Welcome

to the Mattie Kelly Arts Center Galleries

The Mattie Kelly Arts Center Galleries comprise two adjoining galleries which together showcase about six to 12 different international, national and regional exhibitions each year. The Galleries also host gallery talks, workshops, and other related events.

In addition to works from visiting artists, the Galleries host two annual juried exhibitions — the Arnie Hart Juried Student Exhibition, a competition for Northwest Florida State College student artists, as well as the Emerald Coast National Juried Fine Arts Exhibition, which is open to artists from all over the United States. The NWF State College Permanent Collection is featured in annual winter and summer exhibitions. For more information about these exhibitions, please contact Galleries Director KC Williams at artgalleries@nwfsc.edu.

Event Schedule →

Call to Artists →

26th Emerald Coast National Juried Fine Arts Exhibition, 2018

Various Artists

Current Exhibitions

In the McIlroy, Holzhauer & Corridor Galleries

AQUIFERious

AQUIFERious is curated by Margaret Ross Tolbert, and is based on her award-winning book by the same title. The exhibition will juxtapose Tolbert’s dramatic, large-scale springs paintings and eloquent poetry with contributing artists’ and scientists’ photographs, videos, cartography and writings. The exhibition will feature contributions from Margaret Ross Tolbert, Jill Heinerth, Eric Hutcheson, Mark Long, Tom Morris and Georgia Shemitz.

Over the past 25 years, these artists have worked to document some of the springs’ unique features. They emphasize the urgent need for the preservation of Florida’s freshwater springs and the Floridian Aquifer that feeds them.

Among the most remarkable natural wonders of the Sunshine State is the seldom-seen, underground Floridian aquifer system, a 100,000 square mile life force that reaches into neighboring states and feeds more than 1,000 freshwater springs throughout Florida. AQUIFERious is intended to give the audience a greater understanding and appreciation of Florida’s subterranean water system, while celebrating its extraordinary beauty and that of the fragile springs that arise from the system’s depths.

Artists interested in showcasing their work at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center should view our current Call to Artists →

Fusion

Margaret Schnebly Hodge

Now on View

Spirit Figure

Sublette New Guinea Collection

Permanent Collection

The Mattie Kelly Arts Center Galleries house a world-class, multi-million dollar permanent collection assembled since the founding of NWF State College (then Okaloosa-Walton Junior College) in 1963. Selections from the Permanent Collection are displayed in the Galleries at least twice per year, during the Summer Highlight and Holiday Spotlight. More than 1,000 artworks make up this teaching collection, which includes multiple sub-collections.

Learn more about our permanent collection →

About the Galleries

McIlroy Gallery

The beautiful and expansive McIlroy Gallery features an 18-foot ceiling constructed with screened windows, allowing in diffused natural light. This gallery was a gift from the McIlroy family through the NWF State College Foundation.

Holzhauer Gallery

The pristine Holzhauer Gallery was named after famed artist Emil Holzhauer, who generously donated a multi-million dollar permanent collection of his works to NWF State College. The Holzhauer gallery is an intimate room for exhibiting our guest artists’ work.

Frequently Asked Questions

What hours are the galleries open to the public?

Our hours of operation are Monday to Friday, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm (CST), and 90 minutes prior to most performances in the Mainstage theater (generally 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.) We are closed most holidays.

Can we take photos or video inside the galleries?

No, out of courtesy to the artists, we do not allow photography or videography inside of the galleries unless given explicit permission by the artist.

Can I display my work in the galleries?

At the Mattie Kelly Arts Center Galleries, we are proud to display exhibitions from acclaimed artists from around the world.

While we don’t rent our galleries to the general public for personal exhibitions, we do offer juried art competitions each year that give contest winners the opportunity to display their work in a solo exhibition. To submit your work, fill out the Call to Artists application.

Can I bring food or beverages inside the galleries?

Sorry, but no food or beverages are allowed inside of the galleries. There are water fountains located near the restrooms for you convenience.