts, Culture, Events and Activities and New Product Development Committees. In 2016, Steele was awarded the TDC Van Ness Butler, Jr. Hospitality Award, which recognizes excellence in hospitality service, travel/tourism marketing, advertising, promotion, and contributions to the local community. As Executive Director, Jennifer has led the CAA through exponential growth parallel to South Walton’s with a goal to promote the arts as an industry and ensure arts and culture are part of the solution to community-wide issues.