Shrimp Festival To Select New Poster After Uproar
Committee to Announce Replacement Poster Soon
Gulf Shores, Ala. — (OBA) — Throughout history there have been many accusations of artistic plagiarism. Warhol, Picasso, and the Mona Lisa have all been famously copied. But it is rare that a local artist is accused of such an act to win a poster contest for a beloved annual event.
In Gulf Shores, the annual Shrimp Festival draws over a hundred thousand visitors each October. One of the rituals for the event is selecting that year's poster which is submitted by various artists. The winner is honored with the coveted selection, and their poster prints are sold by the thousands during the event. Many buyers will stand in line to have the original artist sign their poster. The contest is one of the most cherished art events on the coast.
This year the Shrimp Festival selected artwork submitted by Michael Swiger. He was awarded $1,000 dollars and his poster was being prepared for mass production. Swiger is a well-known local artist whose family is prominent in real estate and local politics.
This past week the Shrimp Festival committee received comments that Swiger’s poster design closely resembled artwork from the 2024 Hurley Pro Sunset Beach surf competition in Hawaii, a major event on the World Surf League World Tour. The original surf competition artwork was created by Hawaiian artist Sara Saffery.
The Coastal Alabama Business Chamber, which manages the event, reviewed the two posters and spoke with Shrimp Festival artist Michael Swiger. Afterward they released this statement:
“After speaking with the artist and an in-depth discussion with the Shrimp Fest committee the decision was made to choose a different submission for this year’s poster.”
The Shrimp Festival committee has yet to announce the replacement selection but advised that a decision would be forth coming in the near future.
The Annual National Shrimp Festival is a project of the Coastal Alabama Business Chamber and the hundreds of volunteers who make up the production crew.
For over 50 years this volunteer-driven event has been a tradition on the beautiful beaches of Coastal Alabama. Food, music, art, and so much more make up an action-packed weekend with nearly 250,000 attendees. The event will take place October 9th through 12th, 2025.
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