PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – A local artist is showcasing a lifetime’s collection with the help of some local business owners.
The Lunchbox Museum is a temporary pop-up art exhibition in downtown Panama City. The collection is by local artist Enjoy Art By Sarah, and local businesses have participated in making the museum a reality.
“History Class Brewing Company and El Weirdo partnered with Sarah and we decided to turn this place that had nothing going on into a museum for six weeks,” said Eric Darnell of History Class. “And it’s filled with over 270 lunchboxes and local artist Enjoy Art by Sarah’s lunchbox collection. And we thought it would just be cool to do something fun for families to come and spend a little time admiring this collection. But we all know about lunchboxes and the art on them. The art is always beautiful. It’s incredible. It’s bright colors.”
Visitors walked around and looked at the collection on Saturday. Some visitors told NewsChannel 7 they were glad there was still something to explore downtown.
“I was shopping downtown and I stopped by. I love retro stuff,” Madison Hayne said. “Downtown is just a community place and I think it’s a great place to display art. The art center is right next door.”
Organizers said they saw people milling around and bonding over the exhibit.
“I think every lunchbox has a memory attached to it,” Darnell said. “So when you see a lunchbox that maybe has a scene from a movie or a cartoon on it, you remember it and you’re back in that moment as a kid. The kids that come through here are having a wonderful time. They’re pointing at things. They’re excited. It’s just a great way to spend some time downtown with the family.”
“I definitely felt a connection with my fiancé over it,” Hayne said. “He said, ‘My brother has this and my dad has this, so it reminds me of my childhood and things that I experienced as a kid.'”
“You can pick a lunch box that kind of fits your personality,” said Selah Darnell, a volunteer at the museum. “I love Hello Kitty, so I pick the Hello Kitty lunch box so people can see who I am. Lunch boxes have been around for a really long time.”
“I love watching our community work together,” said Drew Mcintosh, who was visiting the museum. “Whether it’s artist photography. I mean, we’re all here and I think we’re all working together and I love it.”
The museum is located at 102 E 4th St, Panama City, FL. It is open Fridays from 4:00pm to 8:00pm and Saturdays from 12:00pm to 8:00pm through September 14th.
With a monetary donation you get admission and the proceeds go to the Center For The Arts.
All rights reserved.
