Beaux Arts Ball returns

WALTON COUNTY, FL – The Cultural Arts Association (CAA) of Walton County has partnered with Grand Boulevard at Sandestin to bring back the Beaux Arts Ball  as a fundraiser for the CAA, along with Sinfonia Gulf Coast and the Seaside Repertory Theatre. 

The Ball will take place Friday, Sept. 25 at Grand Boulevard’s Grand Park with an Artist Market following on Saturday, Sept. 26. 
           
In researching CAA archives, Executive Director Jennifer Steele Saunders found newspaper clippings from 1992, which is believed to have been the first Beaux Arts Ball that raised money for student scholarships. The CAA Board agreed with Saunders that this event should be brought back to life in order to ensure the long term health of the arts in Walton County. 

Grand Boulevard graciously offered to partner on the project, offering the use of the beautiful Grand Park for the event to take place. 

Historically, the Beaux Arts Ball (pronounced boze) was a wild and zany event where guests dressed in anything from Mardi Gras style costumes to formal wear. The dress for this year’s Ball will be masked and casually chic; costumes are optional. 

Decorated masks will be available for purchase for $10-$15 at the Ball or beforehand at these outlets:

• Tracery in Rosemary Beach
• Eileen West Gallery in Seaside’s Ruskin Place
• CAA office in Blue Mountain Beach
• Grand Boulevard Guest Services kiosk
• Kitchenique in Destin 

Tickets are $44 a person and can be purchased online at CulturalArtsAssociation.com or at one of the above mentioned businesses.
 
The purveyors of cuisine and spirits for the Ball include the signature restaurants of Grand Boulevard and one special guest. They are:

• P.F. Chang’s China Bistro
• Tommy Bahama’s Tropical Café
• Cantina Laredo Mexican Gourmet
• Mitchell’s Fish Market
• Emerald Coast Coffee & Grille

Cash bars will offer signature cocktails, beer and wine. Funky music and dancing will be a focal point of the Beaux Arts Ball, along with a silent and live auction of art donated by the artists participating in the Beaux Arts Artist Market the following day.

Artist Market
The Artist Market will be held Saturday, Sept. 26 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on the North Lawn in Grand Boulevard where fifty local artists will exhibit and sell their work. The Artist Market is free and open to the public.

Artists interested in applying to exhibit at the Beaux Arts Artist Market or businesses interested in providing cash or in-kind sponsorship should contact the CAA at CulturalArtsED@embarqmail.com or 850-622-5970.