former artists of the year
2009 Artist Of The Year
Michael McCarty
"With nearly twenty entries from gifted local artists, it’s always a challenge to select just one," said Mary Brown, member of the TDC Council and chair of the New Product Development Committee. "Michael’s contemporary style and representation of the destination’s focus on arts and culture and high quality of life just stood out among the rest and the committee found him to be a perfect addition to the program."
McCarty produces contemporary art and traditionally works with acrylic on canvas, but has been known to experiment with mixed media. His canvases are filled with color, sometimes brilliant and sometimes muted, but always interwoven with subtle visual suggestions. His styles range from abstract to figurative to botanical.
Michael McCarty began his career shortly after graduating from Auburn University with a degree in Fine Arts in Visual Design. His "one man show" of abstracts and graphic pieces held at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts was his first forum sharing his work with the public. He soon accepted a position as "designer-illustrator" with the internationally acclaimed Graphics group Studio in Atlanta. About five years later, he started working with songwriter and music producer Buddy Buie of the Atlanta Rhythm Section and created the album cover art for all of the group’s major albums. He went on to design the artwork for dozens of albums by other artists – including Little Richard, James Brown, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. McCarty has served as the Album Packaging Chairman for the Grammy Awards and has written a quarterly newsletter column for the Recording Academy. He later began painting abstracts for Richard Tubb and Loretta Goodwin Gallery in Birmingham, which brought him back into the world of fine art, and his work has been on display in the Page O’Connor Fine Art gallery since 1998.
Since moving to Beaches of South Walton a couple of years ago, McCarty has quickly become an integral part of the local community. He is a member of Friends of Eden, the Cultural Arts Association, P.O.E.T.S of Grayton Beach and the Seaside Chapel. He is also a board member and artist for the Emerald Grand "Art on the Harbor."
Donna Burgess
2008 Artist of the Year
Painter
http://www.artzbydonnaburgess.com/
Email: donna@artzbydonnaburgess.com
Donna Burgess captures the beauty and joy of coastal life through her multi-media interpretations and award-winning festival art.
Burgess’ signature designs feature scenes of coastal life, such as tin-roof beach cottages, animals and children at play and whimsical marine creatures. Her award-winning festival poster designs have promoted a variety of events … including the Destin Seafood Festival, Destin Fishing Rodeo, Seaside Memorial Day, Sandestin Wine Festival, Sandestin Memorial Day, and the yearly Autumn Tides celebration sponsored by Beaches of South Walton. She also has created artwork for the prestigious 40th annual Coconut Grove Arts Festival and the extravagant Boca Raton Food and Wine Appreciation weekend.
Private and corporate collections of her work include the Sandestin Corporation, Hilton Hotels, Embassy Suites, the Southern Company, Amsouth Bank, Access Bank; Security Title Company, McDonalds Corp., The Westinghouse Corporation; Seaside Development Corporation, The Howard Group, Rodney Strong Vineyards; professional athletes like Tom Glavine, Don Sutton, and Frank Howard; entertainers like Elton John and the late jazz musician, Herbie Mann; and former president George H. Bush.
Donna Burgess has been an active fixture on Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast art scene for more than 20 years. A native of the Gulf Coast, she is renowned not only for her artistic talent, but for her philanthropic endeavors as well. Her painting inspired by the events of September 11, 2001, raised more than $50,000 for the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund. She also completed a series of Labrador Retriever dog images in which a portion of the proceeds benefit The Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc. After Hurricane Katrina, a poster “dedicated to those lost and those who tried to save them….Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi” raised funds for shelters in Bay, Okaloosa, and Walton Counties housing people who fled the damaged areas. An avid animal lover, Donna also painted a series of dog portraits -- “Lucky Dogs” -- of pets from the hurricane-ravaged areas, to raise funds for local animal shelters. Through the years, her artwork has raised thousands of dollars for the Mattie Kelley Arts Foundation through auctions of her Sandestin Wine Festival art. The Elton John AIDS Foundation was the recipient of an original painting that raised $16,000 for the charity. Donations of original and reproduction work have raised thousands of dollars to benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. She also contributes to a number of national and community charities through auctions and sales of her work: Shelter House, American Cancer Society, Empty Stocking Fund, Northwest Florida Symphony Guild, Boys and Girls Club, Humane Society, and Society for Historical Preservation.
