GULF SHORES, AL — The 45th Annual National Shrimp Festival official poster has been selected.

This year’s winning poster was created and designed by Michael O’Connell of Clearwater, Florida. A graphic design artist, he is a back-to-back winner of the contest after submitting the winning entry for the 2015 festival.

O’Connell designs have also been selected for the Clearwater Centennial Logo and the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, among others.

The winning poster was voted on by the Shrimp Festival Committee last month.  The committee is made up of over 100 volunteers who help coordinate and organize the festival.

Selecting the poster in advance to helps advertise, promote and brand the upcoming festival. More than 30 different artists submitted entries with posters from Michigan, Arkansas, California, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida and Alabama.

“After having my poster selected last year, I had a chance to meet a lot of the volunteers and really get a sense of all the hard work and community pride that goes into putting this event on,” O’Connell said. “So with this being the 45th year, I really wanted to do something that would appeal to everyone and design a poster that had a completely different look from all the others that had been done in the past.”

"We want to thank all of the artists who submitted this year,” Matt Mogan, chairman of the Annual National Shrimp Festival, said. “There were many great options to choose from; however, we must pick one. And once again the committee has picked a fine poster. The artist captured a wonderful look that will represent our 45th year very well.”

The winning poster will be on sale online and at the chamber’s offices in Gulf Shores beginning Aug. 1. O’Connell will also be on hand during the festival to sign and number a limited supply of prints which will be available for purchase.

This year’s National Shrimp Festival presented by Zatarain’s, will take place in Gulf Shores from Oct. 13-16.  For more information visit www.myshrimpfest.com. For photos of the National Shrimp Festival contact Owen Corcoran at (251) 968-4237 or owen@mygulfcoastchamber.com.