By Zandra Wolfgram
It’s spring! The best time of year for a fresh new start. No one at Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation (MKAF) is more excited to kick off the 2021-2022 season than MKAF’s newly installed CEO, Demetrius Fuller.
The 26th season will be the first full season with Fuller at the helm, who stepped in as MKAF’s CEO at the close of 2020.
“I am enjoying working with our incredible team of staff and board members. It is a great honor to work in tandem toward continuing to realize Mattie Kelly’s vision of an all-encompassing arts hub,” says Fuller.
Art education at the heart of MKAF’s mission, which is exactly why Fuller is thrilled to have MKAF’s outreach efforts in the capable hands of education director Melanie Moore. At Fuller’s urging, Moore has curated more than double the previous years’ community outreach programs (108 and counting!). Coined ArtsReach, it provides hands-on art, theater and music education programs designed especially for K-12 students, children and adults with special needs, as well as veteran and active-duty military service members.
“Were so fortunate to have somebody of Melanie’s education and arts pedigree to lead the charge for us on outreach, which is essentially the product of Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation,” Fuller says.
Most ArtsReach programs happen in Walton and Okaloosa county schools or in private sessions with community partners, but on April 14 the general public will get a rare glimpse of MKAF’s inventive ArtReach programs when it hosts artist/magician Kevin Spencer performing Hocus Focus, a multi-discipline education program that inspires learning through magic, during MKAF’s annual Arts Guild Luncheon at the newly opened Hotel Effie.
As a musician and the maestro of Sinfonia Gulf Coast, Fuller is especially thrilled to resume an annual classic—Concerts in the Village. This favorite al fresco tradition of gathering with friends and family in the Cultural Arts Village to enjoy live music will once again roll out a full roster of regional musicians and tribute bands performing live on stage each Thursday evening from April 29 through June 24.
“This is such a wonderful way to enjoy live music,” says Fuller. “We have a great line up that really does offer something for everyone. For the most part, I think everybody is ready to be social again and this is a great way to that—and it can be done safely.”
But first the highly-anticipated spring kick-off concert …
If Fuller wanted to wow music lovers and get them on their feet, he’s found a royal way to do that with The Music of Queen on April 22. In this rhapsodic version, members of the Sinfonia Gulf Coast symphony will perform live on stage with the tribute band, ensuring that this must-see musical concert “will rock you!”
“First and foremost, Queen is amazing music. They simply produced some of the best rock and roll music that exists,” Fuller says. “I’ve always wanted to do this particular production and with the band’s re-popularization thanks to the release of the film “Bohemian Rapsody” and the band’s 50th anniversary in 2021, it just seemed like a perfect time.”
Another hip happening this spring is the Artful Dining series, which kicks off with a culinary arts dinner at Vintij Food & Wine on May 25. This series of special food and wine dinners and walkabouts celebrates the local culinary arts and benefits MKAF, making it a delicious win-win.
“We want to up the fun factor in all we do, so we are now calling these “FUN-draisers,”” says Fuller.
First on Fuller’s list is growing MKAF’s reach. In addition to expanding ArtReach to more partners and more diverse audiences, Fuller is excited to build new audiences through a revamped membership program.
“Our new tagline is Membership Keeps Arts FUN-ded. Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation was initially started from the Arts Guild Lunch and evolved into the huge support system of volunteers, patrons and sponsors we have today. Membership is the backbone of MKAF and a direct tie to the community. Taking part as an individual member helps to support the arts education and outreach that Mattie Kelly is known for. Membership is affordable and the benefits are fun. Where else can you spend $150 and get access to 15 concerts, Festival of the Arts passes and more? You just can’t.”
For the latest details on MKAF to be the first hear about events, art programs and offerings, visit the website and join the MKAF mailing list.
