A recent Deck the Chairs holiday exhibit in Jacksonville Beach, which will now be run by the new Students in the Arts Alliance. | Deck the Chairs
Published on April 3, 2026 at 12:36 pm
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Jacksonville’s Students in the Arts Alliance will oversee the annual Deck the Chairs holiday lights exhibit, a flagship program to expand year‑round arts programming while elevating student artists across Northeast Florida.
The new alliance, formed by the nonprofit Deck the Chairs organization, also will develop more opportunities for student artists throughout the year.
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Deck the Chairs displays lifeguard chairs decorated for the winter holidays at Latham Plaza and Seawalk Pavilion from Thanksgiving through New Years Day. Now the nonprofit event has launched its Students in the Arts Alliance to connect student creativity with the community through public arts and educational initiatives.
“Deck The Chairs is our tradition, and Students in the Arts Alliance is our future,” Kurtis Loftus, founder and executive director of Deck the Chairs, said in a news release. “This new direction allows us to support student artists year‑round and strengthen the role of youth creativity in our community.”
Deck the Chairs began in 2013 to start a winter holiday family event in the Jacksonville Beaches, inspired by the lifeguard chairs that dot the nearby sand.
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Loftus and staff started with 18 local business partners and helped raise funds to support the Volunteer Lifeguards. More recently, Deck the Chairs has filled Latham Plaza and the Seawalk Pavilion lawn with dozens of displays.
Deck the Chairs events
Kurtis and the board of directors launched the Students in the Arts Alliance earlier this year to provide opportunities for teens to learn, perform and grow.
Aalliance members will oversee Deck the Chairs and its youth performances, which include multiple shows on the Seawalk Pavilion stage. The alliance also will offer year‑round arts opportunities for students, which includes the second annual Deck the Bins Art Contest.
That competition challenges young creators to transform public garbage containers into art installations that celebrate sustainability and community pride. Applications will open April 22, with a deadline of May 6. Awards will be announced June 1.
The arts alliance also will offer a FloArts Talent Scholarship supporting students pursuing visual arts studies in partnership with the Florida School of the Arts.
More programs are expected to be announced later in the year as the Deck the Chairs event continues its six‑week holiday programming in partnership with the city of Jacksonville Beach. Events will include student performances, visual arts and hands‑on activities.
