Artist Sarah Page isn’t just painting walls—she’s helping define the visual soul of Walton County. Since setting down roots here, she’s been steadily transforming public spaces into places of beauty, memory, and meaning. Her murals don’t just brighten a building; they tell the story of where we are and what we love about it.

That’s why being named the 2024 Walton County Artist of the Year means so much to her. “I am very proud and beyond thankful to this community for supporting the arts, and I’m honored to be listed among so many hard-working, talented artists,” Page says.

You’ve probably seen her work even if you didn’t know her name—she’s the artist behind vibrant pieces at Grand Boulevard in Miramar Beach, the Watersound Town Center Pavilion, and downtown DeFuniak Springs. Her most recent addition? A striking mural titled “Culmination” inside the Inlet Beach underpass—part of the Cultural Arts Alliance’s Art in Public Spaces initiative.

One of her most beloved works lives in the heart of downtown DeFuniak Springs, the place she calls home. It’s called “Swing in My Branches”—an oversized magnolia tree with blooming petals and a wooden swing extended from one of its branches. The mural honors a real magnolia that stood tall in the community for years until it had to be taken down in 2019 for safety reasons. But the memories remain.

“It was this tree that had created so many memories for people,” Page says. “They used to climb in the branches, and people would take pictures on the branches for their holiday photos. Everybody loved this magnolia tree.”

That connection—to nature, to memory, to place—is at the center of Page’s work. She calls herself an adventure artist,someone drawn to the outdoors, inspired by the natural world and what it stirs in us.

“I want to be hiking. I want to be on the water. I want to be in the mountains and using my art to communicate that love,” she explains. On her website, she puts it simply: “Adventure calls us to take risks, experience new things and have fun.” And Page has taken that to heart. She left a steady job in nonprofit marketing to follow her creative calling full time.

Originally from Georgia, she moved to Santa Rosa Beach with her family in 2003 after vacationing in the area. Art has always been part of her life. “I’ve been artistic since I was a kid, but I really was always interested in art and creativity,” she says. Her dad—also an artist—taught her to draw, and she later discovered a love for graphic design while attending the University of South Florida.

Her work took on a broader canvas in 2018 when she was selected as one of the open call artists for the Shine Mural Festival in St. Petersburg. Her mural, “Progress,” features a female astronaut drifting through space—her own tribute to women in science, especially Anna Lee Fisher, the first mother in space.

“What is it like to be a mother and then choosing to still go to space?” Page reflects. “Because that’s a very risky thing.”

Now a mother herself, she relates deeply to that question. “I know that when I’m working and creating, I feel reconnected to myself,” she says.

It’s this blend of personal truth and community connection that makes her work resonate. Her murals don’t just change landscapes—they shift perspectives. They turn public walls into shared experiences.

“I think that’s what artists do; we’re able to translate our feelings into something that people can see and touch and connect to,” she says.

And now, with the Artist of the Year recognition under her belt, she’s more inspired than ever.

“It inspires me to keep creating and pushing myself in my artistic journey,” Page says.

That journey is one of courage, creativity, and stepping outside comfort zones. Whether she’s honoring a fallen magnolia or imagining the stars, Sarah Page paints with purpose—and invites the rest of us to see our surroundings with fresh eyes.

“There’s a lot of ways artists have to be bold and courageous, that any of us in our life are called to step out of our comfort zones,” she says. “This is what I want to do with my work – continually push myself and do things that take me out of my comfort zone and hopefully inspire others to do the same.”

To explore more of her work and world, visit sarahpageart.com.