Christina Donahoe of Christina Custom Art has been selected as the winner of Fort Walton Beach’s downtown entrance sign design competition, earning her a $5,000 prize presented during Tuesday night’s City Council meeting.
- Donahoe’s winning design will be installed at the intersection of U.S. Highway 98 and Eglin Parkway SE, just west of the historic Gulfview Hotel Center, to provide a visual welcome to the downtown district. The sign will be part of a larger beautification project that includes landscaping.
The artwork depicts a paddleboard and wave, reflecting the importance of the local area’s waterways, and features visual elements ranging from the 1200-year-old Indian Temple Mound to the fighter jets that fly overhead.
Donahoe’s proposal was selected from 46 entries in the competition organized and funded by the City of Fort Walton Beach’s Community Redevelopment Agency.
- “We had a lot of wonderful entries that were deserving of the award,” said CRA Administrator Alisa Burleson. “We thank all those who participated for their efforts and great ideas.”
A committee of nine judges narrowed the field to five entries before meeting in person in late April to select the winning design.
Donahoe is an established artist whose murals can be found at several locations in downtown Fort Walton Beach, including a large five-panel mural on the back of the Fort Walton Beach Library.
The city will soon issue a Request for Qualifications to identify a vendor to build and install the sign at its designated location.
