By Alanna Grayce Campbell, Artful Things Niceville Gallery Manager
More than six months of hard work has finally culminated in the completion of Niceville’s newest piece of public art. Artful Things Niceville, a local staple for fine art, gifts, art supply, custom framing and instruction, is now also the site of a beautiful mural representative of the art and artists within. Now, they want you to help them celebrate it.
Elia Saxer of Shalimar has long been a cornerstone of the Artful Things Niceville family. She has done mural work for a variety of local organizations and businesses, so gallery owner Share Norville knew exactly who to commission as the mural lead. Elia’s design represents the spirit of ATN and the artists and artisans who have been integral parts of the gallery through the years. But, not only is it representative of more than 30 different local artists and artisans – the mural is made up of actual contributions by a variety of award-winning artists. Many of the “paintings” represented on the “walls” of the mural are actual original works by various artists, making this collaborative effort toward public art an even more unusual and significant endeavor.
The mural includes a butterfly and dragonfly, as homages to previous owners Carol and Candice, as well as bees and honeycomb as a representation of our local honey and artisanal beeswax products from Bees on the Bayou. Viewers can also find examples of fine paintings, sculptures, hand-crafted jewelry, and even local authors found within the gallery.
