Dec 21, 2023

If you’re looking for a fun family activity in downtown Panama City, Florida, take an afternoon trip to the Panama City Center for the Arts. This is more than just an art exhibition — the Center provides a range of activities that change on a frequent basis, making it worthwhile to visit more than just once. The Center is in the heart of the historic district, and it’s only a seven-minute drive from Panama City Toyota. If you’re looking for an engaging and enlightening experience, head to the Panama City Center for the Arts today.

What Is The Panama City Center For The Arts?

Image via Pixabay by Hermann

The Panama City Center for the Arts is an active facility that hosts fine art shows, events, and classes. The Center sits in the historic district of downtown Panama City, Florida, and it’s in what once was the city’s first city hall.

The Panama City Center for the Arts aims to provide an up-close and personal look at art in all of its forms — from paintings, drawings, and photography to film, music, and writing. The Center’s goal is to connect visitors from all over the nation with artistic expression, and best of all, admission is free. When you visit the Panama City Center for the Arts, you’ll enjoy amazing learning opportunities along with some exciting events.

The Center is also home to a variety of different amenities, including a cafe, classrooms, four separate art galleries, and a theater. With so many unique features to explore, you’ll need a whole day devoted to enjoying everything the Center has to offer.

What Makes The Panama City Center For The Arts So Unique?

The Panama City Center for the Arts is more than just an art museum in Panama City, Florida. It’s a place where art comes to life through innovative exploration, group events, and classes that focus on development, skills, and art appreciation. Some of the Center’s most unique aspects include four galleries within the Main, Higby, Miller, and Cafe halls, where the staff changes out each gallery nearly every month. This means you’ll get to explore more than 30 distinct exhibitions throughout the year, making the Center the perfect place to return to again and again.

In addition to the continuously changing exhibitions, there are plenty of events, educational opportunities, and fun group activities that you can enjoy all year. The Center strives to provide a unique experience through its exhibitions and activities, so there’s something here for everyone in the family to enjoy.

Events, Classes, And Group Offerings

The Panama City Center for the Arts holds frequent events, and just like the exhibitions, they change from month to month. Some of the most exciting events include openings and introductions to new exhibits at the Center, book talks and discussions, music concerts, and walking tours of historic downtown Panama City.

The Center hosts a variety of art classes for painting, drawing, pottery, writing, and more. The schedule changes throughout the year, so if you’re interested in learning a new art technique and developing your skills, check with the Center to get an idea of what’s going on and when. If you’re planning to enjoy all of the classes the Center provides, you can always opt for a full membership, which gives you discounts on classes and different events.

If you’re looking for events for your kids to enjoy, there are a lot of great activities to choose from, including cupcake decorating, daisy painting, papercraft creations, and more. The Center also hosts live streaming events and educational opportunities.

The Panama City Center for the Arts is also available to rent out for special occasions. It’s perfect for birthday parties, work gatherings, weddings and receptions, and other fun events. They have two floors, three galleries, a kids’ art studio, and a paint room all available to rent for whatever activities you want to plan.

Seasonal Attractions And Up-And-Coming Artists

One of the Panama City Center for the Arts’ most popular seasonal offerings is its summer art camp, where kids can spend a week participating in a variety of art projects, learning opportunities, and social events. The summer program is designed to give kids a more in-depth look into some of the fundamentals of art, including painting techniques, sketching, and constructing and sculpting. Since the summer program hosts two separate time slots per day, you can choose between morning and afternoon sessions to find a time that will fit into your schedule.

Other seasonal events occur throughout the year as well, including fall and winter-themed exhibitions and activities, like the Center’s Haunted Walking Tour. This exciting event takes visitors on a haunted tour throughout the historic district of Panama City to learn about the history of the area, including its ghostly inhabitants. This makes a great family activity in the fall.

Up-and-coming artists also make time to stop into the Center to showcase their artwork, participate in speaking events, and educate patrons on the elements of their work. You can also come by for an insightful discussion and talking series to hear from authors and writers of diverse backgrounds. These authors visit the Center to educate, inform, and entertain visitors about their books and the process of writing. So, if you’re looking for some inspiration from a best-seller, the Panama City Center for the Arts provides a well-rounded list of speaking events.

The Panama City Center for the Arts is truly a unique destination for art enthusiasts and aspiring artists alike. With available classes and educational opportunities that are great for people of all ages, the Center has become a beacon of artistic expression not just in the local area but in the South as a whole. Patrons from all over the country visit the Center, even just for a concert and a cup of coffee in the cafe.

If you’ve visited the Panama City Center for the Arts and have a unique event or experience you’d like to share, contact Panama City Toyota so we can add it to the Center’s list of highlights!