We Went to the Festival of the Arts in Destin, FL!

We visited the Festival of the Arts in Destin, FL. Good food, good music, and AMAZING art! Follow along as we introduce you to an artist and some beautiful works.

Unlike a lot of festivals, this was FREE.

That’s right. There was no fee for the festival or parking. You can’t beat free for budget travel!

The Festival is presented by the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation.

The arts foundation honors Mattie Kelly, a prominent historical figure in the Destin, FL area. She and her husband helped to bring the fishing and tourism industries to the Destin area.

Mrs. Kelly was a patron of the arts and wanted people along the Emerald Coast to have access to the art culture as well. Mattie Kelly was more than a patron of the arts, she was an artist. This fascinating lady wrote poetry and composed music.

This event was much larger than we expected.

We were shocked to see how many artists had work exhibited at the festival. This is the festival’s 28th year and it is growing every year.

There is more than just tangible art on display. The festival features great music and good food!

More than local art.

Sometimes visiting the famous art museums across the globe is not the most budget-friendly option. Art festivals like this bring the art to you. This festival offered a variety of work not only from across the United States, but from Europe as well.

We spoke to a couple of artists whose work was exhibited at the event.

First, we met Mr. William Morris, a former teacher, who pursued his passion of creating art. Mr. Morris was kind enough to share his story with us. His work is absolutely stunning. Be sure to check out our interview with Mr. Morris here: We Went to the Festival of the Arts in Destin, FL!

We also met Mr. Ricky Steele. An artist whose work does a beautiful job of capturing the emotion of both historical figures as well as special moments in life. His depictions of everyday life speak to your soul. He gave us permission to share some of his work with you in our video: We Went to the Festival of the Arts in Destin, FL!

The talent of many local artists rivals that of the greats.

There is often a misconception that the work of local artists cannot possibly rival that of the great masters such as Michelangelo, DaVinci, van Gogh, etc. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Take a moment to think about it. Even the greats were “local artists”. Their art was just seen by the right people and their reputation spread by word of mouth.

If you have the opportunity to visit a local art festival, take it! Who knows, you may discover the next Monet or Rembrandt.

Art festivals are a great local travel destination.

We had a great time at this event. Art festivals bring out the best in people. There is a mutual love and appreciation among those who produce the art and those who just enjoy it.

Special links:

Want more information on traveling for festivals? Check out our post: Festivals – What we Learned and What You Need to Know

And remember, break the monotony, not the bank.

–Marnie and Jeff