Cultural Opportunities

Okaloosa County offers an eclectic array of cultural opportunities as diverse as the county’s populace. A variety of cultural opportunities are available, including theater, choral and instrumental groups, art galleries, and much more. From the casual to the dazzling, there is something to suit every taste.

The Arts Center at Okaloosa-Walton College...Northwest Florida's Premier Arts Complex - The Arts Center at OWC is the region’s showplace for outstanding entertainment in the
fine and performing arts. The Arts Center brings to the local community Broadway’s best touring shows, innovative Artist series events, music and performance art of all genres. The Arts Center is located on the Niceville campus of Okaloosa-Walton College at 100 College Blvd, just minutes from Destin and Fort Walton Beach.

Now commemorating its tenth year, The Arts Center is a $25 million, 12-acre complex featuring: the Mainstage Theater, seating up to 1,650; the Sprint Theater, a 200-seat flexible theater; Tyler Recital Hall; a music wing; dance studio and a visual arts building. The center’s newest addition is the OWC Amphitheater which accommodates up to 3,500 people for outdoor concerts and events.

The Arts Center’s art wing houses two free, public art galleries-- the McIlroy and Holzhauer Galleries, which each year showcase up to 12 exhibits of artists recognized at the international, national or regional levels.

The Arts Center is the home of the Humanities, Fine and Performing Arts Division of OWC. In its classrooms, rehearsal halls, and studios, students learn, practice and formulate practical skills for their fine arts studies. Last year, students of this division received more than $55,000 in scholarships. Several student performing groups flourish here including the OWC Showchoir and Danceline, the OWC/UWF Jazz Band, the Madrigal Singers and Schola Cantorum.

The Arts Center is also the home venue of the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra which is the premier, professional symphony of the Emerald Coast.

In 2002, Florida Leader Magazine awarded the complex “Best Arts Center” citing it as “a facility that rivals any large university arts center…truly a showpiece for the entire community.” For more information about programs and performances at The Arts Center, call the box office at 850-729-6000 or visit www.owc.edu/arts.

The Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation - was established in 1995 to provide resources for the promotion of the Arts in Okaloosa and Walton Counties through cultural events and educational opportunities.

As one of Okaloosa County’s pioneer residents, Mattie May Kelly (1912-1992), harbored a passion for the arts and education. She underscored that conviction with a 52-acre parcel of property to develop a cultural arts center, the Mattie Kelly Cultural Arts Village located in the heart of Destin to serve Northwest Florida.

In 2005, the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation was honored by the Florida Department of Education with the Commissioner’s Business Recognition Award for All Kinds of Art, a children’s educational outreach program. This distinctive state award acknowledged a long-standing partnership with Okaloosa County School District for school-based and summer camp programs. Currently, All Kinds of Art is reaching 19 elementary and middle schools in Okaloosa and Walton Counties with live touring performances, in-school, after-school and summer camp art instruction for the performing, visual and literary arts.

The Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation presents over ten cultural events each season, including Concerts in the Park, free summer concerts at Kelly Plantation, annual fall musical or theatrical production at The Okaloosa-Walton Collage Arts Center, Destin Festival of the Arts, a fall juried fine art show at Henderson Beach State Park, Sounds of the Season, an annual holiday concert and Timeless Treasures, an art and antique appraisal fair.

Stage Crafters Community Theater, Inc. - has developed a well-deserved reputation for quality theater and audience appeal. They produce at least four shows per season and offer a variety of music, comedy, drama and mystery. Membership and auditions are open to the public. (243-1101)

Northwest Florida Ballet - is one of the oldest arts organizations on the Gulf Coast. A regional ballet company mounting 3 to 4 major productions each year, NFB also trains over 350 students in studios in Fort Walton Beach and Pensacola in all levels of ballet, jazz, modern dance, and Pilates.

In 2002 Northwest Florida launched the NFB Académie, a free public school for boys and girls, which combines core academic subjects with intensive ballet training, French, art and music. The program has been extremely successful and now comprises grades 3 through 6. NFB Académie students’ FCAT scores have been among the highest in the State every year the school has existed.

Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra - is the premier, professional symphony of the region with 65+ professional musicians. The NFSO offers the highest quality of standard classical and new orchestral repertoire to the growing and diverse population of Northwest Florida.

The NFSO presents six concerts per season in the Mainstage Theater of The Arts Center at OWC and presents other musical events throughout the community including Chamber Orchestra concerts and an outdoor Pops concert.

Now celebrating its 20th year, the ensemble strives to deliver artistically interpretive performances that please avid arts patrons as well as those new to the orchestral experience. Through the artistry of its professional musicians, renowned guest artists, and exhilarating performances, the NFSO has become one of the most important musical organizations along the Southern Coast.

The NFSO is an affiliate organization of Okaloosa-Walton College. For more information or to purchase tickets, call The Arts Center box office at 729-6000, or visit www.nfsymphony.org or  www.owc.edu/arts.

Niceville’s Ballet Conservatory - in Bluewater Bay provides instruction in many of the performing arts venues. Piano, guitar and voice lessons are provided as well as Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Tap and Hip Hop. Acting workshops and guest artists are also incorporated into the curriculum. The Ballet Conservatory presently hosts Dance Theatre of Northwest Florida’s auditions and rehearsals. For more information call 897-2933.

Northwest Florida Symphony Chorus - Members of the local community participate in the Northwest Florida Symphony Chorus which performs classical selections twice per season with the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra at The Arts Center at Okaloosa-Walton College and at other events. The chorus is directed by Lois Van Dam who also teaches piano and voice at OWC. For more information, contact Van Dam at vandaml@owc.edu.