Liza Mitchell
Kurtis Loftus never imagined that the Deck the Chairs event would evolve into a signature holiday event for Jacksonville Beach. He wasn’t even thinking about Christmas when he developed the concept. It was July, 2013, and the holidays were far from his mind.
Initially, it was a unique way to raise money for the Volunteer Life Saving Corps. With a background in art and marketing, it just made sense for Loftus to marry the concept of a benefit with a sculptural art exhibit incorporating the iconic lifeguard chairs. The idea of framing the art pieces around the lifeguard chairs started to take shape as he passed one after another during a beach run.
“It was one of those epiphany kind of things. I was running on the beach, spending some of that quality time in the zone, looking at the lifeguard chairs as I was running and I thought ‘you know, those are beautiful, iconic elements of our beach community, and we need to do something with that’,” says Loftus.
Three years later, the annual Deck the Chairs event continues to draw families to the city’s center as Latham Plaza and the SeaWalk Pavilion are transformed into a festive extravaganza of wonder and imagination. This year, 40 chairs will be sponsored by local business and decorated by regional artists. The exhibit will be on display through Jan 1, engaging private interest in public art.
Guidelines for chair design must follow a primary objective by promoting what is “uniquely beaches,” reflecting a coastal theme. Holiday elements and business names can also be incorporated in the design. Artists receive $150 stipend for approved chair design. Participants attend regular design workshops and preliminary designs must be submitted for review and approval using such materials as wood, plastics, PVC, vinyl, metal fittings, chicken wire, clamps, wood screws, and lights.
“The beauty of the event is hundreds of people thinking in diverse ways about how to present their own business, and then you see them start to execute and build, and hundreds of people are all building and decorating for three days straight. It’s the coolest thing to watch happen.”
As attendance and participation grow, the level of workmanship continues to swell, opening up more channels for artistic interpretation. Loftus says he hopes to hold workshops to encourage citywide artist participation.
“I want to make this more available to people who want to connect to the beach and connect to what we’re doing. If you’re willing to come up with an idea and work to try and develop it, you can find the resources,” he says. “The beauty of the event is hundreds of people thinking in diverse ways about how to present their own business, and then you see them start to execute and build, and hundreds of people are all building and decorating for three days straight. It’s the coolest thing to watch happen.”
DTC was initially launched in Latham Plaza with 18 participating business and nonprofit sponsors. Through public support, the event successfully ignited a renewed holiday spirit and brought new funds to support the Volunteer Lifeguards. To date, Deck the Chairs has reached 100 percent of its fundraising goal.
“It was one of those epiphany kind of things. I was running on the beach, spending some of that quality time in the zone, looking at the lifeguard chairs as I was running and I thought ‘you know, those are beautiful, iconic elements of our beach community, and we need to do something with that’.”
In 2014, Deck the Chairs was established as a 501(c)(3) public charity and implemented plans developed by The Kurtis Group that included expanding the event space, doubling the number of sponsors and participants and creating the 24-foot Deck the Chairs tree.
“Since 2013, I thought what do I do? Do I let this thing go? It’s just too beautiful of an idea. The business was the challenge for me, splitting my time. I worked as much as I could, 60 to 80 hour weeks the whole year. I pretty much donated my time in 2014 and 2015. I had to put a position in where there is some revenue.”
Last year, DTC added daytime activities that included weekend performances by Players By The Sea youth, a custom inflatable Sea Shell Slide and Craft Shoppe. The event is recognized as a North Florida “Top Ten” holiday event by Visit Jacksonville and was noted as “…A Unique Way to Celebrate the Holidays in Each State (Florida)” by People Magazine.
For Loftus, it’s an amazing testament to the volunteer spirit year round. It takes a village to raise a Winter Wonderland and Loftus serves as the maestro, orchestrating the vendors, supply list and chair sponsorship 10 months out the year.
“There is more of this maker’s movement going on in the country. That old school way of thinking and doing things is really important. It engages people in concept and the process of figuring out how to execute the concept, to use your hands and build.”
Beginning the day after Thanksgiving, hundreds of people donate their time, money and energy to bringing Deck the Chairs to life. The staging is not unlike Santa’s toy shop. While businesses, organizations and schools certainly benefit from the exposure, the real value exists in the children who marvel at the displays and those who contribute the magic of their own imagination.
The impact of Deck the Chairs has filtered into area schools like Beaches Episcopal School, even becoming part of the school’s “Maker’s Space” curriculum. In 2015, school officials took on one of the chairs as a project that went on to earn Best of Show. Loftus says the group of 10-year-old students presented their plans to design an aquarium with handcrafted fish hanging from the chair as the central feature. It was a complex design that also needed fine tuning to withstand the elements like wind and rain.
“It’s a beautiful space but when you see all the chairs and all the decorations and all the lights with the vibe that happens there, it’s awesome. It meets all the objectives and it does it through art, creativity and diversity.”
“There is more of this maker’s movement going on in the country. That old school way of thinking and doing things is really important. It engages people in concept and the process of figuring out how to execute the concept, to use your hands and build,” says Loftus. “For kids, it’s huge. If you watch a kid in their groove, you can see them really enjoy this thing and learn something and be able to showcase it. Whenever we engage children in a process that they feel good about, it’s great.”
This year, Fletcher Middle School is “crushing” the design of a chair for the courtyard of the Neptune Beach Town Center. Loftus says the intricate concept featuring a team of flying reindeer was surprisingly complex. “I said ‘go for it. If you think the kids can do that, do it. And they’re doing it,” says Loftus.
“Of all the messiness and sweating over money and spending my whole year working on it, this is the best payoff. I don’t think I ever imagined it could be quite like this. It’s a beautiful space but when you see all the chairs and all the decorations and all the lights with the vibe that happens there, it’s awesome. It meets all the objectives and it does it through art, creativity and diversity.”
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