Public Eye SOAR Through a Salty Lense
A Different Kind of Salty Night: My Evening at Public Eye SOAR
Every once in a while, it’s good to step outside your usual tide pool and see what else swims around in the Bay. That’s exactly what I did when I wandered onto the Gulf Coast State College campus for Public Eye SOAR—a two-night explosion of light, sound, and artistic imagination that turns ordinary buildings into giant canvases.
Now, this wasn’t your typical salty St. Andrews crowd. Nobody was debating who makes the best grouper sandwich or whether The Dive’s band lineup is better on Friday or Saturday. No, this was a different flavor entirely—more patchouli than pilsner, more Bob Dylan than Bob Seger. The air was thick with creativity and caffeine, and the crowd had that unmistakable blend of art students, dreamers, and folks who probably have strong opinions about vinyl records and sustainable footwear.
But here’s the thing—I loved it. The visuals were stunning. Buildings glowed and pulsed like living things. Walkways shimmered, projections danced, and for a while, I forgot I was standing in a college courtyard in Panama City. The music came from every corner—one minute a mellow acoustic tune drifting through the night, the next a funky brass band that could wake up the Gulf itself.
What struck me most was the energy. It wasn’t loud or rowdy like a night at The Dive—it was alive in a different way. People were actually looking up instead of down at their phones. Families, students, retirees, and plenty of folks in between all mingled together, just soaking in the creativity. It reminded me that Panama City isn’t one single scene—it’s a patchwork of them, stitched together by the people who call this place home.
By the end of the night, I walked back to my car thinking about how good it felt to be around something so different, yet still part of the same community I love photographing in my home town. I actually attended this college many years ago. The vibe may not have been salty, but it had its own kind of flavor—fresh, curious, and full of imagination.
So while I’ll always have a soft spot for the docks, the bars, and the musicians who keep St. Andrews real, it’s nice to know that just a few miles away, another kind of creativity is lighting up the night. Variety, after all, is what keeps our little corner of the coast interesting—and that’s something worth celebrating.
#KeepStAndrewsSalty #PublicEyeSOAR #PanamaCityArts
