Blogs

By Zandra Wolfgram Ten years ago, Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation launched a groundbreaking ArtsReach initiative built around a simple but powerful idea: Art has the power to heal. Today, Warrior Arts continues to connect active-duty military service members, veterans and their families with the transformative power of creativity. Founded in 2016 by Melanie Moore, MKAF’s […]

A Festival Dream Comes Full Circle for Panama City Beach Artist By Zandra Wolfgram When Jamie Babula first attended the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation Festival of the Arts at age 16, she remembers looking at the artists and dreaming that one day she might exhibit her own work there. Twenty-eight years later, that dream has […]

Free concerts. Early entry. Great art. And the chance to keep the arts FUN-ded By Zandra Wolfgram Supporting the arts has its perks — and when you’re a Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation member, there are plenty of them. Membership starts at just $75, lasts a full year from the date you join and helps MKAF […]

The Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation (MKAF) is proud to announce Niceville-based oil painter Kathy Schumacher as the official poster artist for the 30th Annual Festival of the Arts. This milestone event kicks off Friday, October 24 with the Arty Kickoff Party, followed by the festival weekend October 25–26 at the Mattie Kelly Cultural Arts Village […]

Melanie Moore Reflects on ArtsReach, Access, and a Creative Future By Zandra Wolfgram When Melanie Moore first joined the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation (MKAF) in 2015, she had a handful of outreach programs, a few local school connections, and a big vision. A decade later, Moore, now the foundation’s director of education and community engagement, […]

MKAF celebrates Mental Health Month with a $10,000 boost for its life-changing arts education programs By Zandra Wolfgram May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and for the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation (MKAF), it’s a powerful reminder of how creativity and compassion intersect. Through its signature ArtsReach program, MKAF brings high-quality arts education directly to K-12 […]

By Zandra Wolfgram The stage is set, the guitars are tuned, and we’re adding a little extra soul to spring in Destin. Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation is thrilled to announce a just-added performance to its Concerts in the Village series — the internationally acclaimed blues-rock artist Kara Grainger will perform Thursday, May 8, at the […]

Black Jacket Symphony Brings Journey’s ‘Escape’ to Life May 1  If you’re ready to relive the golden era of arena rock, mark your calendars for Wednesday, May 1, as Black Jacket Symphony takes the stage at the Dugas Pavilion in Destin to perform Journey’s iconic album, Escape, in its entirety. Part of the Mattie Kelly […]

By Zandra Wolfgram  As the days grow longer and the Emerald Coast comes alive with springtime energy, Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation invites you to experience one of Northwest Florida’s most anticipated events: Concerts in the Village. Recently named one of the “Top 10 Things to Do” by The Florida Travel Guide, this beloved 10-concert series […]

By Zandra Wolfgram Artist Kelly Pierre hails from South Louisiana’s vibrant culture, where his Cajun French-speaking family owned shrimp boats. Summers spent learning the shrimping business along the Gulf Coast deeply connected him to the seafood industry. “I got to touch and hold all kinds of marine life. They are beautiful and amazing, and I […]