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Video above: ‘News 5 Now’ — Top Stories from May 12, 2026
GULF SHORES, Ala. (WKRG) — Tara McMeans of Gulf Shores has been announced as the winner of the 53rd Annual National Shrimp Festival poster contest winner, making it twice she has held the honor.
McMeans is a graphic designer with a degree in commercial art from Faulkner State — now Coastal Alabama Community College, and owns Design, Print, Promote in Gulf Shores, according to a National Shrimp Festival news release.
She won for the first time in 2020, but the festival was canceled because of COVID.
“Then in 2021 they decided to use my art, yay! I updated the year and then … yep, you guessed it … COVID resurgence,” McMeans told News 5 after her first win. The festival was once again canceled.
Finally, in 2022, McMeans art graced the poster and everything National Shrimp Festival.
This year the local artist went up against 43 others from Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi and even Italy.
An evaluation process was completed by a group of 40 committee members and judges on April 21, after which McMeans’ artwork was selected.
“The variety and creativity of this year’s entries were incredible,” Festival Chairman Rob Barnas said. “We’re especially proud to see a talented local artist like Tara win and represent the festival with her work.”
“The poster is a mixed media collage layering old sheet music with newspaper clippings referencing the Shrimp Festival over the past decade,” the release said. “Torn paper and magazine cutouts form the lettering, while a shrimp serves as the focal point, which McMeans created with a palette knife using layered watercolor and acrylic paints.”
McMeans said she was aiming for something new and different.
“This year I wanted to create something unlike anything that has been done before,” McMeans said. “I still can’t quite believe it. I’m beyond honored to have my artwork once again featured in my community. It makes me feel so good to see it around town on t-shirts and in local establishments.”
McMeans’ art will be on all promotional items for the festival, while McMeans will receive a $1,000 cash prize and will appear at the event for a poster signing.
Posters will be available for purchase beginning at 10 a.m. Oct. 8, the festival’s opening day, but pre-signed copies will be individually numbered to 100 and bear McMeans’ signature.
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For more information about the festival, visit the National Shrimp Festival website.
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