ORANGE BEACH, Ala. -- Since the 1970s, the Festival of the Art has been the Gulf Coast's first rite of spring. 

The Festival is a celebration of the visual, performing, literary, music and culinary arts. The Festival of the Art took place March 11-12 at the Orange Beach Arts Center's campus and the beautiful Waterfront Park which adjoins the property of the art center.

“This was absolutely the best show festival ever! The weather was not perfect but it did not keep our visitors away,” Wanda Price, the festival director said. “Approximately 18,000 people from all over the country attended this year’s art festival here in Orange Beach. There were 85 different artists that participated in this year’s event—making it the largest ever.”

At least seven local restaurants were in attendance. The restaurants included Flippers at Bear Point, Cosmos of Canal Road, Moe’s’, Hopes Cheesecake in Gulf Shores, Shipp’s Harbor, The Tin Top and The Dog House were present at this event, each providing varieties of their specialties, demonstrations and samples.

“Our appreciation goes out to all of our local restaurants who come out and supported our efforts,” Price said. “We seemed to have more out on town guest this year than in years past.

“We were extremely honored to have Carlyn Ray, an expert glass blowing designer from Texas in attendance this year’s event as well. Carlyn studied under the world-famous glass renowned glass designer, Dale Chihuly. From her years of study, she brought unique workmanship and specialized techniques here to our island home.”

Also, Chihuly's vibrantly colored, organic glass creations were immediately recognizable. His technical innovations enabled the production of a tremendous range of patterns, colors and textures. Among his several extended series were blankets, for which he used cylindrical forms covered with patterns derived from Native American blankets; Seaforms, shapes evoking sea urchins, shells, and other marine life; and Chandeliers, large-scale hanging sculptures illuminated by natural light sources.

Variations in scale made it possible for onlookers to experience his pieces as intimate personal objects or to be completely immersed in them, as in his prismatic interior installations in a variety of public spaces.

Notable among the latter was a ceiling sculpture made of more than 2,000 hand-blown floral shapes, installed in the lobby of the Bellagio Resort in Las Vegas; and the Light of Jerusalem project (1999–2000), a large-scale exhibition in the courtyard of the Tower of David Museum that dramatically juxtaposed more than a dozen of Chihuly's glass installations with the timeworn, rough-textured stone of the ancient site.

In 2010 St. Petersburg Fla. Morean Art Center opened the Chihuly Collection, a space designed by architect Albert Alonso, housing a permanent collection of Chihuly's work. James W. YoodEd. (1)

“People were just simply drawn to The Hot Shop (operated year around on the grounds at the Orange Beach Art Center) to watch the amazing talents of these highly trained glass blowers,” Price said. “If you’ve never had the pleasure or experience or seeing such art being made, please come out and watch them in action, it is truly an amazing thing to watch!”

Photography is always welcome.

The Kids' Art Alley attracted children of all ages. The children’s Art Alley and activities found therein was a hit! Seems no one can resist getting his or her hands in a little wet paint from time to time! The Ally included Hand Build Clay, Rock Painting, Angry Birds, Shell Art Boxes, 24ft. Graffiti Wall, Sock Puppets and Tannehill School of Blacksmithing.

Children designed cast iron tiles using simple sand molds. Metal artists filled the completed molds with fiery, molten metal while children watched intensely, hearing the machinery and smelling the furnace at work. As the metal cools it hardens into a cast iron tile and the children took their individual pieces home.

But fun’s not over at the art center.

The EMERGING ARTISTS EXHIBIT will be held May 4 - July 14 with an opening reception May 4 at the Orange Beach Art Center.

Also, The Friends of the Arts, Inc. is a private non-profit organization providing financial and volunteer support for the Orange Beach Center’s programs including the Orange Beach Festival of Art. Become a Friend; the group is always open to new members who enjoy the benefits and the satisfaction of supporting the arts. For more, call 251-981-2787.