Festival of the Arts In Destin Oct 26 & 27

The Festival of the Arts, produced by Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation (MKAF), is one of the Southeast’s premier juried art festivals.

A celebration of art, food and family fun, it is staged in the MKAF Cultural Arts Village in Destin. Stroll outdoor tents Saturday (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and Sunday (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) to browse original artwork by more than 100 premier artists from across the United States. Enjoy artist demos, live music, creative children’s activities, street performers, food truck fare, beer & wine garden and more. Join in the festivities and cast your vote for the People’s Choice Award (Saturday). This event is free for attendees.

In its 29th year, the Festival of the Arts offers continuous live music, artist demonstrations and art projects for children as well as local cuisine.  The Festival is held in Destin, Florida an affluent and residential destination.

Jurying is by three art industry professionals. Repeat attendance by the public insures potential multi-year sales. Presented on the grounds of the Mattie Kelly Cultural Arts Village, hospitality is a high priority.  Staff and volunteers work year-round to create a pleasant environment for artists.  Awards are given based on the Judges’ scoring of each artist’s body of work as displayed in their booth.  As a one of the Foundation’s signature events, the Festival of the Arts helps us fulfill our mission to enhance and inspire every life through Arts and Culture.

The $12,000 in cash awards include, Best in Show, People’s Choice Award, Awards of Excellence, Awards of Merit and Judge’s Recognition Awards.

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.

Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation (MKAF), a non-profit 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 non-profits and school districts in the communities that it serves to ensure access to the arts for all.

Update 9/27/24

Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation (MKAF) celebrates the cultural arts by expanding and enhancing the offerings of its annual Festival of the Arts set for October 25-27.

This year’s event kicks off on Friday, Oct. 25 at 6 p.m. with the Arty Kick-Off Party on the Henderson Beach Resort’s Piazza Plaza. Watercolor artist Melanie Moore will paint live, while guests enjoy hors d’oeuvres, creative cocktails by Black Sheep Tequila, live music by Coconut Radio, and a cash bar. Tickets to the Arty Kick Off Party are $50 per person (includes welcome cocktail courtesy of Black Sheep Tequila.) MKAF Members save 10 percent.

One of the Southeast's premier art festivals, the two-day signature event (Saturday, Oct. 26 and Sunday, Oct. 27) held in tents dotting the Dugas Pavilion green in Destin, features art exhibits of more than 100 artists (including the juried and collaborative exhibit) from 16 states showcasing a diverse palette of artistic styles in 15 different art mediums. Admission to the Festival is free.

“Back by popular demand, our entertaining emcee Arty will be out and about once again starting on Friday with the Arty Kick-Off Party at Henderson Beach Resort. We’re also making a splash again with Maxine Orange’s Splatter Studio, a fun immersive experience for kids. New this year, we welcome master blacksmith David Sandlin as our featured guest artist who will do fiery live demonstrations and much more — we hope you enjoy it all,” said MKAF Festival Producer Deb Nissley.

Art lovers of all ages will be able to watch artists create works during live art demonstrations, browse art from dozens of emerging and student artists, and get hands-on in the interactive children’s art station. Beyond the visual arts, the Festival will feature two days of continual live music and a sampling of the local culinary arts scene. Entertaining street performers, lively art drawings, and the sale of colorful keepsake souvenirs — all create a family-friendly festival feel.

A Celebration of the Arts

The 29th annual edition of the Festival brings fresh art and new faces to the sugar-sand beaches of the Emerald Coast. This year, artists will be displaying everything from oil paintings and fine photography to mixed media, mosaics, sculpture, clay ceramics, jewelry, and more. After more than two decades, this Festival has become a popular and proven showcase for some of the best artistic talent nationwide who venture to Northwest Florida to compete for more than $12,000 in cash prizes.

The judging panel includes Reanna Watson academy director for the Eastern Shore Art Center in Fairhope, Alabama and Sheri O. Sanderson who has served at LeMoyne Arts gallery since 2008 and was instrumental in developing the famed Chain of Parks Art Festival. These judges will award artist prizes in the juried and collaborative art categories. On Saturday, Festivalgoers are invited to vote for the “People’s Choice” Artist Award by casting a ballot located at the Main Festival Entrance.

One of the unique features of the Festival is the Collaborative Art Exhibit, which showcases the work of seasoned and emerging adult artists and local student artists competing for the $850 McIlroy Awards given by Pam and Peter McIlroy in honor of the late Patricia McIlroy, Destin’s first First Lady and an MKAF advocate and patron.

The Festival provides opportunities for all ages to interact and immerse themselves in the vibrant art scene. The Kids Corner & Creation Station welcomes youngsters to enjoy hands-on fun creating seasonal crafts and the Maxine Orange Splatter Studio that is sure to unleash any kids’ artistic inspiration.

Featured Guest Artist

Look for live, fiery blacksmith demonstrations by master craftsman David Sandlin to the right of the Dugas Pavilion stage. With decades of experience gained from working across various countries and cultures, Sandlin now teaches woodshop, blacksmithing, and also offers apprenticeships.

A Celebration of Music

This year’s live entertainment lineup expands to seven live music performances and — new this year — live theater scenes. Saturday (10-11:30 a.m.) Jones & Company deliver jazz, soul, and world music, then rock, blues, dance, and original music by Tillman & Taff (Noon-2 p.m.), followed by Stage Crafters Community Theatre company members who will perform scenes from their upcoming fall musical production of A Gentlemen’s Guide to Love and Murder

(2:15-2:45 p.m.) Rounding out the day is Stormfolk with their folk, bluegrass, rock and pop sounds.

On Sunday, Now & Then (10-11 a.m.) opens the Festival with folk tunes that allow them to improvise their acoustic fiddle and guitar, followed by Roman Street Trio (11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.) — an instrumental band specializing in improvisational fusion of classical, gypsy, contemporary jazz and Latin vibes. Sinfonia Youth Orchestra (1:45-2:15 p.m.) performs folk, holiday seasonal, and classic favorites and Nashville duo Luke & Kaylee (2:30-4 p.m.) closes out the Festival with their country music.  

The Art of Dining

The Festival has expanded its culinary arts experience, too. Cuisine on the Green will serve up samplings of Venezuelan cuisine from La Chama Venez, gourmet burgers, chicken and fish sandwiches from Fuel Burgers, Latin vegan cuisine from That Rican Vegan, Texas smoked BBQ from Red Neck Riviera Smokers, plus Italian ice and gelato from Repicci’s of the Panhandle and classic savory snacks from PJ’s Popcorn & Pork Rinds. Foodies can toast the arts with select wine, beer, and fresh-crafted Bloody Mary cocktails in the Beer & Wine Garden.

More Festival Amenities

Buy Festival Merchandise — This year's official Festival guide, poster, and t-shirt feature the coastal-inspired artwork of Santa Rosa Beach, Florida-based artist Kelly Pierre. Signed and numbered poster prints and souvenir t-shirts featuring Pierre’s vibrant, whimsical oil on canvas entitled Transcendent — that beautifully evokes the spirit of Florida living — will be available for sale in the Souvenir Tent.

Win Art! — Be sure to also visit the Art Drawing Tent and enter the charity benefit drawing for chances to win a range of original artwork generously donated by the Festival artists. The drawing will take place on Sunday, Oct. 27 at 3 p.m., but you do not need to be present to win.    

Get the Guide —A complimentary four-color Festival Guide containing a roster of all artists, a map of the Festival site, the entertainment lineup, a list of food & beverage vendors, and other helpful hints on how to navigate through the Festival is available at the entrance.

Free Parking/Shuttle — Park for free at Destin High School located adjacent to the Cultural Arts Village or at Emerald Coast Centre, located on Highway 98 near Beall’s Department Store, and ride the free continuous shuttle service right to the main entrance. The Cultural Arts Village is designed as an ADA-compliant venue with available handicap parking.  

Convenient Art Pick-Up — Purchasers of large artwork or multiple pieces can obtain an “art pickup” pass from the Festival Main Entry Tent. For Festival fans using the art shuttle, simply retrieve your vehicle and display your pass on your dashboard to gain access to the Festival entrance.

Get Involved — The Festival is sponsored, in part, by local businesses and media partners, and is produced with the help of a team of more than dedicated volunteers. Volunteer shifts are available by contacting Volunteer Coordinator Stephanie Shea (850) 217-2833 or email her at sshea@boemortgage.com.

To sign up to Volunteer, click here https://signup.com/go/DSXyQis.

The Festival is free and open to the public and runs Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Donations are welcome. Proceeds benefit Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation and its ArtsReach initiatives serving local K-12 students, individuals with disabilities, and active-duty military and veterans throughout Northwest Florida and the Southeast.

To purchase tickets to Arty Kick-Off Party and more information about the Festival of the Arts, visit www.MKAF.org or call (850) 650-2226.

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.