Find a creative way to spend Saturday
PANAMA CITY - Why keep your creativity all to yourself? A Day of Arts in the Park is the perfect opportunity to share it with the community. The only limits to your creativity are that it must be family-friendly.
"Anything creative, anything," said Jim Dodge Jr. He said he wanted to do something for the community, and the Saturday event benefits the Bay County Council on Aging.
But Dodge knew he needed to enlist the help of another creative force, so he chose Heather Clements of The Gallery Above on Harrison Avenue to co-sponsor the event. The Gallery Above is well-known in Panama City and artists' circles, and Clements had the contacts.
The Panama City Roller Derby, also a sponsor, will have an art auction throughout the day to benefit the Council on Aging. As it turns out, some of the roller derby girls are artists as well.
In addition to playing in the band Uncle Redwood, Dodge does some writing as well, which includes a few selfpublished works.
Anyone who has been to The Gallery Above has seen Clements' art decorating the wall. "My whole goal is spreading the arts in any way I can," she said.
Dodge and his family have been involved in the Celebration of Diversity and Earth Day, but he found those events more limited to the inclusion of creative work. "This event is more my vision of diversity," he said.
Whom might you see at the festival? "Anyone who has a vision, plays a song, bakes something," Dodge said.
As of Friday, Aug. 29, scheduled participants included Panama City Artists, Heather Parker of Art Coop, Paulette Pearlman and her infamous mermaid-mobile, Matty Jankowski, Envisions, Sylvia Vanhorn at Artists Within and Shakes by the Bay.
Improv will go on all day. Scott Bazar of the band Disco Vato will perform his experimental noise, such as instruments from his toolbox. Guitarist Clay Wambo also will play.
Readers include poet Dawn Jackson of Ponce de Leon.
"She's a folklore library in her head," Dodge said.
If you haven't signed up, it's not too late.
"People can walk up the day of the event, hand me the form and give me $10," Dodge said.
Gaston's Hideaway will bring out its rolling barbecue pit for burgers and hot dogs.
"Most of the people I'm going after are individuals, the artistic underground," Dodge said. "I tried to get people that otherwise may not have had a voice or forum. I'm one of those people myself."
And if the stage is not taken, consider it open mic.