Get Creative During Art Month In Walton County

Ignite your creative spark with a month-long celebration of the arts!

Santa Rosa Beach, FL - Art Month Walton County, an initiative led by the Cultural Arts Alliance (CAA) of Walton County and sponsored in part by Visit South Walton, will provide a whole month of creative offerings in May, including the "Under The Sea" fundraiser for the Underwater Museum of Art, 35th Annual ArtsQuest Fine Arts Festival, Longleaf Writers Conference, Digital Graffiti at Alys Beach, The Sound of Music at Emerald Coast Theatre Company, Open Mic Night with Emerald Coast Storytellers, Sinfonia Goes Pop in Alys Beach, events at The Foster Gallery, and more. All events will happen in Walton County and are part of the Art Month mission to bring together communities, organizations, and businesses to present quality and diverse arts and entertainment.

Friday, May 5, at The Foster Gallery, which is the CAA's professional artist collective showcasing over 30 rotating regional artists, special exhibitions, and featured guests, will host the Foster Gallery Fête on Friday, May 5, from 5 - 7 PM in the Miramar Beach Creative Campus located at 13370 Emerald Coast Parkway (Hwy 98) in Miramar Beach. The gallery will feature the work of the Spring Rotation artists, in addition to a special Up for Interpretation Abstract Exhibition. Meet the artists and enjoy live music, art demos, giveaways, complimentary light bites, beer & wine while strolling through the gallery full of artworks available for purchase.

May 5 is also the opening night of "The Sound of Music," presented by Emerald Coast Theatre Company. Be sure to catch the world's most beloved musical based on the true story of the Von Trapp family. Featuring a trove of cherished songs, including "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," "My Favorite Things," "Do Re Mi," "Sixteen Going on Seventeen," and the title number "The Sound of Music," this is one inspiring musical that brings joy to audiences of all ages. For tickets and more information regarding performance dates and times, visit EmeraldCoastTheatre.org.

On Thursday, May 11, in Grand Boulevard's Grand Park is the 'Under the Sea' fundraiser in support of the fifth installation of the Underwater Museum of Art (UMA), the nation's first permanent artificial reef sculpture park created by the CAA and South Walton Artificial Reef Association. Doors open at 6 PM, and guests are invited to view several of the UMA sculptures, enjoy a full cash bar with specialty cocktails, meet and greet with the artists, and taste featured items from popular area restaurants and celebrated Chefs, including Bijoux, Black Bear Bread Co., Grayton Beach Catering, Grayton Corner Cafe, North Beach Social, Marrow Chefs, Mozey's, Swiftly Catered, and Stinky's Fish Camp. Enjoy live musical entertainment from the opening act Stormfolk followed by headliners, The Cleverlys! The Cleverlys are a one-of-a-kind comedy/music blend. They tour nationally, performing at music venues, PAC'S, and some of the nation's most prominent festivals like Stagecoach, Telluride, CMA Music Fest, and even The Grand Ole Opry. General admission tickets are $60 in advance and $75 at the door (if available). Tickets are on sale now at CulturalArtsAlliance.com/upcoming-events. To learn more about UMA, visit UMAFL.org.

Also, on May 11, The Emerald Coast Storytellers join the Art Month lineup this year with an Open Mic Night at Distillery 98. Listen to brave local storytellers sharing their written and spoken tales. Doors will open at 5 PM, and stories will begin at 6 PM sharp. For more information and tickets, visit EmeraldCoastStorytellers.com.

Sat-Sun, May 13 & 14 is the 35th annual ArtsQuest Fine Arts Festival that will fill Grand Boulevard's Town Center with over 120 exhibiting artists over Mother's Day weekend. Produced by the CAA and presented by Grand Boulevard and Visit South Walton, ArtsQuest includes a CAA Member Artist Gallery, student exhibitions, live art demonstrations, a special exhibit from the CAA's Prison Art Program, Art on Demand LIVE workshops, continuous live music, delicious food and beverage options, ImagiNation: where kids rule, and an exhibition of two of the newest Underwater Museum of Art sculptures.

Back-by-popular-demand this year at ArtsQuest, the CAA is excited to bring its virtual Art on Demand series to the event. Art on Demand LIVE interactive one-two hour workshops, presented by The Alys Foundation, are scheduled throughout the festival weekend and include some of our most watched and best-loved instructors. Participants can take a painting session with local artists Justin Gaffrey and Justin Gaffrey, Jr., and more. Workshops are ticketed separately, and registration is available at CulturalArtsAlliance.com/upcoming-events.

ArtsQuest is a rain-or-shine event open to the public Saturday, May 13, 10 AM – 7 PM and Sunday, May 14, 10 AM – 5 PM. A $5 - $10 donation per person is requested at the gate. A list of artists, the entertainment schedule, and other details will be available online at CulturalArtsAlliance.com/arts-quest.

From May 13 to 20 (Sat-Sat), the 11th Annual Longleaf Writers Conference takes place in Seaside, Fla and other venues, featuring award-winning, visiting authors Rebecca Makkai and Kwame Dawes with other special guests, including literary agents Alex Glass and Jade Wong-Baxter. Full conference registrations and a la carte seminars are available, along with options to participate in special events throughout the week, including personal consultations, readings, and more. Register and purchase tickets online at LongleafWritersConference.com.

Thursday, May 18, experience the more intimate side of Emerald Coast Storytellers face to face, pen to paper, and fingers to keys. No matter where you are on your writing journey, this event is open to all. The event is hosted upstairs at Distillery 98. Storytellers are armed with pens, journals, and laptops, ready to talk shop and get to work! The evening will begin at 6 PM with a brief discussion followed by breakout time to work on individual projects or an optional writing prompt. The event is free to attend, but RSVPs are encouraged. For more information, visit EmeraldCoastStorytellers.com.

Fri-Sat, May 19 & 20, Digital Graffiti celebrates its 16th anniversary. During this one-of-a-kind projection art festival, artists use the latest digital technologies to project their original works onto the white walls of Alys Beach. Each year, the festival attracts international digital artists, filmmakers, musicians, interactive designers, photographers, VJs, producers, celebrities, agency executives, and fans of art, technology, and architecture. Visit DigitalGraffiti.com for tickets and details.

Sunday, May 28, join Sinfonia Gulf Coast from 6 – 9:30 PM in Alys Beach for the popular Sinfonia Goes Pop event. Enjoy an evening featuring powerhouse vocalist and recording artist Morgan James with guest Ryan Shaw bringing the classic sounds of Memphis alive with Symphonic Soul as Sinfonia Gulf Coast performs a free concert in the Alys Beach Amphitheatre. The "doors" open at 6 PM, and the music will begin at 7:30 PM with fireworks at 9 PM. Remember to bring blankets or low-back chairs for comfortable seating. For more information, visit SinfoniaGulfCoast.org.

Art Month Walton sponsors include Visit South Walton, Grand Boulevard Town Center, Florida Arts & Culture, Merrill Lynch, Morning Star Foundation, The Alys Foundation, and Zehnder Communications. Additional event sponsors are listed on individual event websites. For more information on all Art Month events, please visit CulturalArtsAlliance.com/art-month.