Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation Names 2024 Festival of the Arts Poster Art Contest Winner
Louisiana native artist Kelly Pierre wins the contest with his entry titled ‘Transcendent’
Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation (MKAF) has named Kelly Pierre of Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, the 2024 Festival of the Arts poster contest winner.
Recognized as one of Northwest Florida’s premier fine art shows, the Festival of the Arts, produced by MKAF, is one of the most anticipated cultural events of the year on the Emerald Coast. This year’s 29th annual event will kick off on the evening of Friday, Oct 25, with the Arty Kick-Off Party at The Henderson in Destin. The Festival weekend follows on Saturday, Oct. 26, and Sunday, Oct. 27, at the Mattie Kelly Cultural Arts Village in Destin.
Artist Kelly Pierre hails from South Louisiana’s vibrant culture, where his Cajun French-speaking family-owned shrimp boats. He spent his summers learning the shrimping business along the Gulf Coast, and his family remains deeply connected to the seafood industry.
“I got to touch and hold all kinds of marine life. They are beautiful and amazing, and I wanted to save them all,” he said in a lilting Louisiana accent.
The winning artwork, Transcendent, is a soothing 24” x 30” acrylic painting of an elegant octopus carefully eyeing the viewer as it floats across the canvas awash in calming sea hues.
“People come here to experience the marine life. It is very inspiring to me,” explained Pierre. “I hope my painting reminds people of all the beautiful creatures on this Earth and that we recognize that this Earth is something to preserve. We need to preserve our existence.”
Most of Pierre’s art reflects the beauty, culture and diversity of this coastal area. He endeavored to paint ever since he was a child, recalling seeing an artist working at a festival when he was about seven years old and telling his mother, “This is what I want to do when I grow up.”
Inspired by Alabama’s “smiling fish” artist Don Sawyer and Louisiana’s “blue dog” artist George Rodrigue and his travels to the Caribbean, seeing his world from the land above and the water below has offered an abundance of treasure to work from.
Pierre relocated to the Emerald Coast in 2013. He can paint almost anywhere, though it’s usually from his studio by the sea, located at the HarborWalk Village in Destin, Florida.
After 30-plus years as a professional artist, the 51-year-old still gets a flood of enthusiasm from the power of painting, believing that “a good place to paint is wherever I can.”
A previous Festival of the Arts exhibiting artist, this is Pierre’s second MKAF Poster Art Content win. He also won in 2019, but the thrill was short-lived when severe weather sidelined the Festival.
“This award means so much. Being an artist was just a dream, but now it’s a reality. But it’s not about me. I believe we’re all artists … and to everyone out there, if you work hard and don’t give up, you can achieve your dream.”
As the annual Poster Art Contest winner, Pierre will receive a cash prize of $750. The winning artwork will be used to promote the 29th Annual Festival of the Arts by being prominently showcased on the official Festival poster, program guide, t-shirt, in the Festival marketing campaign, on the MKAF website, across MKAF’s social media channels and more.
During the two-day Festival, more than 100 premier artists from across the United States will exhibit original artwork in the form of oil, watercolor, acrylic and paintings; photography, sculpture, pottery, glass, wood, paper, fiber, mixed media, jewelry designs and more to compete for more than $12,000 in cash prizes in 18 award categories, including the coveted Best in Show and People’s Choice Award, which is selected by the festival fans. The Festival also will feature a Collaborative Art Exhibit, which showcases select artwork of adult and student artists.
A celebration of art, music, food, and family fun, the festival’s special features include a live music lineup, hands-on arts and crafts activities for children, an art raffle and more. Local food trucks will serve a diverse menu of delicious cuisine, and there will be a wine and beer garden. Convenient on-site parking and free shuttle service are also available.
Admission is free. Proceeds from the Festival help MKAF and its community education outreach initiatives, including ArtsReach, which serves K–12 students, students, adults with special needs and the military with visible and invisible injuries.
To make a tax-deductible donation, provide a corporate sponsorship or learn more about becoming an MKAF member, visit www.MKAF.org or call (850) 650-2226.
About Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation
Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation (MKAF) is a nonprofit arts organization with a mission to champion arts and culture for all. Since its inception in 1995, MKAF has inspired more than 420,000 children in more than 100 schools and partner agencies. Through its community education initiative ArtsReach, dynamic programming serves K–12 students, people with special needs and the military community along the Emerald Coast. As a presenting organization, MKAF’s Concerts in the Village series showcases the Southeast United States’ most vibrant performing artists and bands to more than 15,000 patrons each spring. More than 100 artists convene in Destin each fall for the Festival of the Arts — one the preeminent arts festivals along the Gulf Coast. MKAF has long partnered with multiple regional nonprofits and school districts in the communities it serves to ensure access to the arts for all.
