The history of our community-based artist residency is uniquely bound with the history of Seaside, FL, the small coastal town in the panhandle of Florida hailed throughout the world as the birthplace of New Urbanism. Seaside’s founder envisioned a new town built upon revived principles of traditional building with architectural design that would have enormous influence on social, civic, and cultural life. The masthead of this philosophy was The Seaside Institute and with Escape to Create as a core program initiated by homeowners, the arts were the nucleus of civic life as the town emerged from the isolated dunes along Florida’s “forgotten coast.”

Proclaimed “the most astounding design achievement of its era” by Time Magazine in the early ‘90s, Seaside quickly became an international phenomenon for its radical departure from suburban development. Florida’s “forgotten coast” was transformed into Florida’s “Emerald Coast,” the panhandle’s premier destination for family vacationers. During this time of rapid change, The Seaside Institute educated a generation of town planners, architects, and public officials in mixed-use development and sustainable building practices. Today, Escape to Create serves as a cultural cornerstone of five New Urban towns located along the quiet coastal road known to millions of summer visitors as simply “30A.”

Escape to Create is a cultural leader in a town deeply engaged with the arts. We are proud to welcome our artists into this enriched environment and wish to thank the The Seaside REP and The Seaside Institute for their support of our educational and community outreach programs.

Our artists describe Escape to Create as a profound contribution to their creative life and work. While the heart of every residency is the gift of time and place, Seaside and neighboring coastal towns along Scenic Highway 30A are an ideal setting for this unique creative retreat.