PANAMA CITY — Plans for a high-end arts pageant had been put in flux in 2020, however are coming to fruition subsequent month.
Bay Arts Alliance introduced final week a name to artists for its upcoming arts occasion, the Florida Luxe Arts Competition — or “FLLuxe.” The FLLuxe Competition can be centered on the car parking zone behind the Martin Theatre, 409 Harrison Ave., from 10 a.m. to five p.m. March 27.
Software kinds for chalk artists, distributors, musicians/buskers and volunteers can be found on the web site, www.flluxeartsfestival.com. The applying deadlines vary from Feb. 26 for chalk artists to March 7 for artist distributors.
The plan is that FLLuxe will grow to be an annual arts pageant hosted by Bay Arts Alliance. It was initially alleged to happen final 12 months and would have concerned mural artists working at places throughout county, however the COVID-19 pandemic put plans on maintain.
“Our final purpose is that FLLuxe will grow to be an enormous multi-day arts pageant that includes murals, chalk artwork, projection artwork, concert events and extra,” stated Jayson Kretzer, government director of Bay Arts Alliance. “Sadly, final 12 months we needed to cancel as a consequence of COVID, and this 12 months we now have needed to rethink the scope of the pageant to maintain issues as protected as attainable for members and attendees, however we’re excited to deliver an arts pageant to downtown Panama Metropolis.”
Bay Arts Alliance determined to focus nearly all of the pageant on chalk artwork painted or drawn on pavement within the car parking zone behind the Martin Theatre and alongside Grace Avenue.
Two nationally-known artists, Naomi Haverland and Chris Carlson, will be a part of native artists on the pageant — creating 3D chalk artwork items for guests to work together with. In response to a launch from the Bay Arts Alliance, ff the timing works out, a mural or two may also be painted throughout the pageant.
“We’d additionally like to incorporate an area the place artists can arrange tents to promote their items, and areas the place native musicians can sing and play music for ideas,” stated Dixie Clough, advertising and marketing director for Bay Arts Alliance. “Regardless that our pageant is pared down this 12 months, we wished to incorporate as many alternative points of the humanities as attainable.”
Native artists, artisans, and musicians can apply to create chalk artwork, promote their handmade items, or carry out on the pageant on the web site, www.flluxeartsfestival.com.
“It is lots to do in a brief period of time, however after we not too long ago acquired the go-ahead to plan the pageant, we knew we wanted to leap on the chance and make it occur,” Jayson stated. “We hope everybody is happy about it, the artists signal as much as take part, and the neighborhood comes out to see it.”
The pageant web site can be up to date as extra particulars can be found.
Bay Arts Alliance, which oversees operations and programming for the Heart for the Arts in Panama Metropolis, has served because the native arts company for Bay County since 1976. A part of its mission is to offer alternatives for cultural enrichment via broad primarily based academic experiences, music and humanities packages, exhibitions and occasions, and to encourage a lifelong appreciation of the Arts.
The thought for the FFLuxe Competition grew out of a need to supply a mural pageant, however make it a “deluxe” pageant.
“Each different metropolis within the nation appears to have a mural pageant, so how might ours be totally different?” Jayson defined on the pageant’s web site. “We thought of all the opposite festivals we now have in Panama Metropolis — like Public Eye SOAR, Songwriter’s Competition, and Spring Competition of the Arts. We regarded on the wonderful arts festivals different cities placed on like Gentle Metropolis Baltimore, and LUMA. And we thought, ‘Why not mix all these concepts in a single loopy, wonderful arts pageant?'”
Looking for an occasion title that might grow to be a model, Jayson and his crew had been impressed by festivals with made-up names like Bonaroo, Lolapolooza and others.
“The phrases meant nothing till folks caught on to how superior the occasion was, they usually turned a robust model. We appreciated that concept, however we additionally wished our title to face for one thing,” he stated.
FFLuxe, pronounced “flux,” incorporates the state’s postal abbreviation and the promise of luxurious, but it surely additionally hints at flexibility — a capability to roll with the modifications that get thrown its method, similar to pandemics or social distancing, or no matter else the longer term would possibly maintain.
”Solely time will inform if the title turns into as robust a model as different pageant names. However we now have a superb feeling about it,” Jason and Dixie stated.
Tony Simmons is a author and editor for The Information Herald. His column seems most weeks within the Entertainer. He is extra “flux” than “deluxe.”
