Arts

Seaside’s popular Escape To Create artist residency launches its 21st season with the arrival of five artists selected from an international pool of applicants for the renowned creative retreat.

The only artist residency of its kind in the Florida Gulf Region, "E2C" and the community of Seaside have welcomed artists to Scenic 30A since 1993. Drawing audiences from as far as Tallahassee and Pensacola, a variety of cultural programs showcasing the multi-disciplinary artists are offered throughout January and February.

The seas as well as the many gifts that come from the ocean world inspire Margaret’s paintings. Her work is both modern and realistic. It is imbued with her imagination, pushing the viewer to more closely observe the fascinating play of design that can be found in nature.

Margaret studied art at the University of Illinois at Chicago as well as The Evanston Art Center. Her full time practice of art was delayed however, by a long and exciting career in the fashion industry.

Seaside Repertory Theatre presents their popular mainstage production of "Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and then some)". Join in the fun and laughter in celebration of the holiday season in this can't miss performance, directed by Brook Stetler.

Bring the whole family and get in the holiday spirit. Meghan Bode, Alan Daugherty and Brook Stetler take you through all the holiday classics, as they entertain with stories, jingles, and even a little dancing!

We have some wonderful holiday traditions in SoWal, and the Merchants of Seaside have started a new one. They plan each year to stage a free performance of the Nutcracker ballet.

The first performance of the new annual tradition features the Alpharetta Dance Theatre and the Dance Academy of Seaside Neighborhood School. The one-night performance is free on Dec. 8 at 5pm in the Seaside Amphitheater. 

Attached is a photo of the Sand Sculpture on the beach here at Seaside, FL, with some folks from California having their picture made. Rick and Mark, the sculptors, will be tearing it down today, but putting it back up this coming Saturday and Sunday!

They even had someone do a marriage proposal in front of it today with a photo! Another family drove from Orange Beach just for the photo and I met some folks from California and Atlanta getting their photos made in the few minutes I was down there.

Sinfonia’s seventh year of innovative musical programming reaffims the organizations commitment to excellence for the 2012-2013 schedule.

Maintaining the tradition of “symphony redefined,” the non-profit symphony has scheduled a stellar line up of concerts with world-renowned guest artists. Dubbed “007 Years of Symphony Redefined,” the season culminates in an orchestral tour de force of the original soundtracks from all of the “James Bond” films in “Bond & Beyond: Celebrating 50 years of James Bond.”

The award-winning documentary about local musician Duke Bardwell is finally coming to Florida with a special screening at the 2013 30A Songwriters Festival.  Duke & The King tells the story of Duke, one of our great, unheralded musicians and songwriters in America. He's a low-key and humble SoWal celebrity (see story below).

One of South Walton's most popular fall events, the annual Flutterby Festival is returning to Rosemary Beach, November 10-11, 2012. Presented by the Merchants of Rosemary Beach and the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA), the annual Flutterby Festival celebrates art, nature, and the migration of the Monarch Butterfly. The family-friendly event sponsored by SoWal.com returns with fan favorites along with some special new elements, including interactive presentations by the team at Zoo World in Panama City Beach.