Living Waters Exhibit Premier is September 11 at Chipola

9/4/08

The public is invited to the premier opening of "Living Waters: Aquatic Preserves of Florida," a multi-media experience of film and photographs, Thursday, Sept. 11, from 6 to 9 p.m., in the Chipola College Arts Center.
The free evening of art, film, music and refreshments, will include discussions and demonstrations by the artists.
The exhibit, which will be on display Sept. 8 through Oct. 10, features photography, film and music inspired by the Florida’s natural waterways, including a collection of 29 fine art photographic images by Clyde Butcher, renowned Florida Everglades photographer, and a screening of the PBS film "Living Waters: Aquatic Preserves of Florida," by documentary film maker Elam Stoltzfus.
For more than a decade, Stoltzfus and his Live Oak Production Group, have captured rare images of natural Florida, with Living Waters winning a coveted Crystal Reel award for excellence. The film showcases a dozen of the state’s 41 aquatic preserves, highlighting their natural and cultural significance.
Michael S. Sole, Secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, says, "Florida is known throughout the world for its lush, watery landscapes. Living Waters emphasizes the more than two million acres of diverse water landscape and coastal areas that are critical to Florida’s future. This award-winning film and exhibit encourage us to be better environmental citizens and gives viewers an intimate look at the unique aquatic preserves of Florida."
Sammy Tedder, a Florida Panhandle music legend, scored the film, weaving sounds of natural instruments he fashioned from swamp reeds for flutes and cypress logs for percussion. Tedder also will perform at the premier.
The traveling museum exhibit is managed by the Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas, Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The exhibit will travel from the GTM Reserve Environmental Education Center in Ponte Verde Beach, FL to Chipola and throughout the South.
The Department of Environmental Protection, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, The Ocean Conservancy and The Gulf of Mexico Foundation supported the film’s production.
The Artists Guild of Northwest Florida, Inc. and the Fine and Performing Arts Department of Chipola College have joined together to bring this exhibit to the Chipola Arts Center. The exhibit is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. School and civic group visits are encouraged to arrange group tours.