Beach Arts Group

Back in 2011 Helen Ballance, Joan Wallis Burnett and Dale Estka transformed their lifelong passion and love for the visual arts into the creation of Beach Art Group.

All three women, successful artists in their own right, started out with one simple objective. They wanted to give local artists a new, all-encompassing venue in which to exhibit their work. They only had two criteria: the space had to be large enough for artists and art enthusiasts to engage in a vibrant, welcoming environment and it had to be free. After looking at several locations on Panama City Beach, the group agreed they’d found the perfect place at The Palms Conference Center.

Located on Front Beach Road and Joan Avenue, the 6,000-square foot conference center hosts hundreds of visitors throughout the year for weekly civic meetings, wedding receptions, family reunions, seminars and conferences, Ballance said.

She points out, “It has become the perfect partnership, we are growing the arts in our community and helping locals and visitors alike discover it.”

Every two to three months the theme of the exhibit changes, keeping the displays from becoming stagnant by showing fresh new work, she said. Not only does this turnover give the artists more exposure, it also reminds visitors that if they see something they like they should snap it up before the exhibit comes to an end.

Each exhibit begins with a call for interested artists to submit their entries. Through email, Facebook posts and announcements on the group’s website, artists are informed of the opportunity to show their work. There is no fee to participate in an exhibit, however Beach Art Group retains a 30 percent commission on all sales. (Most galleries retain 50 percent commission.) The exhibits then open with an entertaining gathering to allow enthusiasts to meet the artists.

There are weekly paint parties, watercolor and acrylic painting classes and nationally recognized professional artists’ workshops. The initial focus was to provide professional-level study to the area that generally has not been of- fered here, said Ballance, who has been actively involved in the local arts scene for several years.

“As it turns out we have not only attracted well-known teachers but their followers from across the country as well,” she said. “Students may come here never having been here before and make a vacation of it. While one spouse may attend the workshop the other may enjoy the beaches, fishing, shopping or a round of golf.”

And it’s not just the artists who have benefited. Art enthusiasts and others who are in the business of bringing tourism to the area have taken notice.

“The arts are an important part of the overall tourist experience, whether it is the performing arts or visual arts,” said Dan Rowe, executive director of the Tourist Development Council (TDC). “Having a vibrant arts community gives people activities to do while they are here on vacation.” “It’s important to have local art available for those interested in taking home a memento of their vacation,” Rowe said. “People like paintings of beach scenes or some local aspect to help keep their memories alive.”

Beach Art Group continues to evolve. Its offerings includes informal plein-air art gatherings at different scenic locations throughout the county. Artists meet each Tuesday at 8 a.m. and work until noon. It’s open to anyone to come and go as they please. Each person brings his or her own materials to work with, while the surround- ing scenery provides the backdrop. Plein air painting provides a totally different work environment compared to a studio setting.

“It is all about the light and learning to paint quickly in order to catch the light and shadows,” Ballance said. “And what better place could we ask for? This is the perfect place to enjoy plein- air painting. It’s really a lot of fun. If you have never tried it you should.”

Ballance, who has been actively involved in the local arts scene for several years both as a paid employee and as a volunteer, said she fell in love with art in her early 40s after taking a painting class. The more she painted, the more she wanted to share what she learned with others, she said. So it’s not surprising that in addition to coordinating all the Beach Art Group classes and workshops, she teaches, too.

“Eventually I started to teach using some of the simple ways I learned,” Ballance said. “I think everyone can learn to be an artist if they realize it’s not so much the finished piece as it is about the process, and the enjoyment one gets from working on something they created.”

While Ballance tends to the teaching aspects of the Beach Art Group, Joan Wallis Burnett and Harry Blake use their artistic skills and vast experience to carefully hang each exhibit.

“There’s a certain art to that,” Wallis Burnett said. “There are so many variants in creating an inviting and vibrant display of all the work.”

Exhibits are changed on a rotating basis throughout the year giving artists continuous exposure and an outlet for sales, Wallis Burnett said.

“We turn blank walls into spectacular displays of creative energy,” she said. “There is always a broad variety of styles, themes and media represented, and because of the diverse nature of attendees at the conference center they typically have discretionary funds. They might not walk into a gallery but here they are surrounded by art and it’s all for sale.”

On average each exhibit attracts up to 100 or more pieces of locally-produced art by 25 to 40 artists, she said. “Our current exhibit ‘Local Colors’ for the Panama City Artists Association brought in 145 pieces from 45 artists, our largest exhibit yet.”

“Local Colors” will be on display at The Palms Conference Center through the end of January. This exhibit represents the largest exhibit of local artists in the region, she added.

Both Ballance and Wallis Burnett have reached a new plateau with the group. In the two years since its beginning, their small group has expanded to nearly 200 participating artists, and still it continues to grow.

Estka, a well-known commission portrait painter who moved here from Chicago, does all the photography, graphic design, website main- tenance and Facebook postings.

“We wanted to bring the arts to Panama City Beach and to give local artists a place to exhibit their paintings without having to pay,” Estka said. “Here you can practice as much as you want, you can take advantage of the plein- air events or attend workshops. Anything and everything goes.”

Being single, Estka said she fi nds herself becoming more and more involved with the group.

“I love being involved with all the artists,” she said. “It’s just an enjoyable way to experience the arts on the beach and people are beautiful.”

By Diane Mercado, Photography by Dale Estka