Omni Amelia Island Resort Hosts Inaugural “Cocktails & Canvases” Event

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. – Aug. 28, 2015 – This fall, Omni Amelia Island Plantation will redefine what it means to enjoy fine art and food with its inaugural “Cocktails & Canvases” weekend. Guests will enjoy an unrivaled opportunity to engage with the region’s best mixologists, chefs and artists in a luxurious coastal setting. This vibrant experience is a can’t-miss event for artists, collectors and foodies alike.

Set against a backdrop of coastal elegance, “Cocktails & Canvases” is an unmatched travel experience combining approachable creative adventures, culinary explorations and premier cocktail tastings. The event is designed for travelers who desire an immersive getaway, providing the perfect balance of active intellectual art-focused activities, including Japanese paper cutting and interactive art demonstrations, paired with superb food, wine and cocktails.

“We are thrilled to unveil the riveting Cocktails & Canvases weekend at Omni Amelia Island,” said Donald Stamets, managing director at Omni Amelia Island. “Our staff has poured passion into the planning of this event. It is bound to set a new precedent for the future of art-focused getaways.”

In addition to art-inspired cuisine, event menus will also incorporate the localivore flare, utilizing homegrown ingredients from the resort’s state-of-the-art aquaponic greenhouse, The Sprouting Project. Musical arrangements are courtesy of Jacksonville native Jamison Williams, curated by Steve Williams of Florida Mining, a gallery of contemporary art.

Weekend travel packages are available for purchase now through Oct. 1, 2015 for $1,299 per room based on double occupancy.

Event Package Includes:

• Luxurious oceanfront accommodations for two nights
• Cocktail-paired dinner and art show on Friday evening
• Saturday activities including immersive art and interactive cocktail blendings during the day, followed by a four-course progressive dinner and art show at night
• Champagne breakfast and local art festival Sunday morning

Reservations can be made by calling 1-800-THE-OMNI. Additional information is available at http://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/amelia-island-plantation/specials/cocktails-canvases.

Featured Local Artists

• Marcus Kenney – Originally from rural Louisiana, Marcus has lived in Savannah, Ga. for the last 15 years. He works as a maximalist mixed media artist across a wide spectrum of mediums, such as: collage, sculpture, paint, photography and installation. His work has been exhibited all around the world and featured in numerous publications, including Art in America, the New York Times, Boston Globe and the Atlanta Journal Constitution. 
• Casey Matthews – Although a native of San Antonio, Texas, Casey has considered the Southeast her home for the past two decades, living and working on Amelia Island. Her current body of work is primarily mixed media painting, a process of layered acrylic paint, medium, gesso, charcoal, glazes, washes, handmade paper, collage, tissue, spit, and oil on canvas sealed with a layer of polished wax.
• Kedgar Volta - Kedgar was born in Cuba and emigrated to the United States in 2008. Since then, he has been able to draw from a dual cultural perspective to create works that represent disparate lives and environments, while also serving as narratives that remind viewers of a common humanity. His multimedia art serves as both personal artifact and a reflection of mankind’s internal landscapes. 
• Jennifer J.L. Jones – Jennifer is an American artist raised in rural Virginia and on the central east coast of Florida. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and explores beauty and energy in her mixed media paintings. She employs multiple layers of abstraction and combined mediums – including a refined glazing technique – to create rich, organic patinas that evoke universal emotional and physical connecting points for the observer. 
• Hiromi Moneyhun – Japanese papercut artist Hiromi moved to Jacksonville, Fla. in 2004 from her hometown of Kyoto, Japan. She has developed a unique homegrown artistic voice that combines traditional Japanese visual art forms, like Edo Period Japanese woodblock prints, with the super-modernity now found in Japan’s biggest cities. Her three-dimensional cut paper pieces are the result of a multistep process that invites viewers in, compelling them to reach out and touch the images.

About Omni Amelia Island Plantation
Still basking in the glow of an extensive $85 million re-imagination, the Omni Amelia Island Plantation is Florida’s award-winning island destination. Recognized for offering a luxury resort experience in perfect harmony with nature, the oceanfront retreat, located just north of Jacksonville, Fla., is nestled between the Atlantic Ocean, lush marshlands and the Intracoastal Waterway.

Situated on the 1,350-acres of the Amelia Island Plantation, the property's improvements include 404 luxury oceanfront guest rooms and suites; the largest pool deck in Northeast Florida including tiered lounge seating, an adults-only infinity edge pool, a family friendly pool, kids' splash area, two hot tubs, and fire features, all boasting spectacular Atlantic views; 80,000 square feet of flexible meeting space; and a variety of new culinary options. Rich in recreational amenities, the resort also offers three-and-a-half miles of wide, uncrowded beach; 54 holes of championship golf; 23 Har-Tru® tennis courts; award-winning recreation programs; a shopping village with restaurants, boutiques and a nature-inspired signature spa; a state-of-the-art fitness center; ten culinary options ranging from casual to fine dining; kids camps; and numerous activities for adventurers including kayaking, horseback riding, Segway tours and seven miles of paved trails. The Villas of Amelia Island Plantation feature 300 one-, two- and three-bedroom villas with ocean, golf or resort views. The Omni Amelia Island Plantation offers authentic, genuine guest experiences with AAA Four-Diamond service and the expectations of the Omni brand.

For more information on the Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort, call 1-800-The-Omni or visit www.omniameliaislandplantation.com. To engage with the resort, visit www.facebook.com/AmeliaIslandPlantation and www.twitter.com/AIP_Resort.

About Omni Hotels & Resorts
Omni Hotels & Resorts creates genuine, authentic guest experiences at 60 distinct luxury hotels and resorts in leading business gateways and leisure destinations across North America. With over 20 world-class golf courses and award-winning spa retreats, to dynamic business settings, each Omni showcases the local flavor of the destination while featuring four-diamond services, signature restaurants, Wi-Fi connectivity and unique wellness options. Known for its distinguished, personalized service, Omni leaves a lasting impression with every customer interaction, with a heightened level of recognition and rewards delivered through its Select Guest loyalty program and the company’s “Power of One” associate empowerment program. The brand is frequently recognized by top consumer research organizations and travel publications and was ranked “Highest in Guest Satisfaction Among Upper Upscale Hotel Chains” in the J.D. Power 2015 North American Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index StudySM. To get additional information or book accommodations, visit omnihotels.com or call 1-800-The-Omni.