Shows & Events
Mattie Kelly Arts Center maintains a jam-packed schedule of performances throughout the year, ranging from national Broadway tours to local college productions.
Fine & Performing Arts College Programs
As a partner of Northwest Florida State College, we proudly host the institution’s Fine & Performing Arts Division.
Community Outreach
At the Arts Center, we believe in the power of music, theater and art to transform lives in the community.
World-class Facilities
The crown jewel of the complex is the two-tiered, 1,650-seat Mainstage Theater which accommodates large-scale Broadway shows. Walls of both lobbies are covered with fossilized Mexican limestone and an Art Deco motif is carried out in the trim, the large chandelier and the grand staircase. The décor is enhanced by an antique piano and organ, both gifts from art patrons.
The theater literally towers over the surrounding area with a ten-story fly tower that stores numerous stage backdrops, lights, riggings and curtains. State-of-the-art lighting and acoustics provide a superb theater experience for patrons. Despite its size, no seat is more than 95 feet from the stage. The main theater stage is 46 feet deep, 100 feet tall, and 65 feet in length.
The Mainstage also features: a computerized main curtain, 400 lighting units including six computer controlled 'Intellabeams,' a 32-channel sound booth, and twin elevators. The orchestra pit at the front apron of the stage can be lowered for an orchestra, raised for additional audience seating or raised to stage level for larger performances.
The 195-seat Sprint Theater is a flexible, "black box" theater for smaller performances that can accommodate several different styles of theater: for a two- to three-sized audience, or theater in the round.
The Sprint Theater features square dimensions (50 feet by 50 feet) and all sections are movable.
The Music Wing features a 24-track digital recording studio, classrooms, individual music instruction rooms, and the acoustically flawless Eva and Donald Tyler Recital Hall.
The music wing also holds a large rehearsal hall, the Dewitt and Else Hardmant Orchestra Hall, where musical ensembles rehearse and perform.
Students enrolled in the Dance program practice their art in a 2,000-square-foot dance studio. Theater students learn all aspects of theater production including lighting, sound, costuming and set design in addition to performance and entertainment.
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.
The NWF State College Amphitheater, completed in 2003, is a perfect venue for outdoor concerts and shows.
Permanent structure seating is available for up to 500 guests right in front of the expansive stage and the grassy, sloped grounds easily accommodate 1,500 more for a total capacity of 2,000 guests.
Several restroom facilities, concession stands and ample parking complete the appeal of the amphitheater for large events.
When commissioned to create an artistic centerpiece for the Mattie Kelly Arts Center, internationally famous sculptor Esther Wertheimer worked in the small Italian community of Pietrasanta for 18 months to produce this inspiring sculpture.
Entitled the Seven Dancers, this nine-foot, bronze sculpture graces the central courtyard of the Mattie Kelly Arts Center, known as the circus.
The sculpture depicts seven dancers - three men, three women and a child - who hold hands to form a circle as they dance, floating above a gently overflowing pool of water. The circle they form is a symbol of never-ending camaraderie and a new hope for peace and harmony. Since the sculpture was installed in 1997, Wertheimer's work has become an icon of the complex.
Venue Information and Policies
Cell Phone, Photography, Videography and Other Electronics
Please turn off cell phones before entering all performance venues.
Unless the artist gives permission, no photography or videography is permitted in the theater.
Children & Infants
All patrons must have a ticket including small children and babies in arms. The only exception is when the event is non-ticketed.
Please monitor children at all times while visiting the Mattie Kelly Arts Center. Students age 16 and under must have adult accompaniment or school chaperones.
Baby strollers and baby carriers are not allowed into the theater. If you must enter the Mattie Kelly Arts Center grounds with these items, please leave them in the lobby until after the performance. (For information on wheelchair accessibility, see Accessibility.)
Food & Drinks
No food or drinks of any kind are allowed inside the theaters with the exception of water. This includes soft drinks, lollipops, baby bottles or sipper cups. Drinks purchased at the lobby bars of the Mainstage or Sprint Theaters must be disposed of prior to entering the theater.
Bags & Backpacks
As a safety precaution, backpacks, satchels or oversized bags are not allowed into the theaters.
Theater Etiquette
Please dress appropriately and remember that theaters tend to be cool in the summer and warm in winter because of temperature control.
Please do not put feet in the seats or on backs of seats.
Patrons should remain seated during performances until intermission or completion of the show. Patrons who leave their seats during a performance will be allowed back into the theater during an appropriate time at the discretion of the House Manager.
Please do not walk through the circus gardens or enter the fountains.
Emergencies
In case of an emergency due to accidents, illness or spills, please inform an Usher or House Manager or NWF State College personnel immediately.
Lost and Found
The Mattie Kelly Arts Center is not responsible for objects lost, stolen or left behind. To check on lost items, call 850-729-6004.
From Fort Walton
- Travel North on SR 85 toward Okaloosa Regional Airport for about eight miles
- Turn left after seeing green sign for the college, at Wolverine Ave., at yellow caution light
- Continue on to stop light intersection of SR 85, continue through onto College Ave.
- Continue for about one mile, second turn on left is the main entrance to NWF State College
From Destin
- From Hwy. 98, turn left on Danny Wuerffel Way at Destin Commons complex
- Continue on to Mid-Bay Bridge
- Continue on to White Point Road until reaching Hwy. 20, John Sims Parkway
- Turn left on Hwy. 20 until reaching Palm Blvd. in center of Niceville, adjacent to Niceville High School
- Turn right on Palm, continue through one stop light until reaching College Blvd.
From I-10 East (Pensacola)
- Take Exit 56, Crestview SR 85
- Travel south on SR 85 for about 18 miles to Niceville city limits
- Turn left on College Blvd. at the college sign
- Turn left after about one mile into main entrance to NWF State College
From I-10 West (Tallahassee)
- Take Exit 70, Niceville SR 285
- Travel south on SR 285 for about 16 miles to Niceville city limits
- Turn right on College Blvd., at the college sign
- Continue 1 mile, second turn on the right is the main entrance to the college
The Mattie Kelly Fine & Performing Arts Center is pleased to accommodate visitors to our facilities who require special assistance or access. All facilities of the complex are wheelchair accessible.
Disabled Parking
Disabled parking spaces, for use with permits, are clearly marked in the front parking lot and in the north parking lots of the Mattie Kelly Arts Center.
Curbside Drop Off
Audience members in wheelchairs, who use walkers or walk with difficulty may be dropped off and picked up at the front circular drive at the main entrance to the arts complex. This point is easily accessible to the Mainstage Theater, Sprint Theater, Tyler Recital Hall and the Galleries.
To access the Amphitheater, special needs audience members can be dropped off near its entrance gate to the north. If additional assistance is needed, please inform box office personnel at the time tickets are purchased.
Wheelchairs
Thanks to the generosity of Twin Cities Pavilion in Niceville, the Mattie Kelly Arts Center has two wheelchairs available for patron use. Please inform the box office personnel at the time tickets are purchased if a wheelchair will be needed.
Elevators
An elevator specifically designed for wheelchairs is available for those needing assistance to reach the orchestra seating in the front of the Mainstage Theater. Please ask an usher or box office personnel for assistance to access the elevator. An elevator is available for the general public to reach the second tier of seating in the Mainstage Theater. It is located to the right when entering the Mainstage Lobby.
Disabled Access Seating
In the Mainstage Theater, at the ends of aisles in orchestra seating, there are seats with arm rests that lift for easier seating for those who can move from wheelchair to seat. Also in the Mainstage, there are wheelchair spaces available in back of the orchestra seats and in the balcony loge.
In the Sprint Theater and Tyler Recital Hall, there are wheelchair spaces available on the floor near ends of the aisles. In the NWF State College Amphitheater, there are designated wheelchair spaces. Ushers are always readily available to help any audience member who might need assistance in getting to a seat.
Assisted Hearing System
Due to generous donations from the Sugar Beach Sertoma Club, the Mainstage Theater has an infrared-emitter, assisted hearing system which enhances hearing for auditory impaired persons. The easy to use system consists of a small battery pack with two ear buds. To take advantage of this free service, just ask box office personnel to assign your seats in the range of the system when purchasing your show tickets.
Our Story
When the $25 million fine and performing arts complex at Northwest Florida State College was under construction, the eyes of the community were focused primarily on the centerpiece of the more than 116,000 square foot facility — the 10-story high Mainstage Theater — which promised to attract nationally touring shows as well as other cultural offerings to the Emerald Coast.
More than twenty years later, the non-profit Mattie Kelly Fine and Performing Arts Center is nearing 2 million patrons who’ve enjoyed hit Broadway shows, touring art exhibits, college theatrical productions, symphony and ballet concerts, and an array of entertainment featuring everyone from Crystal Gayle to Celtic Woman and Jerry Seinfeld to Ed Asner.
Our History
By the Numbers
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May 7, 1994
First event to launch the Arts Center endowment — Ben Vereen performs a fundraising benefit at Sandestin
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October 1995
Art and Music Wings construction completed (instructional Facilities, Art Galleries and Tyler Recital Hall)
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January 1996
First college classes held in Music & Art Wings
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December 1996
Theater Wing completed (Mainstage Theater & Sprint Theater, Frances Smith Herron Dance Studio, Seven Dancers Sculpture Garden/Entrance)
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January 1997
Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra Concert gives the first performance in the Mainstage Theater
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March 2, 1997
First National Touring event in Mainstage Theater — Ben Vereen returns and performs a concert of Broadway music with Leslie Uggams
The History of Mattie Kelly
Back in 1935, the Kelly family settled into the local area and would come to be known as one of Destin’s founding families, known in business circles for their turpentine facility. Even then, at the age of 23, upon moving here with her husband and five children, Mattie Kelly had a genuine passion for the arts. She found a way to cultivate that passion in later years by taking various classes through the Okaloosa Walton Community College (former name of NWF State College) in humanities, painting and drawing. She became somewhat of an artist herself. Even though it was a merely a hobby for her, she enjoyed showing her artistic talents.
She attended all college performances when they were located in the gymnasium, to include summer musicals, student ensemble groups and of course the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra. She never missed a concert under the direction of the Maestro John Leatherwood.
Mattie’s relationship with the college began under the presidency of Dr. McCracken and after his retirement, Dr. James R. Richburg carried on the friendship of this arts matriarch for the region.
Her passion extended beyond the arts, however, as Mattie also cared deeply for her surroundings. It is her legacy, which allows the Mattie Kelly Environmental Institute to continue its research and educate the community, enriching the lives of so many in our area.
Through her generous contributions, Mattie Kelly sowed many seeds, which would prove invaluable to a future generation who could not thank her personally. In recognition of this, the Foundation and Board of Trustees rewarded her posthumously by naming the arts center at Okaloosa Walton Community College the Mattie Kelly Performing Arts Center.
Today, the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation, located in Destin, Florida is an independent not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. We work closely with this group in our joint quest to promote cultural arts along Northwest Florida’s Emerald Coast.
Showcase Your Event
As the largest performing arts complex within the region, the Mattie Kelly Fine & Performing Arts Center at Northwest Florida State College is an ideal venue to showcase visiting talent from all genres and tastes within beautiful, state-of-the-art facilities.
Located Near the Beautiful Emerald Coast
Located just 15 minutes from the tourist destinations of Destin and Fort Walton Beach, the Mattie Kelly Arts Center draws patrons of music, theater, dance and art from the immediate vicinity as well as from the greater Panhandle area served by the college. Marketing surveys from local economic development agencies have shown that this region, known as the Emerald Coast, draws long-term visitors and tourists from throughout the entire Eastern United States.
Contact Us
The Mattie Kelly Arts Center at NWF State College
Administrative Office
100 College Blvd
Niceville, FL 32578
(850) 729-6000
Customer Support: (850) 729-6004
