The 31st annual F/Stop Photography Competition and Exhibition will launch Center for the Arts on August 30 with an opening and awards reception from 6–8pm. Awards will be announced at 7pm.

This year, F/Stop has six categories for adults: Landscape, Nature, Architecture, People, Altered/Abstract, and Traditional. Younger photographers can also join in the fun, by submitting their work (featuring any subject matter) to the youth category.

The competition used to separate photographs that had been altered in any way, but today everyone uses filters and Photoshop to tweak their images, so it’s no longer possible to have a category for all edited photographs. Instead, this year’s “Altered” category is reserved for photographs that owe more to photo editing software than reality.

The F/Stop Photography Competition is open to photographers from across Northwest Florida, and typically brings in over 100 submissions. Photographers can enter up to three photographs this year, and must bring their entries to the Center for the Arts between August 22–24.

Potential entrants can find more information on the Center for the Arts website: https://www.pccenterforthearts.com/artist-opportunities

The opening reception for a solo show featuring last year’s F/Stop winner, Don Griffiths, will be held on the same night (August 30). The reception is free and open to the public. Everyone is encouraged to come see the exhibition, find out who the winners are first, and meet some of the artists. Light refreshments will be provided.  

Don Griffiths’ exhibition will close on September 21, 2019. F/Stop will close on September 28, 2019.

The Visual & Performing Arts Division of Gulf Coast State College presents Made in Greece VIII. The exhibit features artwork produced by the students and faculty of the Athens/Skopelos Study Abroad Program.

The work in the show was produced by GCSC’s students over a three-week period at The Skopelos Foundation for the Arts, in Skopelos, Greece. After intensive two-week introductory courses in ceramics and photography stateside the students traveled to Greece where they created artworks in response to the rich artistic and cultural traditions of the country, the island of Skopelos, and their personal experience as a traveler. The resulting work offers a glimpse into the unique experience of each student. Featured artists are Pavel Amromin, Sophee Beall, Zachary Branson, Evelyn Fore, Alyssa Hurst, Hannah Kelling, Michelle Norris, Claire Olson, Cynthia Smith, and Tammy Marinuzzi.

The work will be on display in the Amelia Center Main Gallery (Room 112) from September 6 until October 4. An opening reception will be held on the evening of September 6 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., and Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

If you have any questions or would like to visit the gallery, please contact Pavel Amromin at pamromin@gulfcoast.edu or call 769-1551 ext. 4874.

Please join us at 5:30p.m. on Aug.3, 2019 for the opening night of a photo show at The Light Room in downtown Panama City.

This photo show is about the community that The News Herald covers daily and the hurricane stories we all share. We’re taking this opportunity to reflect on the last nine months and display photos in a way that’s never been seen before. We want to celebrate your resilience, your courage and your love for your community.

Photos on display will feature work from News Herald photographers Patti Blake and Joshua Boucher.

Metal prints of the night sky will show sparkling stars over areas impacted by Hurricane Michael. Framed prints featuring storytelling moments will also be on display.
A limited number of framed prints and metal night sky photos will be available for purchase. A portion of the proceeds will go to a hurricane relief charity.
Admission will be free. The exhibit continues through September 28.

Topics covered include:

1) Library Module (Organization & Import)

2) Develop Module 1 (Basic Panel, Sharpening, and Noise Reduction)

3) Develop Module 2 (Adjustments, Crop Tool, Spot Removal, Redeye Removal, Graduated and Radial Filters, and the Adjustment Brush. Discuss use of Previous and Sync)

4) Collections (Organizing your Photos, Collections, Collection Sets, Sharing)

5) Lightroom Mobile & CC (Using LR Mobile and CC on phone and tablets, Editing photos in Mobile, Shared Collections, Facebook, Instagram, email)

6) Practice working with your images.

What to bring: Laptop with Lightroom (Steve will use Lightroom Classic CC but older “stand alone” versions are fine.)

The learning environment is fun and stress-free while offering diversity, insight, and wisdom.

Fee:  $92

Amelia Center for the Arts, 10:00a.m.

Amelia Center for the Arts, 10:00a.m.

Amelia Center for the Arts, 10:00a.m.

We’ll cover:

~Manual operation, including ISO, aperture, and shutter speed for basic and creative exposure control.

~Using the light meter accurately.

~ Accurate auto and manual focusing.

~ When to use your flash and when not to.

~ Expand your photography vocabulary. You’ll learn what all these mean: histogram, exposure compensation, shutter and aperture priority, white balance, Jpeg, RAW and TIFF.

~ How to store and back up your files.

~ How to show off the artist inside of you.

Located in the Theatre Lab. Scholarship donations are accepted.

Located in the Theatre Lab, 2:30 p.m. Free event. Scholarship donations are accepted.

Join Chief News Herald photographer Patti Blake for a two part workshop on photographing the night sky.

Part 1, Saturday September 28, 6pm - 9:30pm~ Meet Patti at The Light Room to learn techniques for astrophotography, including capturing the Milky Way, creating beautiful star trails, and foreground light painting. See some of Patti’s favorite images, ask questions, and get inspired.

After the lesson, head to St. Andrews State Park where class will continue with a two hour hands on session shooting the night sky!

Part 2, Saturday October 5, 2pm - 4pm ~ Bring your favorite images from the week before to The Light Room to learn about post-processing for the night sky. Remove noise, correct color, see how to combine multiple images to create trails.

*For this workshop you will need a DSLR camera and wide angle lens, tripod, intervelometer, and an LED flashlight. For the editing portion, bring a laptop with Photoshop and follow along with Patti, or simply watch and take notes.

Start from scratch and become familiar with your camera’s most important features, and how they translate into the photograph. This course covers ISO, aperture & shutter speed, metering for light, focus, focal length and more. Lessons include hands-on and outdoor practice (weather permitting). The goal is to trust your choices more than Auto mode! Camera required. *Best for DSLRs, mirrorless or any camera with “Manual” mode but all cameras welcome!

Creating an incredible Allman Brothers Band tribute show that includes fan-favorite songs in their original format, former members of that band, David Goldflies and Johnny Neel have joined forces to launch A Brothers Revival. Hear the iconic sounds of one of the most influential bands of the '70s, combining rock, country, R&B and blues performed by a six-piece band backed by the orchestral sounds of the Panama City POPS.

The event is free, Saturday, October 5, 6:00pm at the Founders Pavilion at SweetBay, 1980 Discovery Loop, Panama City, FL  32405

Local artists reflect on a year since Hurricane Michael.

Opening Reception: October 11, 5:00- 7:00 p.m.

Prepare your haunted stories, poems, spoken word, or book excerpts for our October Writer's Gallery!

Come to the Center for the Arts for Bay County's favorite open-mic night for writers from 6pm-7:30pm on the second Thursday of every other month. Doors open at 5:30pm.

Come to share your work or listen to the creative writers of Bay County share theirs! Everyone is welcome to speak or listen!

MORE ABOUT OCTOBER'S THEME
Your work can be about any kind of haunting. It can be about being haunted by love/old friendships or a more traditional ghost story. Whatever haunted means to you, whatever is haunting you, we want to hear about it.

And if you want to get in for free, you have to wear a halloween costume. Otherwise, you have to pay $5 at the door.

TOPICS:

October 17: Haunted
December 12: Winter
February 13: Love
April 9: Spring

Come to the main entrance dressed in in theme-appropriate attire to get in for free:

October 17: Halloween costume
December 12: Ugly (or pretty) Holiday sweater or shirt
February 13: Red or pink clothing or hearts
April 9: Flowers/Floral

OTHERWISE, you have to pay $5 at the door.

As always, it will be a perfect night for kicking back, getting inspired, and having fun listening to the works of some really creative people in our community.

We suggest the audience be 18+ years in age, but if you'd like to bring your child, we do caution that it is an open mic night, and while we have restrictions against hate speech and overly explicit language, we cannot control what it read, so a parental advisory is in place.

HOW TO SIGN UP AS A SPEAKER
Writers, poets, and spoken word artists are all welcome to sign up for an 8-minute open mic slot by calling in (850-640-3670), emailing (info@pccenterforthearts.com), or coming in-person to the Center for the Arts.

Our motto is "Write Hard. Speak Easy." So don't sweat it! Do your hard work when you're writing and take it easy in front of the mic. It's not meant to be scary. It's supposed to be fun!

HISTORY ON THE "WRITER'S GALLERY"
The Writer’s Gallery was started by Lee Baker, of Northstar Church, as a poetry night at Rocky Shore Coffee Co. in 2010, but when Nick Mays began volunteering for the church, Lee asked Nick to take it over. It was renamed the Writer’s Gallery and became the longest-running, consecutive open mic night for writers in Bay County. In the almost three years that the Writer’s Gallery ran, it moved around, first to the Purple Grape and then to Amavida, but when Nick moved to Pensacola, the project lost its leader, and eventually stopped running.

Local publishing group, The Syndicate, has been talking about relaunching the Writer's Gallery for a while now, so when the Center for the Arts was planning to expand its programming, it seemed like the perfect fit. Once Nick gave his blessing, we were excited to bring the open-mic night back! Hopefully you all are, too!

Lecture and demo by Chicago potter Lou Pierozzi.

Lecture: October 25, 11:00a.m.- noon, AC128

Demo: October 25, 1:00p.m.- 4:00p.m., AC127

Amelia Center Theatre

November 1-3 & 8-10

Tickets: www.gulfcoast.edu/arts

Historic Downtown Panama City is the canvas for the sixth annual international projection art festival, Public Eye Soar. From November 8 and 9, the streets of Panama City come alive with light, sound and art. Featuring live performances, hands-on activities, short films, art and photography from across the globe, Public Eye Soar is a unique opportunity to see art on a whole new scale.  Northwest Florida’s largest outdoor art exhibit spotlights the work of more than 150 artists from across the country as well as from places such as South Africa, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Belgium, and India. Interactive and hands-on activities include a larger-than-life pinball game,  shadow puppets, and perennial favorite – sand art. Enjoy live art demonstrations and musical performances. This event is free for the whole family, handicap accessible, pet friendly and surrounded by ample parking and fantastic restaurants and bars.  Because the festival is held at night on the streets of PC - flashlights and folding chairs are recommended.  The Public Eye Soar mission is to share art of all forms in unexpected places to delight, surprise, educate and inspire our community.

A survey of the wide variety of approaches to contemporary ceramics through the lens of the most accessible vessel- the cup. Juried by Peter Pincus.

Opening Reception: November 15, 5:00- 7:00p.m.

Amelia Center Gallery

Amelia Center Theatre, 7:30p.m.

Free event.

Scholarship donations accepted.