SPANISH FORT, Ala. — In preparation for the third annual Delta Woods and Waters Expo, organizers of Spanish Fort’s signature community event have selected the visual cue expected to encourage another record crowd to “Discover the Delta.”

Spanish Fort artist Jean McKee has created a painting to be used exclusively to promote the three-day environmental education extravaganza slated to return to 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center April 28-30.

As in years past, the first two days of the expo will be reserved for area school children, but the public will be invited for a day-long celebration at the free Family Day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 30.

“It’s a lot of work, but everybody really puts everything into it to be sure we really showcase what our delta has to offer,” said Claudine Andress, who has served as chairwoman since the event’s 2009 debut.

Expo spokeswoman Monica Davis said festival-goers will have myriad activities to keep them engaged and entertained, but the newest addition for 2011 is the Great Bartram Canoe Classic, a 3.5-mile canoe and kayak race. (Editor’s Note: Look for more details in The Bulletin’s continued pre-expo coverage.)

McKee’s painting, Davis said, captures the true spirit of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. McKee is a self-trained artist who uses oils, acrylics and watercolors to capture “our beautiful world in a colorful and magical way,” she said.

“After photographing the subjects, I interpret them into more colorful and moody realism … The composition flows and keeps the observers eye engaged. It took many years of value distribution and the combining of colors to master the craft,” said McKee, who began her career in 1982, and has exhibited in galleries in New Orleans, Orlando, Memphis, Birmingham, Gulf Shores and Fairhope. The award-winning artist has also participated in more than 300 outdoor art shows across the South.

Andress said more than 2,000 people from across the region took part in the 2010 Family Day, alone, as the sounds of live music and the smell of fresh-fried catfish wafted through the trees.

The expo was created, she said, to expose area youth to the virtues of environmental consciousness and importance of marine safety, while simultaneously addressing the city’s long-range goal of creating a communitywide event that defines and unites its residents.

Family Day traditionally offers an expanded slate of 25 activities and demonstrations, covering everything from small-boat handling and turkey calling to yarn spinning and marine safety. John C. Hall founding curator of the University of West Alabama’s Black Belt Regional Museum, will again reprise his role as storied naturalist William Bartram, who traveled through Alabama in 1775, recording firsthand data on the region’s undisturbed natural environment and native inhabitants.

For more information, visit www.cityofspanishfort.com.