Expanding the arts in NW Florida

FORT WALTON BEACH — The Arts and Design Society of Fort Walton Beach — a nonprofit that has been part of the local cultural scene for more than 60 years — has recently been making a special effort to reach out to young people.

The effort is aimed at increasing appreciation of the arts among youth and young adults, and also at getting younger people involved with the society, according to Wally Ratcliffe, president of the ADSO board of directors.

"As we've progressed over the years, hopefully we've become more community minded," Ratcliffe said.

Examples of the ADSO's youth outreach include a couple of the society's volunteers teaching after-school art classes at some local middle schools.

Also, volunteers recently judged an art contest for young people at Hurlburt Field.

In addition, the society hosts an exhibition of works by art students in eighth and 12th grades each February at its headquarters at 17 First St. SE, Ratcliffe said.

The society's efforts to get more young people involved in the arts don't stop with middle and high school students, according to Ratcliffe.

"We're trying to make an effort to reach out to younger adults," she said.

As part of that strategy, the society now has a wide-ranging presence on social media, including a Twitter account, @ADSO_FWB. Also, artists and others affiliated with the Arts and Design Society are a continuing presence on Instagram.

The society has been a part of Fort Walton Beach since 1956, when 17 people gathered in a local residence to form the organization. Six years later, the ADSO became a nonprofit dedicated to facilitating fine art exhibitions, conducting art classes, enhancing appreciation of the visual arts and further educating both new and established artists.

From its modest beginnings, the ADSO has grown to include more than 200 members. Its headquarters in the Old City Hall Complex include a gallery, two studios and the Lolly Carley Art Library, one of the most extensive libraries of art books in Northwest Florida.

According to its website, artsdesignsociety.org, ADSO sponsors, organizes and manages three major exhibitions during the year. 

The Beaux Arts Exhibition is open to all artists and is displayed in the atrium of the Meridian at Westwood. The Photography and Digital Arts Exhibition is hosted in ADSO’s Art Center gallery. The Northwest Florida Fair Fine Arts Exhibition and Student Exhibition have been held in conjunction with and sponsored in part by the Northwest Florida Fair.

In all, the ADSO hosts nearly a dozen shows annually, each with a different theme. The latest show, which closed Feb. 19, was titled "Something Human" and included works in various media, from sculpture to paintings. Among the more interesting submissions was a human heart sculpted in clay, Ratcliffe said.

The Arts and Design Society is supported by its volunteer members, with membership fees starting at $50 per year. The ADSO offers a full range of classes and workshops, for members and non-members, in oil painting, watercolor painting and sculpture, among other topics.

According to Ratcliffe, many ADSO members will move from a mere appreciation for the arts into actually becoming artists.

One way to learn more about the ADSO is to participate in its annual Art Week, held each November. During that week, the ADSO offers nearly two dozen very inexpensive classes to show the community the kinds of instruction the society offers, "letting them get their feet wet in trying various art media at very little cost," Ratcliffe said. "And there is a really fun party ... to display all the work."

For more information, visit the ADSO website, or call the society's offices at 850-244-1271. The ADSO's galleries are open from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, and from 1-4 p.m. Saturdays.