Andy Saczynski Chosen Festival of the Arts Poster Competition Winner

Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation's (MKAF) 18th Annual Festival of the Arts Poster Competition has a new winner! Among the many creative entries, Andy Saczynski's design captured the judges’ attention with its vibrant colors, coastal theme and creative design.

"While it was a difficult decision, Andy's piece simply had all the elements of a great poster design and represented the festival's colorful, friendly coastal atmosphere," said Festival of the Arts Poster Judge and Local Artist Cara Roy.

As 2013 South Walton Artist of the Year, Andy Saczynski has been an ambassador for the area and its thriving art scene. His work has been classified as outsider or folk art. He primarily works with acrylic, found objects, recycled musical instruments, reclaimed wood, metal, and copper. For the poster design, he steered clear of mixed media, which often does not reproduce well on posters and merchandise, and used colorful acrylics to create an eye-catching piece that layers subjects instead of found items.

For his multi-media pieces, he doesn’t have to look far for inspiration or random items, which somehow always find him. His parents have been collecting antiques his entire life and because of this creative influence, Saczynski has been developing ideas for years. He also finds his artistic inspiration through music and in Florida’s architecture, landscape, and wildlife.

"I first participated in the Destin Festival of the Arts in October 2010, and won the People's Choice Award. I credit that event for launching my art career, and I am honored that my poster design will represent the festival this year," said Saczynski. "When I painted the piece, I wanted to capture the vibrant color and artistic beauty of our coastal town as experienced through one of my favorite annual festivals."

The 2013 Festival of the Arts (formerly Destin Festival of the Arts) will be held Oct. 26-27, 2013 at the enhanced Mattie Kelly Cultural Arts Village, and attendees will enjoy use of the expanded Village Green, new Dugas Pavilion, additional on-site parking and permanent restroom facility. The MKAF event committee anticipates more than 100 juried artists from across the United States. With a wide variety of art mediums represented, including acrylic, clay, collage, glass, jewelry, metal, mixed media, mosaic, oil, pen and ink, photography, digital art, pastel, pottery, sculpture, fiber, textile, wood, and watercolor, participating artists will compete for more than $9,000 in cash prizes.

The Festival of the Arts will also feature a Collaborative Art Exhibit, showcasing more than 40 community adult and student artists. Other festival amenities include live musical entertainment, strolling performers, a bistro-style food court and a Kid’s ArtStop with interactive arts and crafts for children. Meyer Boarding Company is also joining the celebration of arts with skim board workshops that allow kids of all ages to design their own personalized board. For more information, visit MattieKellyArtsFoundation.org or call 850-650-2226.