Love child...never meant to be.

Each year, my agency does the promotions for Alabama Tourism's "Year Of" campaign. (Year of Alabama Food, Year of Alabama Outdoors, etc.) Next year is the Year of Alabama Arts. I was on one of two teams in my department competing to come up with the best campaign.

I lost.

But here are the mockups for the print pieces we developed. Each one highlights a real artist (although the pictures are stock photos....I assure you no quilter in Gee's Bend looks like ours...) Just thought I'd let you folks see some of the fun stuff I've gotten to work on, even if it never sees the light of day.


Outlasting fear and famine,
their art became a legend.

Arlonzia Pettway and the other women of isolated Gee’s Bend grew up with little money, little food and little idea that their quilts were astounding pieces of art. Now people journey from all over the world to see the women who overcame generations of racism and poverty. In Alabama, the only thing better than the art is the story behind it. That’s why we’ve devoted a year to celebrating our homegrown talent. To learn more of the Gee’s Bend story, call 800-ALABAMA or visit 800alabama.com. To feel it, come to Alabama.


A man inside a whale showed her
the surprising things inside herself.

When Annie Lucas’ husband suffered a major back injury, poverty seemed inevitable. Then she saw a vision of the biblical Jonah trapped in a whale. In that moment, her art was born. In Alabama, the only thing better than the art is the story behind it. That’s why we’ve devoted a year to celebrating our homegrown talent. To learn more of Annie’s story, call 800-ALABAMA or visit 800alabama.com. To feel it, come to Alabama.


With one string, he learned music.
With five more, he fought inequality.

Raised by his sharecropper grandparents, Willie King made his first guitar with one piece of wire. Joining the civil rights movement in the 1960s, he found his voice for justice in the blues. Now, between critically acclaimed albums, he's using music to inspire a new generation of rural youth. In Alabama, the only thing better than the art is the story behind it. That’s why we’ve devoted a year to celebrating our homegrown talent.To learn more of Willie’s story, call 800-ALABAMA or visit 800alabama.com. To feel it, come to Alabama.