Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation Awards $10,000 to 22 Winners at 31st Annual Festival of the Arts

Paul Henry Devoti earns Best in Show honors at Destin’s annual celebration of art 

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.

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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.