The Panama City Center for the Arts opened three new exhibitions on August 6th.
On display in the main gallery is artist Don Taylor. Don is a native of St. Augustine FL and graduated from St. Augustine High School, obtained a BS and MS from the University of Florida, and a DVM from Auburn University. Don came to Panama City in 1972 to start veterinary practice, retiring completely in 2018.
Taylor has been involved in art since childhood, and after college graduation in 1964, he started oil painting, then acrylics, then moved on to watercolors as a hobby.
Don’s style of art gradually evolved into loving the traditional concept of transparent watercolor, and taking that concept further in plein air journaling using watercolor and pen/ink when traveling around the world. Don’s travels have provided virtually all the inspiration for his paintings in the last 20 years.
His techniques revolve around “the classical use of watercolor, using only transparent colors, no white paint and no opaque colors,” said Taylor. “This allows the white of the paper to provide a brilliant luminescence and beautiful glow.” The collection for this show is a compilation of work over the last 10 years and includes different categories such as animals, landscapes, architectural, figurative, and portraits.
“We are thrilled to welcome Don Taylor back to exhibit his beautiful watercolors at the Center for the Arts. Whether he’s teaching watercolor or serving through various boards and committees, he’s always been a staple in our arts community,” said Jayson Kretzer, executive director at the Center for the Arts.
On the first floor in the Miller gallery, artist Jason Miracle is displaying his work full of dense and colorful imagery in a show titled, “Brute Force.”
Jason Miracle is a visual artist living and working in Panama City Beach, Florida. Miracle received his BFA from the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in Denver, CO. He has shown in galleries and museums in Florida, California, Colorado and China.
When asked where his work draws inspiration from, Jason states, “mythology, religion, science, history and pop culture,” as well as “fusing graphic comic book style illustration with traditional portraiture to create dense and colorful imagery.”
Jayson Krezter, executive director of the Bay Arts Alliance says, “As a comic artist myself, I’ve always been drawn to Jason Miracle’s work. His sense of style and control of color is excellent and I can’t wait to see his work hanging in the Mary Ola Miller Gallery.”
Some of his recent work explores the mythology and archetypes of professional wrestling, while other pieces reference folktales and legends.
While visiting the Center for the Arts, don’t forget to stop by the cafe and gift shop where featured artist Janna Elzawahry, a local high school student, will have her artwork on display.
Janna Elzawahry, 17, is a local artist who uses photography and paint to depict a visual tour of her mind. With her art, she hopes to showcase a side of the world that most people don’t notice. She enjoys taking pictures of nature, animals, and fluid motion.
These artists’ work will be on display until August 28. The Center for the Arts will be open from 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Tuesday–Thursday, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Fridays, and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturdays.
Panama City Center for the Arts
Panama City Center for the Arts is the arts center in the center of downtown Panama City housed in the beautiful 1925 City Hall building. Panama City Center for the Arts is managed by Bay Arts Alliance. In the Center for the Arts, Bay Arts Alliance provides visitors and the local community with creative enrichment through monthly art shows and exhibitions, films, concerts, educational art classes for all ages, and special focus classes for Bay County school trips. The facility and grounds are under the ownership of the City of Panama City.
