The posters and T-shirts for the year's Seabreeze Jazz Festival in Panama City, Fla. (Apr. 13-17), will feature artwork by Alfred Gockel.

PANAMA CITY, Fla. – World-renowned abstract painter Alfred Gockel will be the featured artist at this year’s Seabreeze Jazz Festival, slated for April 13-17 in Panama City’s amphitheater at Pier Park. Gockel will be at the easel, painting live, for the duration of the festival and on The Smooth Jazz Cruise, the event’s presenting sponsor. It sets sail on April 13.

Original works by Gockel will also be auctioned, through an arrangement with Baterbys Art Auction Gallery, based in Orlando. Baterbys has featured works by the artist in past auctions, and its gallery in Orlando, Fla.

“He’s been one of our most consistent performers,” said Rich Hart of Baterbys. “He is an amazing talent and has been the official artist for many other serious events, including the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.”

A jazz-themed abstract painting by Gockel is being featured on the official poster for this year’s festival, and the image is also on a T-shirt. The artwork may be viewed by clicking on the Seabreeze Jazz Festival web site’s “Artwork” tab. The site has been inundated with over 38,000 unique hits per day on average, a testament to the popularity of the event and Mr. Gockel.

The Smooth Jazz Cruise will be a VIP “Cruise to Nowhere,” boarding at 6:30 p.m. on April 13 and lasting from 7-10 p.m. Dinner and entertainment—and a chance to meet Gockel and see him paint—will be held aboard The Lady Anderson, docked behind Captain Anderson Restaurant on Grand Lagoon. The cruise is the official kick-off event of this year’s jazz festival.

The three-hour cruise will treat guests to an up-close view of breathtaking St. Andrews Bay, a place where dolphins play and the setting sun sparkles off the Florida water. Dinner will be a selection of entrees, plus dessert and coffee. A cash bar will be available. Sharing top billing with Gockel will be jazz saxophonist Eric Darius, who will serenade guests at their tables.

The Seabreeze Jazz Festival is one of the biggest weekend festivals in contemporary jazz in the country. Last year’s spring event, also held in Panama City, attracted 22,000 people. The list of performers for this year’s festival has not yet been announced. The Smooth Jazz Cruise for 2012 will include a special performance by Motown legend Smokey Robinson, organizers said.

From an early age, Alfred “Alex” Gockel (born in 1952) was fascinated by the magic of colors on paper. This prodigious talent led to the release of his first work of art at age 8. After serving in the army, he graduated from the Polytechnic, where he then taught typography and graphic design.

In 1980, Gockel made the decision to dedicate himself full-time to painting. He developed a unique, signature style that is well-known today. His work ranges from unique screen print etchings to serigraphy. In the last 10 years, more than 2 million of his images have been sold in the U.S. alone. Basketball legend Michael Jordan owns several original Alfred Gockel paintings.

In 1910, the Russian abstract master Wassily Kandinsky, one of Gockel’s artistic heroes, wrote, “color is the key. The eye is the hammer. The soul is the piano with its many chords. The artist is the hand that, by touching this or that key, sets the soul vibrating automatically.” Gockel applies this philosophy to his every creation, using rich, primary colors in a unique style.

For more information about Alex Gockel and Baterbys Art Auction Gallery, visit the Baterbys’ web site, call 866.537.0265 or e-mail to press [at] baterbys [dot] com.

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