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ARTS AND CULTURE
Inspired by this beach communities’ soothing ambiance, artists of all mediums are drawn to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, where they perfect their trades and enrich the lives of both guests and residents through the exposure of visual, musical, literary and performing arts.
The
South Baldwin Community Theater (SBCT) has introduced residents and visitors of the Alabama Gulf Coast to a unique blend of musicals, acoustic concerts and plays since this non-profit was founded in 1972. Members of the SBCT are as diverse as the variety of performing arts showcased at this charming and recently renovated facility. A sample of past productions includes Steel Magnolias, The Sound of Music, All Through the House, Nunsensations and The MouseTrap. For more information, visit
www.sbct.biz.
Also for a six-weeks in the summer, the theater and dance students from the University of Alabama descend upon the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area for
SummerTide Theater. In addition to daily evening performances and several weekend matinees, this group also gives back to the local community by hosting a 3-week long theater camp for local students. To see what’s play this upcoming summer and for a detail schedule and ticket prices, visit
www.summertide.org.
The
Orange Beach Arts Center (OBAC) showcases and sells works of art for more than 120 local artists. Free to the public, this collection is housed in the historic Orange Beach Hotel on the shores of Wolf Bay, and guests will see the works of watercolorists, potters, painters, sculptors, glass and textile artists. In 2009, the center became the first and only facility in the state of Alabama to open a public access glass blowing studio. Thanks to a generous donation from Joe Thompson of Bear Creek Glass, The Hot Shop was created. The OBAC offers a variety of classes such as a summer camp for children, a teen pottery class and glassblowing, weaving, painting, pottery and many other classes for adults. Special functions of the center include a dinner concert series and annual juried art festival, which is the first of the season. For more information, visit
www.orangebeachartcenter.com.
Orange Beach also recently welcomed the addition of
Beach CITE (Community Interactive Teaching Experience) that is located in SanRoc Cay Marina and Shopping Center. In 2009, the Camille Schroeder Charitable Foundation provided the initial donation to begin the organization, which become a non-profit shortly thereafter. The group offers classes in a variety of arts, such as dancing, music, painting, sculpture, cooking and creative writing. Individual lessons and group instruction are available. For more information, visit
www.beachcitestudios.org.
Focusing on the art of painting,
My Own Van Gogh studio guides students through the steps of a particular painting while encouraging them to interact with friends and family who are also in attendance and creating a masterpiece. At this unique art studio, individuals simply select which painting they would like to create. The studio provides the supplies while the budding artist brings friends and goodies to eat and drink. At the end of the night, everyone leaves with a painting that he or she created. This studio was created by self-taught artist Michelle Hirstius and also hosts birthday and bridal parties, date nights, charity drives, organization socials and girls' night out. For more information on this facility - which is located in Wolf Bay Plaza on Canal Road, visit
www.myownvangogh.com.
In addition to these facilities listed above, the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area offers a slew of
private galleries and shops showcasing a large range of local, regional and national artists from every medium. The area is also home to Guy Harvey’s first art gallery in the United States. To see all that this area offers,
click here.
Finally, individuals looking for additional art experiences can make a day trip to the
Eastern Shore Art Center in Fairhope, Ala, or to the
American Sport Art Museum and Archives in Daphne, Ala.
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