SEASIDE, FL. -- As Joanne Tawfilis stood watching orphans in Bosnia squabble, laugh and cry while painting their visions of “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” onto a bullet-ridden bed sheet, the idea for the Art Miles Mural Project began to form in her mind.

“It was the process (of painting) that was so unbelievable and moving and made me see how if children suffering from such trauma and huge losses could work together, then certainly adults could learn from this,” Tawfilis said.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization agreed with her vision and made the Art Miles Mural Project an official project of the UNESCO Decade of the Culture of Peace, Tawfilis and her husband, Fouad, created 12 mural themes (each theme equals one mile of murals) and designated the year 2010 for the unveiling at the site of the Great Pyramids in Egypt. All murals that have been painted around the world will be shipped and pieced together to form an amazing kaleidoscope of children’s visions for a better world.

To spur excitement for the 2010 event, the SEASIDE INSTITUTE and the 30A CREATIVE ALLIANCE are celebrating the Art Miles Mural Project from Feb. 28 through March 10. The beach communities of Seaside, WaterColor, WaterSound West Beach, Rosemary Beach and Alys Beach will host mural exhibits, community mural paintings, concerts, film screenings, yoga classes, and presentations by Tawfilis and Peace Paint Ambassadors.

Chloe Fugate, a Peace Paint Ambassador and Santa Rosa Beach resident, said she is proud to share her passion for the Art Miles project with her local community.

“It is bringing the community together,” she said. “It’s bringing the rest of the world to our part of the world.”

“Seeing a grassroots project with no funding and an all-volunteer staff facilitate more than 4,000 murals completed and more than 500,000 people painting is an indication that what we do has a true meaning,” Tawfilis added. “It reinforces our original belief in humanity - that the good in each of us is the common thread that will ensure we as a species will survive.”

“I just hope people realize the scope of work and look at each mural as a story and a moment in time,” Robi Fugate, peace paint coordinator for the Art Miles project, said.

To kick off the 30A CREATIVE ALLIANCE event, the Seaside Neighborhood School is sponsoring a Mural Marathon on Feb. 28 where all 2,800 participants of the Seaside Half Marathon and 5K will be invited to paint a Sports-themed mural. This mural, along with murals painted by students at Butler Elementary School and the Seaside Neighborhood School, will be displayed along Scenic Highway 30-A on March 1. Approximately 20 murals will be on display during the event.

On March 1, after the Seaside Half Marathon and 5K race, WaterColor will
host an afternoon outdoor event in Cerulean Park where their murals will be
displayed.

On March 6, the communities of Seaside and Alys Beach will celebrate Art Miles from sun-up to sundown. Beginning at 8 a.m., Johannes Linstead, one of the world’s top guitarists and a certified Kundalini Yoga instructor, will host a community yoga class on the beach in Seaside. From 5-8 p.m. murals and a replica of the Art Miles pyramid display will be exhibited throughout Seaside as part of the First Friday Art Walk festivities. Alys Beach will exhibit Art Miles murals in the courtyard of the Fonville Press as part of its Apres Beach event. From 8-10 p.m. Amavida Coffee in Seaside will host a screening of the film, “Black Gold.”

On March 7, Seaside offers a community yoga class with Linstead on the beach at 8 a.m., a tasting of an Art Miles fair trade coffee blend at Amavida Coffee in Seaside throughout the day and a Fairy Tale mural painting in Ruskin Place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Art Miles Concert: World Music begins at 2 p.m. in the Seaside amphitheater. Joanne and Fouad Tawfilis will share their story and renowned classical guitarist Johannes Linstead, the Seaside Neighborhood School Band and 30A Radio will have everyone dancing. Seaside will exhibit over 40 murals throughout the town.

On March 8, Linstead conducts Kundalini yoga on the beach in Seaside at 8 a.m. and then hosts an intimate, acoustic concert at Amavida Coffee in Seaside from 1-4 p.m. From 6-9 p.m. Rosemary Beach will screen two powerful films, “War Dance” and “The Invisible Children” on the Western Green. Several Peace Paint Ambassadors, who will also share their personal experiences with the Art Miles Mural Project, will introduce these films. Rosemary Beach will also exhibit over two dozen murals along the green in
the Town Center throughout the entire Art Miles celebration.

On March 9, Linstead will host community yoga on the beach in Seaside at 8 a.m.

On March 10, the Art Miles Community Celebration will be held in Alys Beach from 5-8 p.m at Fonville Press. Everyone will be invited to join 12 Peace Paint Ambassadors in painting murals for peace and a slide show of murals painted by children around the world will be shown. Light refreshments will be served.

“What they (the children) have created is a visual documentation of history, but more importantly, an introspective look at their world,” Tawfilis explained. “They reached out to others around the world. It is also our hope that right there in the Middle East where violence has become a way of life, that some of that spirituality will help bring peace.

SEASIDE, FL. -- As Joanne Tawfilis stood watching orphans in Bosnia squabble, laugh and cry while painting their visions of “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” onto a bullet-ridden bed sheet, the idea for the Art Miles Mural Project began to form in her mind.

“It was the process (of painting) that was so unbelievable and moving and made me see how if children suffering from such trauma and huge losses could work together, then certainly adults could learn from this,” Tawfilis said.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization agreed with her vision and made the Art Miles Mural Project an official project of the UNESCO Decade of the Culture of Peace, Tawfilis and her husband, Fouad, created 12 mural themes (each theme equals one mile of murals) and designated the year 2010 for the unveiling at the site of the Great Pyramids in Egypt. All murals that have been painted around the world will be shipped and pieced together to form an amazing kaleidoscope of children’s visions for a better world.

To spur excitement for the 2010 event, the SEASIDE INSTITUTE and the 30A CREATIVE ALLIANCE are celebrating the Art Miles Mural Project from Feb. 28 through March 10. The beach communities of Seaside, WaterColor, WaterSound West Beach, Rosemary Beach and Alys Beach will host mural exhibits, community mural paintings, concerts, film screenings, yoga classes, and presentations by Tawfilis and Peace Paint Ambassadors.

Chloe Fugate, a Peace Paint Ambassador and Santa Rosa Beach resident, said she is proud to share her passion for the Art Miles project with her local community. “It is bringing the community together,” she said. “It’s bringing the rest of the world to our part of the world.” “Seeing a grassroots project with no funding and an all-volunteer staff facilitate more than 4,000 murals completed and more than 500,000 people painting is an indication that what we do has a true meaning,”

Tawfilis added. “It reinforces our original belief in humanity - that the good in each of us is the common thread that will ensure we as a species will survive.”

“I just hope people realize the scope of work and look at each mural as a story and a moment in time,” Robi Fugate, peace paint coordinator for the Art Miles project, said.

To kick off the 30A CREATIVE ALLIANCE event, the Seaside Neighborhood School is sponsoring a Mural Marathon on Feb. 28 where all 2,800 participants of the Seaside Half Marathon and 5K will be invited to paint a Sports-themed mural. This mural, along with murals painted by students at Butler Elementary School and the Seaside Neighborhood School, will be displayed along Scenic Highway 30-A on
March 1. Approximately 20 murals will be on display during the event.

On March 1, after the Seaside Half Marathon and 5K race, WaterColor will
host an afternoon of public mural painting celebrating the Sea Turtle beginning at 12 noon – 3:00pm in Cerulean Park. Everyone is invited to come out and help paint a Sea
Turtle mural. The folks from the Turtle Watch program and the county’s environmental agency will also be on hand to talk about what we all can do to save the turtles and have less impact on our environment. Ten murals will be displayed through Town Center and Cerulean Park. Also, at WaterSound West Beach ten murals will be on display at Horseshoe Park.

On March 6, the communities of Seaside and Alys Beach will celebrate Art Miles from sun-up to sundown. Beginning at 8 a.m., Johannes Linstead, one of the world’s top guitarists and a certified Kundalini Yoga instructor, will host a community yoga class on the beach in Seaside. From 5-8 p.m. murals and a replica of the Art Miles pyramid display will be exhibited throughout Seaside as part of the First Friday Art Walk festivities. Alys Beach will exhibit Art Miles murals in the courtyard of the Fonville Press as part of its Apres Beach event from 5-8 p.m. World Six Gallery in Rosemary Beach hosts Justin Gaffery and encourages the community to come out to participate in the creation of a Peace Mural from 4-7p.m. Amavida Coffee in Seaside will host a screening of the film, “Black Gold” from 8-10 p.m.

On March 7, Seaside offers a community yoga class with Linstead on the beach at 8 a.m., a tasting of an Art Miles fair trade coffee blend at Amavida Coffee in Seaside throughout the day and a Fairy Tale mural painting in Ruskin Place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Art Miles Concert: World Music begins at 2 p.m. in the Seaside amphitheater. Joanne and Fouad Tawfilis will share their story and renowned classical guitarist Johannes Linstead, the Seaside Neighborhood School Band and 30A Radio will have everyone dancing. Seaside will exhibit over 40 murals throughout the town.

On March 8, Linstead conducts Kundalini yoga on the beach in Seaside at 8 a.m. and then hosts an intimate, acoustic concert at Amavida Coffee in Seaside from 1-4 p.m. From 6-9 p.m. Rosemary Beach will screen two powerful films, “War Dance” and “The Invisible Children” on the Western Green. Several Peace Paint Ambassadors, who will also share their personal experiences with the Art Miles Mural Project, will introduce these films. Rosemary Beach will also exhibit over two dozen murals along the green in
the Town Center throughout the entire Art Miles celebration.

On March 9, Linstead will host community yoga on the beach in Seaside at 8 a.m.

On March 10, the Art Miles Community Celebration will be held in Alys Beach from 5-8 p.m at Fonville Press. Everyone will be invited to join 12 Peace Paint Ambassadors in painting murals for peace and a slide show of murals painted by children around the world will be shown. Light refreshments will be served.

“What they (the children) have created is a visual documentation of history, but more importantly, an introspective look at their world,” Tawfilis explained. “They reached out to others around the world. It is also our hope that right there in the Middle East where violence has become a way of life, that some of that spirituality will help bring peace.

Visit www.artmiles.org for additional information.

BLACK GOLD www.blackgoldmovie.com

As westerners revel in designer lattes and cappuccinos, impoverished Ethiopian coffee growers suffer the bitter taste of injustice. In this eye-opening expose of the multi-billion dollar industry, Black Gold traces one man's fight for a fair price.
THE INVISIBLE CHILDREN MOVEMENT www.invisiblechildren.com/themovement
The work we do in Uganda is only part of the story. As a non-profit organization, we believe changing perceptions and lives in the Western world
is just as important as changing lives in war-torn regions. We know that in order to realize greater change people must do more than empathize; they must be compelled to act. The Movement side of the company exists to creatively share the story of the invisible children, ultimately empowering a new generation of leaders to take an active role in pursuing peace and social justice. To this end, our Movement team works hand-in-hand with our Mission department to raise international awareness, ultimately bring greater aid and more permanent change to war-affected regions.
WAR DANCE www.wardancethemovie.com

War Dance follows the courageous efforts of the Patongo students in Northern Uganda as they pour their hearts into winning this year's music competition. The war has stolen their homes, their parents, and their childhood. Patongo's refugee camp packs 60,000 people into its squalor. There is no electricity, no running water, and no safe place. The bullet holes in the school walls tell the story..........and each child has their story to tell.

After a lifetime of Trauma, the Patongo Primary School students have something magical to look forward to. They have qualified to compete in the National Music competition in Kampala. If their bus can safely make it through rebel territory, they'll take the stage and give it their all. Win or lose, these children will show what the true heart can achieve.

JOHANNES LINSTEAD www.johanneslinstead.com
Johannes Linstead, one of one of the world's top guitarists, earned a nomination for the nation’s top music prize, a JUNO Award in the "Instrumental Album Of The Year" category, for his CD CAFÉ TROPICAL. This album also reached the #1 position on eMusic.com World Music Chart within the first week of its' release, reached the #4 position on the coveted Billboard music charts in the US, and earned him the "Guitarist of the Year" title in the 2007 Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards. MEDITERRANEA (Sept. 2004) shot straight to the Top Ten and reached the #6 position and was named "Best World Album" in the NAR Lifestyle Music Awards. All of Johannes' CD have charted on Billboard and are available around the world.
Discography:
CAFE TROPICAL (April 25, 2006 - #4 on Billboard's New Age Chart, #1 on eMusic.com World Music Chart)
MEDITERRANEA (September 2004 - #6 on Billboard's New Age Chart;
Winner "Best World Album" NAR Lifestyle Music Awards; #7 on NAR's
Top 100 Radio Airplay Chart for Sept.'04)
ZABUCA (2003 - 34 weeks on Billboard's New Age Chart, peak #8; NAR's Top
100 New Age Radio Airplay for 2003)
GUITARRA DEL FUEGO (2001 - 36 weeks on Billboard's New Age Chart, peak #6;
"Best Contemporary World Album" NAV Magazine; #8 on Billboard's Top Ten New
Age Indie Sales)
KISS THE EARTH (2000 - 9 weeks on Billboard's New Age Chart, peak #12)
SOL LUNA TIERRA (1999 - 3 weeks on Billboard's New Age Chart, peak #17)

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WALTON COUNTY, Fla. – (February 20, 2009) –Michael McCarty, 2009 Artist of the Year, and the Walton County Tourist Development Council (TDC) encourages the community to assist in creating a Beaches of South Walton canvas for the Art Miles Mural Project. On Saturday, February 28, at 10:00 a.m. at the Bayou Arts Center, located at the end of Hogtown Bayou Lane, anyone interested in sharing their creative talent to help create the mural is encouraged to participate.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to come together and showcase the tremendous talent representing the arts community to a worldwide stage,” said Michael McCarty. “It’s a way to show our unity and diversity expressing our global voice with art. I’m excited to be a participant.”
In conjunction with the Art in Public Places Program, Michael McCarty will assist volunteers with the creative and technical challenges of designing a 5 feet by 12 feet image that reflects unique features found in the Beaches of South Walton. Paint and brushes will be provided free of charge.
The South Walton Art Miles Mural Project, sponsored by The Seaside Institute, will encompass themed murals of neighborhood/community, natural habitat/landscapes, and the environment. In total, there will be 20 canvases created and displayed by the local community and more than 100 murals from around the world will be featured throughout Beaches of South Walton in a series of events taking place February 28 through March 10.
For more information, please contact Vicki Kitahara, TDC’s interim new product manager, at 850.267.1216 or vkitahara@beachesofsouthwalton.com.





About The Art Miles Mural Project©

• is a passionate and colorful 12-year movement combining the efforts of children and adults worldwide to promote global peace and harmony through mural art.
• is creating 12 themed miles of collaborative mural paintings (In total, there will be 5,280 canvas and acrylic murals each 12 feet by 5 feet.).
• will exhibit the murals during the “Exhibition of the Century” in 2010, when the art will be wrapped around the pyramids in Egypt to celebrate the Decade of Peace.
• will travel to major cities around the world.

Over 50,000 individuals from over 125 countries have painted in villages, towns, cities, and at World Heritage locations around the world.

This is without a doubt one of the coolest events to ever come to SoWal! Our family is looking for to participating in as many of the events as possible.

Added to SoWal.com home page.

I will be attending this event.

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One of my dear friends (who taught art with me as the actual teacher in the spring) is participating in this as an artist. It's his first dip into 30A--I'm so excited for him!

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so, we'll see you next week then?

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I wish...I really need to haul my cookies to SoWal soon!

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I gottsa some xtra crayons if someone is in need----pm me.
This is a cool idea & it's always great when you get a call & Mike is on the other end-(good choice for aoyr.)
m

Murals are up and the effect is really awesome- drove through Watercolor and Seaside today and it is so great! Oooh and aahhhh! Can't wait to get up close and see them all- need to hit Rosemary and Alys tomorrow.

Check out the events for Art Miles - lots of opportunities to participate, or just walk around and enjoy the work for peace from all over the world.

Some special SoWal peeps made this happen~ thanks to them for yet another cool event in SoWal.....

the murals are truly works of art displayed beautifully on 30A. the message is awesome. the event is awesome. the colors and concepts displayed on the murals are beautiful. and 30A's beauty is enhanced right now which is saying a lot.

On March 7, Seaside offers a community yoga class with Linstead on the beach at 8 a.m., a tasting of an Art Miles fair trade coffee blend at Amavida Coffee in Seaside throughout the day and a Fairy Tale mural painting in Ruskin Place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Art Miles Concert: World Music begins at 2 p.m. in the Seaside amphitheater. Joanne and Fouad Tawfilis will share their story and renowned classical guitarist Johannes Linstead, the Seaside Neighborhood School Band and 30A Radio will have everyone dancing. Seaside will exhibit over 40 murals throughout the town.

Check out the pyramid between Great Southern and Seaside Beach. It went up this am.

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I just wanted to add that the Sun has a misleading article headline about Art Miles- it is in full swing this weekend, through Tuesday March 10th. We met Joanne and Fouad Tawfilis and Johannes Linstead last night - hope everyone gets the chance to meet and welcome them, because it is quite an honor to have them visit our community! See the schedules posted above!

Thannks- that reminds me to charge the camera batteries. I am going to try and take pictures of EVERYTHING today!!

Somebody go find my friend Mitch over there. Then go buy some of his art. He's a wonderful artist and a nice guy...

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Can the art murals project come to Earth Day? I think it would be a fun addition to reach some more of the community.

yep. I love seeing the flying murals everywhere. wouldn't it be great to paint and hang them on 30A for every season, occasion, event, and just for the joy of it all the time? they add a festive element, with a good message.

I just loved the Teach the World to Sing mural with the gingerbread-like people. Fantastic.

And, I was so happy to the see the one of DeFuniak Springs. Actually, they were all great! And the music was awesome. What a wonderful afternoon at Seaside.]

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"If people cannot write well, they cannot think well, and if they cannot think well, others will do their thinking for them."
George Orwell

They are all great. Except the Governator, what was up with that one?

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If you missed the concert yesterday, Johannes will be playing an acoustic show at Amavida today from 1 to 4. It's a good thing, because when we finally got warmed up enough to dance yesterday, it was the end of the show! So dancing to be continued today at 1!!

Hey Steelemama- ready for round 2?

She's stretching as we speak.

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"If we could read the secret history of our enemies we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility." - Longfellow

I was just rescued by Red Bar breakfast. Thanks God for home fries and bacon.

IMG_0458 (Small) (2).jpg what a great day at Seaside with the Murals and the Music. I posted some others in the Gallery ...

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"If people cannot write well, they cannot think well, and if they cannot think well, others will do their thinking for them."
George Orwell

'sup with the mural in Watercolor that features Micheal Jackson and the Neverland ranch?!? Gah!!!! Almost fell off my bike when I saw that pedophile included on a mural.

Don't forget the documentaries at Rosemary tonight!

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The enemy is ignorance.

I just heard that there was a low turnout for the movies in Rosemary last night- too bad.

Tomorrow night is the last night of this unique and special event - the painting is so much fun! Our SoWal murals will be on display in Egypt in 2010- not many communities can make that brag! The murals from all over the world are up at Watercolor, Seaside, Rosemary, and Alys through tomorrow night- they are all so special.

On March 10, the Art Miles Community Celebration will be held in Alys Beach from 5-8 p.m at Fonville Press. Everyone will be invited to join 12 Peace Paint Ambassadors in painting murals for peace and a slide show of murals painted by children around the world will be shown. Light refreshments will be served.

Which is a shame because they were amazing films in a gorgeous setting!

I DID call Grayton and tell some Sowallers to come, but was told they were having too much funn at the beach.

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The enemy is ignorance.

Please help us finish our mural Tuesday nite from 5-8pm at Fonville Press. We'll have three open homes, one to feature documentaries. We'll also be showing the documentaries on the large screen as the sun goes down!

And, the Tot Lot at Fonville Hill is now ready for play, complete with swings, a fort and a zip line!

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