New Fort Walton Beach Welcome Sign

The City of Fort Walton Beach congratulates Christina Donahoe of Christina Custom Art on her winning design for a new downtown Fort Walton Beach entrance sign. For her design efforts, Donahoe was presented with a check for $5,000 during a Fort Walton Beach City Council meeting on Tuesday, May 20.

The entrance sign will be placed at the intersection of U.S. Highway 98 and Eglin Parkway SE, just west of the historic Gulfview Hotel Center, providing a visual welcome to the downtown district. The sign will be part of a larger beautification project that will include landscaping.

Donahoe’s artwork depicts a paddleboard and wave, reflecting the importance of the local area’s waterways, and features a variety of visual elements, ranging from the 1200-year-old Indian Temple Mound to the fighter jets that fly our skies.

Design by Christina Donahoe, courtesy of City of Fort Walton Beach

Donahoe’s sign proposal was among a field of 46 entries in a competition organized and funded by the City of Fort Walton Beach’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA).

“We had a lot of wonderful entries that were deserving of the award,” said CRA administrator Alisa Burleson. “We thank all those who participated for their efforts and great ideas.”

A committee of nine judges narrowed the field down to five entries before meeting in person in late April to select the winning design.

Donahoe is a prolific artist, and her murals can be found at several locations in downtown Fort Walton Beach, including a large five-panel mural on the back of the Fort Walton Beach Library.

The city will soon be sending out an RFQ (request for qualifications) to identify a vendor to build the sign and install it in its new home.