The Annual National Shrimp Festival committee has selected the new poster to represent the 52nd-annual event after the originally selected poster was found to be “similar in design” to another artist’s work from 2024.

A second vote for the poster was held, and Gulf Shores-based artist and island native Mallorie Papadelias had her poster selected as the face of the festival.

“I’m very honored to have won this; it’s just a full circle moment to see my art represent the community that I love so much,” she said.

Papadelias graduated from Spring Hill College with a bachelor's in graphic design in 2022. After college, she started a freelance graphic design business, which has led her to an “overall creative business,” as she now works on projects from painting local business menus to full-wall murals.

Her most recent project can be seen on the wall of the Cherry on Top ice cream shop on West 1st Avenue in Gulf Shores. When not painting or designing, Papadelias can be found serving coffee at her family’s business, Happy Pappys Coffee Shop.

Papadelias said she feels her poster for Shrimp Fest features the “vibrancy of the location” and the “fun-spirited nature of the festival.”

The poster features a blue Volkswagen-styled van driving on the beach with an art pallet and paintbrush resting on top “in lieu of a surfboard.” One shrimp is driving the van while another hangs out the passenger window playing the saxophone. An airplane flies overhead with a banner introducing the festival year.

“I pulled more of a groovy, retro style, taking the poster back to when the festival started in the '70s,” Papadelias said. “… The festival captures the celebration of life’s simple pleasures, good food, good music and good art. That’s what the poster represents.”

The acrylic on canvas poster submission is on display at the Coastal Alabama Business Chamber in Gulf Shores.

As previously reported by GCM, the festival committee is made up of nearly 100 volunteers who work year-round to plan the event. 26 entries were submitted by artists from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana, New Jersey, New York and Wisconsin.

Papadelias’ poster design will be made into festival merch such as shirts, hats and posters to be sold at the festival. Posters will be available for purchase beginning at 10 a.m. on the first day of the event and Papadelias will be signing posters during the festival; time and place to be announced.

The festival will run from Oct. 9 to Oct. 12. Volunteer applications are, as of press time, still open for a variety of positions from concessions to bike valet on the festival website at www.myshrimpfest.com/volunteer.