The Joe to debut artist teaching exhibit
This winter, The Joe Center for the Arts has invited 16 prominent regional artists and photographers to Port St. Joe to share their craft with the Forgotten Coast community. The Joe invites the public to immerse themselves in “Step Into My Studio,” a one-of-a-kind exhibition where the boundaries between artist and audience blur, offering visitors a chance to both view art and participate in the creative process.
Featured at events during the three-week long program will be topics that include creative writing, art journaling, fused glass art, photography, mosaic garden stone, gyotaku (fish printing), building an earring bar, oils and watercolors, acrylic layered landscape collage, encaustics, palette knife painting, mixed media, color wheel and printmaking.
Opening reception for the exhibition is Friday, Jan. 17 at 6 p.m. ET at The Joe. The exhibit will explore several art mediums featuring the artists’ latest works and provide attendees a behind-the-scenes look at their working methods. The exhibit will highlight live art-making demonstrations, interactive sessions, and smaller, personalized workshops designed to foster a deeper understanding of the artistic process.
Interactive classes will be hosted throughout the exhibit, enabling participants to create their own art alongside the artist, to learn new skills, and to experiment with different mediums in hands-on classes. Fees range from $30 to $150, with a two-day class on Layered Landscapes in Acrylic and Collage priced at $300.
As part of Curate, a free artist visionary series, artists will engage in open conversations with attendees, sharing their artistic journey, inspiration, and thoughts on the future of their art. Curate will open at The Joe on Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 1 p.m. with fused glass artist Ronna Del Valle; followed by blacksmith Tyler Freeman on Friday, Feb. 7 at 5 p.m.; fused glass artist Gretchen Mays on Monday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m.; and oil and mixed media artist Robin Popp on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 5 p.m.
As part of the First Friday program on Feb. 7, there will be free live art demonstrations where visitors can observe artists at work, providing insight into techniques, tools, and concepts that drive their creative practice.
Featured artists include Estelle Grengs, Aimee VanGelder, Emerald Coast Storytellers, Stephen Teekell, Cyndi Lanier, Lisa Seger, Marcy Trahan, Mel Elum, Claire Ratliff, Cheryl Ploegstra, Karen Mack, Colleen Cleek, Jane Kirk, Michelle Burkett, Del Valle and Popp.
All established artists are known for their innovative approaches to their mediums and styles,” said Linda Matela, art education chair and Step Into My Studio curator lead. “With years of experience and a rich history of exhibitions and teaching, this group of artists brings both expertise and passion to this exhibit, creating an interactive and accessible art experience for all.”
Exhibit hours at The Joe Center for the Arts, 201 Reid Avenue, Port St. Joe are Wednesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Exhibit is free. Register for the fee-based classes through the Step Into My Studio 2025 tab at www.thejoecenter.org. Closing date is Friday, Feb. 14.
Meet the Editor
David Adlerstein, The Apalachicola Times’ digital editor, started with the news outlet in January 2002 as a reporter.
Prior to then, David Adlerstein began as a newspaperman with a small Boston weekly, after graduating magna cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He later edited the weekly Bellville Times, and as business reporter for the daily Marion Star, both not far from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
In 1995, he moved to South Florida, and worked as a business reporter and editor of Medical Business newspaper. In Jan. 2002, he began with the Apalachicola Times, first as reporter and later as editor, and in Oct. 2020, also began editing the Port St. Joe Star.