Artist of the Year collaboration showing throughout July

The Walton County Tourist Development Council presents an Artist of the Year Collaboration featuring 2008 Artist of the Year Donna Burgess along with previous artists of the year Bill Stephenson, 2007; Phil Kiser, 2006; Justin Gaffrey, 2005; Susan Lucas, 2004; and Dorothy Starbuck, 2003. The artwork is on exhibit during July at The Market Shops at Sandestin in Suite 23 across from The Donna Burgess Gallery. The exhibit features a diverse array of art as the artists showcase signature pieces as well as new pieces.
Burgess captures the beauty and joy of coastal life through multi-media interpretations and award-winning festival art. Her signature designs feature scenes of tin-roof beach cottages, animals and children at play, and whimsical marine creatures.   
Stephenson has been a woodturner and a student of woodturning for nearly 20 years. His approach to designing the turned object is to create a blend of the aesthetics inherent to the wood coupled with an expression of the underlying art form.  
Kiser's artwork consists of hundreds of hand-cut pieces of glass carefully laid together to catch the light. His creations reflect the arts, architecture, beach and natural beauty of Walton County.  
Gaffrey's style of painting is predominately impasto acrylics of landscapes portraying places he has visited, dreamed about or imaginary places he would like to exist. Bold colors create intense images in his artwork.
Lucas shares emotion, knowledge and experience about what she sees and feels about a place. Accomplished working in acrylics, she paints landscapes that celebrate nature while using it as a metaphor.
Starbuck's paintings mirror the beauty, color and tranquility in the hundreds of tropical landscapes unique to Florida. Determination, continuous study, imagination and a desire to excel are what enable her to paint as she does.
For more information regarding these artists visit their Web page under the Arts & Culture section at www.beachesofsouthwalton.com. To find out more about the Artist of the Year program contact Tiffany McCaskill at (850) 267-1216 or tmccaskill@beachesofsouthwalton.com.