Visual Arts Center of Northwest Florida

ATTENTION: If you have signed up for membership through our website prior to June 10th and have not received a membership packet in the mail, please contact us via email or phone.  Due to website error, we have not received your information or charged your credit card.  Thank you for your understanding and support.

21st Faces & Facets Photography Competition Coming Soon!

Click here for details!

19 E.4th Street, Panama City, FL • 850.769.4451

Hours:  Tuesday & Thursday 10am - 8pm
Wednesday • Friday • Saturday 10am - 6pm
Sunday 1pm - 5pm

Closed on Mondays

The Visual Arts Center of Northwest Florida credits its beginning to 17 artists who formed an association in 1955 for the purpose of exhibiting and promoting the visual arts in Bay County. The early group was known as the Panama City Art Group. In 1963, the name was changed to the Panama City Art Association. Members played a vital role in the cultural development of the community, lobbying for art teachers in elementary schools, placing artists in residence, teaching studio art courses, and installing art exhibits at the Bay County Fair Grounds, Junior Museum, Panama City Mall and the Marina Civic Center.

In 1986, the Panama City Art Association and the Downtown Improvement Board received a $700,000 grant to renovate the old Panama City Hall and Jail (located in the heart of downtown Panama City) and transform it into permanent gallery space. The newly remodeled building was christened the Visual Arts Center of Northwest Florida, and opened its doors in 1988 as the only museum-quality exhibition space between Pensacola and Tallahassee. The Panama Art Association secured salary assistance from the Division of Cultural Affairs and hired the first director in 1989. Exhibits of local art were scheduled monthly while the organization adjusted to the demands of running a cultural facility.

The original building was built in 1925 in Spanish Revival style. There are also areas of Art Deco, which is described as a decorative combination of Neo-Classical, Gothic and Baroque features. The stucco on the outside of the building has many pieces of multi-colored glass. Buildings of the 1920s were often covered with polychrome (many colored) glazed tile. Few buildings remain with this type of stucco; the Visual Arts Center is thought to be the only one in Florida.

The building façade is a key element, with Greek columns, Corinthian capitals, a Roman arch with a false gable and a Spanish terra cotta tile roof. The cornucopia and scroll represent wishes for a bountiful harvest.

The new addition to the building houses the entrance foyer, elevator and beautiful Art Deco style stairway. This stairway sweeps up to the Main Gallery. Glass blocks are used on the outside wall of the stair, allowing good light for exhibits.

Education is a priority of the Visual Arts Center, the only museum of its kind within 100 miles. The staff and volunteers understand the importance of daily educational programs. The VAC offers educational programs and services such as:

· The hands-on Impressions Gallery for children.

· Drawing, painting, photography, pottery and sculpture classes for adults.

· Year-round intensive studio workshops for mature artists.

· Summer youth art programs for elementary and middle school students.

Through weekend and evening hours, the VAC offers opportunities for people of all incomes and schedules to visit and participate in our programs.

Panama City is recognized as one of America's 100 Best Small Art Towns and the Visual Arts Center has a unique responsibility to the community to maintain its status as a cultural arts leader in Northwest Florida. With the help of a dedicated staff and volunteers, we strive to meet this goal each year.