Art in Bloom This June at the Center for the Arts: National and Local Artists Featured in Three New Exhibitions

PANAMA CITY, FL  – This June, Center for the Arts presents three compelling exhibitions that celebrate both tradition and bold artistic exploration. The Southern Watercolor Society’s 48th Annual Exhibition brings together outstanding watercolor works from across the region, while ARTnatomy 7.0: The Lively Sins by local artist Anne Thrift explores the seven cardinal sins as they relate to the human body. This month’s featured Spotlight Gallery artist collection explores the themes of trans identity, the fear that comes with it when growing up in an unaccepting environment, and the freedom that comes from finally being able to accept your own identity. All exhibitions open with a public reception on Friday, June 6, inviting guests to meet the artists, enjoy light refreshments, and experience an evening of vibrant, thought-provoking art. 

Approximately 100 watercolor artists from the Southeast will be featured in the Southern Watercolor Society’s 47th annual exhibition, juried this year by Keiko Tanabe. “This prestigious exhibition will have some of the best watercolor artists in the region competing for top honors,” said Jayson Kretzer, Executive Director of Bay Arts Alliance, “but our community is the real winner since we’ll get to have this show on display for nearly two months, free to the public in the Center for the Arts.”

The Main Gallery will open on Friday, June 6 – July 26. Visitors are welcome to meet the artists and view this juried exhibition at the opening reception on Friday, June 6 from 5-7pm. This is the third year in a row that the Center for the Arts will host this exhibition. 
 
Through her seventh installation of her ARTnatomy series, local artist Anne Thrift invites you to explore the seven cardinal sins as they relate to the human body. “I want to bring awareness to concepts of the body’s capability of inflicting harm but also more importantly the body’s power to heal,” said Thrift. “The human form as an ever changing dynamic entity serves as an ideal vessel to showcase contrasting paired entities including but not limited to damage vs. repair, nature vs. nurture, and illness vs. wellness.” 

Theo Holloway is featured this month in the Spotlight Gallery. Hollway has been making art for as long as he can remember, and recently obtained his AA in the field from Gulf Coast State College. Holloway’s art typically centers around his inspirations of movies, horror, comics, and his own experiences as a trans person. Holloway’s collection explores the themes of trans identity, the fear that comes with it when growing up in an unaccepting environment, and the freedom that comes from finally being able to accept your own identity. 

The public is invited to the opening reception on Friday, June 6 from 5-7pm at the Center for the Arts. Visitors can meet the artists in the galleries over light hors d’oeuvres during this free event. 

The Center for the Arts is open Tuesday–Saturday 10am–5pm, Fridays 10am-7pm. 

 About Keiko Tanabe

Keiko was born in Kyoto, Japan. As a child growing up in an art-loving family, she always enjoyed drawing and painting and won many awards in children's art contests. However, art was not her chosen field of study later on. She earned a B.A. in intercultural communication (International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan) and an M.A. in international education (UCLA, California). She then worked in international relations positions in a Japanese government trade organization in Tokyo, at a large law firm in San Francisco and at a private consulting firm in San Diego. For decades, she has traveled extensively, mainly in European countries, Asia and North America. 

Mostly self-taught, Keiko embarked on a professional art career in 2005 and started exhibiting publicly. In the same year she took a workshop from Alvaro Castagnet and discovered the joy of plein-air painting. Since that year her paintings have been juried into many exhibitions across the Americas and in Asia and Europe. Her work has been purchased by private and corporate collectors from all around the world. She also had her paintings published in leading art magazines in the U.S., Europe and Japan. Additionally, her art has been enjoyed by many in nine self-published books as well as on four DVDs that have been produced to date. She's also a sought-after workshop instructor. . Keiko currently lives in San Diego, California. 

Born in Atlanta and raised in Marietta, Georgia, Anne found her creative outlet at a young age through art. Anne completed a Physical Therapist Assistant A.S. degree (Gulf Coast State College), graduated with a B.A. in Psychology (Rollins College), and earned a M.S. in Health Education: Exercise Physiology concentration (Florida State University), with honors distinction in all degrees. Although Anne comes from primarily a health sciences academic background, she strives to merge her two passions, visual art and human anatomy, in a way that feels authentic and personal. Anne’s ARTnatomy series of original works (launched in 2019) invites viewers to explore the human body’s overwhelming sense of complexity and resiliency. 

 Bay Arts Alliance

Since 1978, Bay Arts Alliance has served as the local arts agency for Bay County and provides opportunities for cultural enrichment through broad based educational experiences, music and arts programs, exhibitions, and events. Bay Arts Alliance has brought countless national touring performances to the area and provides many cultural opportunities for Bay County schools and non-profit organizations. 

Panama City Center for the Arts in downtown Panama City is housed in the beautiful 1925 historic 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.