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Emerald Coast Herons

 We recently completed an exciting project placing a sedge of 20 herons scattered about Okaloosa County. 

We chose the heron because we wanted something that was symbolic throughout our area.  The great blue heron is found in our inland rivers, lakes, and beaches.  They can be seen while hiking the Florida Trail, fishing on the bridges or piers, sunning on the beach, boating in the bays, and kayaking in the local rivers.  Okaloosa County is home to several heron rookeries, including the one on Okaloosa Island at Veterans Park and next to the coast guard station.  Herons can be found throughout the area in both summer and winter.  They are elegant, beautiful and stately, a beautiful piece of art in nature which we hope to help preserve through our public arts.

 This project involved painting pre-fabricated 5 foot tall  three-dimensional fiberglass herons with one-of-a-kind designs by artists of Okaloosa County.  Our goal is to help raise awareness of the arts in our beautiful community and make art available to everyone in public places. 

We hope to continue adding to the herons in the future.

Please see the interactive Google map at the bottom of the page for heron locations.

You can read each artist's biography by clicking on each heron.

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"Belle"

by Bernadette Sims

Shalimar Town Hall

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"Amazing Grace"

by Toni Dineen

Air Force Armament Museum

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"Jailbird"

by Rick Otoupalik

FWB Police Department

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"Starry Eye"

by Anne Johnston

Destin Library

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"Purple Reign"

by Helen Harris

HH Arts

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"Happy Dance Heron"

by Becky Brice Nash

Holiday Isle

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"Swamp Chicken"

by Daria Knapp

Future Valparaiso City Hall

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"Ooh La La"

by Pat Z. Roberts

Arts and Design Society 

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"Bleu Bijou"

by Sharon LaPine

Fort Walton Beach Library

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"Fancy Feathers"

by Jeanne Thomas

Destin/FWB Convention Center

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"Cherish Our Tails, Fins, Flippers, and Feathers "

by Dori Lewman

Destin Commons

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"Reves Impressionistes"

by Ruta

Northwest Florida Ballet

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"Onyx, the Watcher"

by Sheila Mahony

Cinco Bayou Town Hall

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"Glory"

by Patricia Basque

Okaloosa County Administrative Building

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"Journey"

by Joy Harris

Emerald Coast Science Center

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"Garden Party"

by Alanna Grayce Campbell

Lions Park

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"Sciatica"

by Arthur Jenkins

Mattie Kelly Arts Center

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"Petey"

by Pam Folse and Thalia Newton

Turkey Creek Park

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"Lucky"

by Toni Dineen and Pat Z. Roberts

Harborwalk Village

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"Hector the Heron"

by Lexy Adams, Pat Roberts, Helen Harris, Rick Otoupalik, Pam Folse, and Toni Dineen

Ross Marler Park

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