The 31st Annual Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation (MKAF) Festival of the Arts, held Oct. 24-25 at the MKAF Cultural Arts Village in Destin, showcased the talents of more than 100 artists from across the country. The two-day celebration featured a diverse array of artistic styles and mediums, drawing art enthusiasts, families and visitors for a weekend dedicated to creativity and community.
Highlights of the cultural weekend included live music, street performers, interactive art demonstrations, children's activities, food trucks, beverages and opportunities to meet artists and experience their creative processes firsthand. The festival also featured the 10th anniversary of MKAF's Warrior Arts program, which serves veterans and active-duty military members through therapeutic arts experiences.
The juried festival recognized outstanding artistic achievement with 22 awards totaling nearly $10,000 in cash prizes, including honors for Best in Show, People's Choice, Awards of Excellence, Awards of Merit, Judges Recognition and the Collaborative Tent competition.
Paul Henry Devoti earned the festival's top honor, Best in Show, and a $2,000 award for his ceramic artwork. Jordan Aucoin received the $1,000 People's Choice Award for sculpture, reflecting the appreciation of festivalgoers who cast their votes during the weekend.
The festival's 2026 featured poster artist, Jamie Babula, was also recognized with a $750 poster contest award for his work, Drawn to Paint, created in colored pencil.
The Collaborative Tent provided another opportunity to celebrate artistic expression, recognizing adult and student artists for their creativity and craftsmanship. Andrea Scurto earned Best in Show in the adult division for her oil painting, Beauty in Age, while Destin High School student Addie Kelly received Best in Show in the student division for Robin Williams
.
Honored artists in the 31st Annual Festival of the Arts are as follows:
Best in Show –$2,000
Paul Henry Devoti, ceramics
People's Choice Award – $1,000
Jordan Aucoin, sculpture
Awards of Excellence – $850 each
Michael Lunsford, acrylic
Petty Shepard & Mary Otieno, fiber
Hilario Flores, wood
Awards of Merit – $450 each
Thomas Wrenn, mixed media
Molly McGuire, mixed media
Anne Schroeder, acrylic
Judges Recognition Awards – $250 each
Dorothy Starbuck, oil
Tony Cray, glass
Laurell Szczepanski, mixed media
Richard Franklin, acrylic
Ann & Henry Jalsa, jewelry
Poster Artist – $750
Jamie Babula, Drawn to Paint, colored pencil
Collaborative Tent Awards
Adult Division
Best in Show – $200
Andrea Scurto, Beauty in Age, oil
First Place — $150
John Pope, Dock Master, acrylic
Second Place — $100
Kristin Walls, Nova's Paws, oil
Third Place — $75
Ian Fagan, Taking the 'L', photography
Student Division
Best in Show – $200
Addie Kelly, Destin High School, Robin Williams, gouache/colored pencil
First Place – $150
Sophia Pawlik, Fort Walton Beach High School, Pet's Night, acrylic
Second Place – $100
Charlotte Costello, Ohana Institute, Simon, celluclay and acrylic
Third Place – $75
Wren Reddish, South Walton High School, Fragments of Me, acrylic and chalk pastels
The Festival of the Arts is one of MKAF's signature annual events, bringing artists and the community together while supporting the foundation's commitment to making the arts accessible to all.
Proceeds benefit MKAF's ArtsReach initiative, which provides educational and cultural programming for K-12 students, people with special needs and the military community throughout Northwest Florida.
To make a tax-deductible donation, explore corporate sponsorship opportunities or learn more about MKAF membership, visit www.MKAF.org or call (850) 650-2226.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Photo gallery of 2026 winners and FOA weekend here
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 424,000 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 performing artists and bands each spring, while more than 100 artists convene in Destin each fall for the Festival of the Arts, one of the preeminent arts festivals along the Gulf Coast.
