With the annual Coconut Grove Arts Festival just around the corner, organizers and city officials gathered Friday to unveil this year’s promotional poster and celebrate one of the area’s largest and most enduring cultural events.
Peacocks, oranges and a burst of color took center stage Friday night as the Coconut Grove Arts Festival offered a first glimpse of the imagery that will define its 62nd year — unveiling a new poster designed to capture the spirit of the Grove and the creative energy of one of the nation’s largest outdoor art festivals.
The official 2026 festival poster, created by nationally recognized artist Kenneth Kudulis, was revealed during an invitation-only celebration at the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, where artists, sponsors and community leaders gathered for what has become a signature moment of the festival season.
Among those in attendance were Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins and District 2 Commissioner Damian Pardo.
Soon to appear on banners, flyers and T-shirts throughout Coconut Grove, the poster features a peacock perched on a branch amid oranges — a nod to the neighborhood’s iconic birds and the state’s agricultural roots.
“To represent a show that’s as prestigious as the Coconut Grove Arts Festival is awesome,” Kudulis told the Spotlight. “It’s an honor.”
Kudulis, who splits his time between Orlando and Chattanooga, Tenn., said the design was inspired by Florida’s historic orange groves and by his first visit to Coconut Grove five years ago.
“I’m coming in, and there were five or six peacocks in the road, and I was like, ‘Oh, this is cool,’” said Kudulis, a Juilliard-trained scenic artist whose work has spanned Broadway productions, opera and large-scale visual installations.
Executive Director of the festival, Camille Marchese, said she tapped Kudulis for the job after seeing his work in last year’s festival.
“To me, it was just a no-brainer to have a peacock on our poster,” Marchese said, pointing to the festival’s location in Peacock Park, the Peacock family, and the birds roaming the streets.
One of the country’s largest art festivals, this year’s event will feature 275 artists, 40% of whom are first-time participants.
Marchese said the art is better than ever before. With more than 1,100 artist applications, she said the standard has been raised higher.
“We score them one through 10,” she said. “Nobody that was below a 7.2 was in this show. It’s outstanding art.”
The event will take over South Bayshore Drive, McFarlane Road, Pan American Drive and adjacent city parks on President’s Day weekend from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and until 5 p.m. on Monday. Tickets start at $30 in advance and $35 at the gate. Discounts will be available for Coconut Grove residents, Marchese said.
Proceeds from the festival support year-round arts programming, including scholarships for FIU and Miami-Dade high school students and the festival’s emerging artist initiatives.
