FORMER ARTIGRAS EMERGING ARTIST TAPPED TO CREATE A MARINE INSPIRED COMMEMORATIVE POSTER FOR THE 2017 FESTIVAL

JUPITER, Fla. – The ArtiGras Fine Arts Festival is proud to announce that Hobe Sound resident Amber Moran’s mixed-media artwork titled Weekend Sandbar Fun has been selected as this year’s ArtiGras commemorative poster. The poster features a nautical theme with vibrant local fish, starfish and seahorses.

“I created this piece specifically for this year’s ArtiGras Fine Arts Festival. I thought about what my family’s favorite things are about our area. One idea that repeatedly popped up had to do with how much fun we have on summer weekends, swimming and exploring at the sandbar,” said Moran, who moved to South Florida in 2004. “My husband and I have two young boys and we all love to go out and explore our area sandbars with our friends and goddaughters. The kids have a great time playing and snorkeling together on and around the sandbar and around mangroves, discovering and learning about marine life. It never gets old to them. I wanted to try and capture this experience in this year’s design.”

For Moran, art has been life-long love affair. As a child, Moran loved to study the different colors and textures in nature and drew whatever and whenever she could creating illustrations for her family some that still hang in her grandfather’s office today.

But it was her selection as an emerging artist for ArtiGras in 2011, that really got her back into art as a full-time career.

“In 2010, I was very rusty and only had three small watercolor paintings finished. I submitted all three and waited, what seemed as a very long three months, to see if I was selected. I thought it was a slim chance, but I was hopeful. I was extremely excited to receive the ArtiGras invitation letter as an emerging artist for 2011,” said Moran, who studied studio art at the University at Buffalo, and general education at Elmira College. “Soon after receiving the acceptance letter, I realized that I only had a few paintings and somehow had to fill a whole booth! So I got to work.”

Since then Moran has made her art career a family affair. Her husband and boys travel with Moran from art show to art show and help set up, sell and take down her booth.

“I am absolutely thrilled and honored to be this year’s poster artist. This is really special for me since I started out in the Emerging Artist Program. I really feel a sense of accomplishment that my hard work and perseverance has paid off. I’m excited to be able to share my new artwork and how I have grown as an artist with ArtiGras attendees,” said Moran.

The 2017 ArtiGras poster will be available for purchase online at www.artigras.org or in the ArtiGras Merchandise Booth at the festival. Patrons can visit with Moran during ArtiGras at her booth #502 near the Merchandise Tent.

The 2017 ArtiGras Fine Arts Festival presented by Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center and produced by Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce will be held February 18, 19, and 20, 2017 at Abacoa in Jupiter. The outdoor arts event showcases a juried exhibition of outstanding fine art and crafts along with activities which include live entertainment, artist demonstrations, children’s interactive art activities, Youth Art Competition Gallery and the opportunity to meet more than 300 of the top artists from around the world.

For more information, visit the ArtiGras web site at www.artigras.org, e-mail information requests to info@artigras.org, or call the Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce at (561) 746-7111.

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Media contact: Rebecca Seelig, APR; PBPR; rebecca@pb-pr.com, (561) 628-5929