Lights, Music, Magic: My First Public Eye SOAR
A Decade of Light, Community, and Creativity on Florida’s Gulf Coast
Public Eye SOAR has been lighting up Panama City since 2014, when founders Margaret Webster and John Daniel launched what was then a small experiment in downtown projection art. In the early years, a few hundred people wandered through alleys and courtyards as bursts of color and digital imagery spilled across brick walls. It was scrappy, creative, and community-driven—something new for a city still building its identity as an arts destination.
The idea caught on quickly. Each year brought more artists, more buildings, and more ambitious installations. And even as Panama City navigated Hurricane Michael and a worldwide pandemic, SOAR kept going. In 2020, the organizers even reimagined the festival as a drive-through experience at the Panama City Mall—a half-mile loop of glowing artwork that locals still talk about. That determination helped the festival earn a reputation for resilience as much as creativity.
Today, Public Eye SOAR spans the entire Gulf Coast State College campus. Academic buildings transform into towering canvases; walkways and courtyards become performance spaces; and international projection art, short films, animation, lasers, and shadow installations fill the night. Over the years, SOAR has showcased work from hundreds of artists representing more than 45 countries, making it one of the most unique free projection-art experiences in the Southeast.
My First Time at SOAR
When I went for the first time in 2025, I walked in with very little idea of what to expect. I was invited by a new friend who was taking photos for the event but I didn’t truly understand what the event was—or the scale of it—until I was standing there in the middle of campus, surrounded by light.
The visuals were the first thing to hit me. Massive projections washed over buildings, shifting scenes blooming and moving across the architecture like the walls had suddenly come alive. A clock tower opened into a glowing tropical sunset; another building pulsed with laser-sequenced digital art. People interacting with the art in different ways, walking through to become part of the projection screen or to make shadows on the walls along with the art. It was creative, immersive, and surprisingly emotional in its scale.
But the soundscape tied everything together. Live music spilled out from different corners of campus—singer-songwriters performing under animated murals, brass ensembles filling the student union courtyard, DJs syncing beats to the visuals glowing above them. Every path led somewhere new. People wandered everywhere—chaotically, joyfully—moving through the dark with a shared sense of curiosity and excitement.
Coming in as a first-timer with almost no expectations made the experience even better. It felt less like attending an event and more like stumbling into a living, breathing art installation.
A Global Art Form, Finally Taking Hold Here
Projection-art festivals aren’t a new invention. In Europe and Asia, they’re woven into the culture. Paris turns historic architecture into luminous storyboards. Berlin hosts massive citywide light festivals that draw crowds in the millions. Tokyo, Seoul, and Singapore blend digital art into their skylines so naturally it feels like part of the city.
Over there, projection mapping is expected. It’s mainstream.
The United States has been slower to catch up, especially outside big cities. And that’s why Public Eye SOAR stands out. Along with Digital Graffiti at Alys Beach, SOAR is pushing the U.S. into the global projection-art conversation. These festivals bring the creative ambition you’d find abroad but root it in something distinctly local—grassroots collaboration, inclusivity, and the idea that art should be accessible to everyone.
Reaching Beyond Our Own Backyard
While SOAR began as a homegrown event for the local crowd, it’s quickly becoming more than that. With the help of Destination Panama City, the festival is expanding its reach beyond our community’s borders. Their efforts position SOAR as a destination event—something that draws visitors from across Florida and beyond to discover this little slice of paradise.
It sends a clear message: Panama City isn’t just a beach town you pass through. It’s a place worth visiting, a place where creativity thrives, and a place where a world-class projection-art festival can take root and grow.
Why SOAR Matters
After more than a decade, Public Eye SOAR has become more than an art festival. It’s a celebration of creativity, resilience, and community—a reminder that public art doesn’t need walls or admission fees to inspire people. It’s something Panama City is fortunate to have, and something that continues to grow in both scale and significance.
For me, coming in with almost no expectations made the experience even more powerful. It wasn’t just the lights or the installations—it was watching families, students, artists, and visitors from near and far all sharing that same sense of wonder. It’s the kind of night that stays with you.
And judging by the past 12 years, it’s only just beginning.
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