Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation Named Kelly Pierre As The 2024 Festival of the Arts Poster Contest Winner.

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 Friday, Oct 25 evening 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 says in a lilting Louisiana accent.

The winning artwork entitled Transcendent is a soothing 24” x 30” acrylic that features 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,” Pierre explains. “I hope my painting reminds people of all the beautiful creatures on this earth and that we recognize that this earth it 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 as well as 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 winners, 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 in order 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, special features of the Festival include a live music lineup, hands-on arts and crafts activities for children, art raffle, and more. A diverse menu of delicious cuisine served up by local food trucks, along with 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 serving K-12 students, students and adults with special needs, and the military with visible and invisible injuries.

To make a tax-deductible donation or provide a corporate sponsorship; or for more information about becoming a MKAF member, visit www.MKAF.org or call (850) 650-2226.