Raising awareness and funds for for the Autism Education Center through an art exhibit and DJ show.  The event will showcase several local artists including student artists from the school, who are donating all or some of the sales to the school.  There will also be a raffle for prizes, each entrant will receive one ticket and additional tickets will be for sale.  The event is free, but there is a suggested donation of $3.  (Donations will go directly to the Autism Education Center.)

It’s time!  This Saturday night the concert you have all been waiting for takes the stage!  Stars and Guitars benefitting the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center will feature Andy Griggs, Daryle Singletary, Randy Houser, Josh Gracin, and Ashton Shepherd.

Andy Griggs

Andy is from Louisiana and records on RCA Nashville’s label.

Some of his best known hits are:

• You Won’t Ever Be Lonely
• She’s More
• This I Gotta See

Please visit Andy’s website for more information.

Daryle Singletary

Darlye Singletary is from Georgia and released his first album in 1995.  Click here to visit his website.

Songs you might recognize are:

• I Let Her Lie
• Too Much Fun
• I’d Love To Lay You Down

Randy Houser

Randy Houser is a singer and songwriter from Mississippi.  He has written songs for Trace Adkins, Justin Moore, and Jessie James.

A few songs he has recorded are:

• Boots On
• Whistlin’ Dixie
• Anything Goes

Josh Gracin

Made famous for his appearance on American Idol, Josh Gracin is originally from Michigan.  You can learn more about Josh online.

Some of Josh’s most popular songs are:

• Nothin’ To Lose
• Stay With Me/Brass Bed
• We Weren’t Crazy

Ashton Shepherd

Ashton Shepherd made her way from Alabama to RCA Nashville to release her first album in April 2007.

Some of her best known singles are:

• Look It Up
• Takin’ Off This Pain
• Where Country Grows

This is a concert you don’t want to miss!  Tickets are available online for $27.50 downstairs/$20 upstairs.  Enjoy the concert and making a difference for the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center!

Cancer touches so many lives in the world today, few people don’t know someone who has been diagnosed.  Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Panama City is doing their part to raise money in the fight against the disease!  On January 28th the Fred Astaire Dance Studio, local celebrities, and professional dancers from Dancing with the Stars will be showcased on the stage of the Martin Theatre in a benefit for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.

Dance for Life has become an annual fundraiser for the Fred Astaire Dance Studio’s Relay for Life team.  This year Derrell Day (Talk Radio 101.1), Many (Island 106), Sara Violette (97X and 101.1), and Short Bus (97X) will battle on the dance floor to see who is the best!

All proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society through Relay for Life.  Tickets are available at The Martin Theatre (850.763.8080) and the Fred Astaire Dance Studio (850.873.62.69).

January 21st, 2011 the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center, a local non-profit, will be holding the 4th Annual Country Music Jamboree “Stars and Guitars.”  The event is the primary fundraiser for the organization, raising funds that provide services to children suffering from abuse and neglect in our community.  At 7pm country stars Andy Griggs, Daryle Singletary, Ashton Shephard, and Randy Houser will take the Marina Civic Center stage!  During intermission, there will be a live auction.

In the local community there were over 8,000 reports of child abuse and neglect last year.  Tragic and disturbing, these numbers show how much the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center needs our help, so that they are able to make an impact in our community.

Tickets are on sales for $27.50 for floor tickets, and $20 for balcony.  Tickets can be purchased by calling the GCCAC at 850-872-7760 or online at the GCCAC or Marina Civic Center.

Thank-you for helping the GCCAC help neglected and children in our area!

Many have already expressed excitement for the annual Seabreeze Jazz Fesitval coming April 18th-22nd, 2012.  The festival has offered a short-term sale on tickets!  Make sure to buy yours before December 15th, 2011 and you’ll save up to $100!

If you buy a weekend pass or a four-day pass, you will receive the second pass at half-price!  Order your tickets online before December 15th and make sure to enter the promotional code “Holiday 2011.”  They are sending tickets out via Priority Mail, ensuring arrival before Christmas!

On December 7th, 2011 at 7:30pm, Michael McDonald, a former Doobie Brother and five-time Grammy Award winner, will be coming to the Marina Civic Center.  McDonald will be performing as a benefit to the Children’s Home Society of Florida’s Emerald Coast Division.  Tickets are on sale at the Marina Civic Center box office or online for $59.75, $49.75, or $29.75 (Price depends on ticket section).

About Michael McDonald

While focusing on music Michael McDonald has also worked to be an active humanitarian, lending his talents to many causes and benefits. He is now lending those talents to raise money for the Emerald Coast Division of the Children’s Home Society of Florida.

Working as a singer and a songwriter, McDonald has had a collection of popular works.  McDonald is most popularly known for his time in the Doobie Brothers, co-writing Van Halen’s “I’ll Wait,”  singing a duet with Patty Labelle called “On My Own,” and many more songs he both sang and wrote.  You may also recognize him from his Motown tribute album in 2003 called Motown.  He as also sang the National Anthem at numerous sporting events in recent years, appeared on American Idol’s final episode in Season 9, and on an episode of 30Rock in 2009.

About The Children’s Home Society

Benefitting from the Michael McDonald concert is the Children’s Home Society of Florida‘s Emerald Coast Division.   It is the oldest and largest state-wide, private, not-for-profit provider of services to children and families in Florida.  The Children’s Home Society provides safety and shelter to children victimized by abuse, abandonment, or neglect.  They have helped to keep over 1,200 local children safe through six programs designed to build and stabilize families.  These programs include adoption, early intervention and child development case management, birth to five mental health services, dependency counseling, parent education, Early Steps, and Clair’s House.

For more information about Children’s Home Society of Florida’s services in the local community, please contact Erica Spivey, Director of Development at 850-747-5411.

Enjoy the musical stylings of Michael McDonald on December 7th while raising money for the Children’s Home Society!

From November 29th till December 2nd, the Panama City Rescue Mission will be hosting the 8th Annual Festival of Trees: The Greatest Gift of All.  The festival will be held at the Marina Civic Center.

This event enables local artists and designers to decorate beautiful Christmas items for charity, which are judged in a competition and then sold at auction.  All proceeds help Bethel Village, the Rescue Mission’s home for recovering homeless women and families.

The event will be open admission on Friday December 2nd from 10am-9pm, but the gala on December 1st will be $50 per person or $1,500 a table. Tickets and more information are available online.

Enjoy some Christmas fun while giving back to the community!

Here are some past trees from the Festival of Trees:

Beachy Beach and Cerulean Interiors are inviting you to celebrate their openings and enjoy local art on Saturday, November 12th from 10am-4pm.

These two businesses have actually been open for the past two years, but never held a Grand Opening and ribbon cutting- so it’s time now!  They decided against just holding an open house, in favor of holding an event to help local artists, contribute to Beach Care, and introduce the businesses to the community.  Karen Smith, owner of Beachy Beach, says,  ”I have been so fortunate that so many in the community have supported and encouraged us so it is our turn to give some more back.”

Artists that will be present at “Celebrate the Arts” will be selling jewelry, painted art, pen and pencil art, textile art, and more.  Proceeds will benefit the local artists as well as Beach Care Services.

These artists include:

• Eve Alligood
• Gracie Alligood
• Constance Snellgrove
• Tana Plyler
• Sharon Kator
• Tom Jordan
• Judy Kish
• Global Effect

Enjoy getting to know Beachy Beach and Cerulean Interiors while giving back to local artists and Beach Care Services!

The Hidden Lantern Gallery in Rosemary Beach is proud to host a new show, Where Color + Texture Collide. This exhibit will feature artists Lauren Carvalho and Donnelle Clark.  This exhibit will be on display from November 7th, 2011 till December 10th, 2011.

About The Exhibit

Donnelle Clark uses colors and varying surfaces to play to optical and tactile senses making the texture almost touchable.  Utilizing materials with different qualities, such as Japanese paper, tissue, sand, burlap, lace, and more Clark maps a natural landscape on her pieces.  Her pieces oscillate between abstract and representation.  The picture to the left, Turtle, is one of the pieces to be featured at the exhibit.

Lauren Carvalho, Gallery Director and Resident Artist, is well known for oceanic sculptures.  She gathers her materials from the local landscape, including leaves, palm bark, and pine cones.  The pieces she uses are selected for their textural qualities and natural color shifts, and how they come together to form tone, line, and texture.  Carvalho’s work gives the materials a new purpose.  You can see her Gold Blue Fish (above image) at the exhibit, as well as the piece to the right, Patterned Flight.

About The Hidden Lantern Gallery

Located in Rosemary Beach, The Hidden Lantern Gallery is committed to making local and regional emerging artists more visible to the public.  The gallery opened in 2010, and has since been home to a large variety of art – many outside the traditional boundaries. The Hidden Lantern doubles as a bookstore, where you can find a unique selection of quality texts.  The bookstore opened in 2011.  The Hidden Lantern hopes to inspire and engage those who visit their gallery.

Enjoy your visit to The Hidden Lantern for Where Color + Texture Collide!

Panama City POPS Orchestra is bringing their classical talents to Panama City Beach on Saturday, March 26.

POPS Orchestra is playing their third concert of the season and in addition to their popular symphonic sounds, POPS Orchestra is mixing up the program a bit with a special talent joining them for this event.

Curious?

POPS Orchestra is performing on Saturday, March 26  at Arnold High School Auditorium, beginning at 7:30pm.

Joining them during the entire second half is Margaret Carlson.  Grammy Nominee and Cabaret favorite, Margaret is sure to set the stage on fire with her flawless pieces.

Margaret’s range covers jazz, energetic scat, blues and some sweet-talking romance, creating the perfect spice to complement POPS Orchestra’s talented ensemble.

Tickets are available online at panamacitypopsorchestra.org or in person at these locations, Cher’s Hallmark Shop (both Lynn Haven & PCB stores) and Paul Brent Gallery, Panama City.