2021 Commemorative Poster Artist

Poster Artwork – “Seeing is Believing”

“Much like the mind of a child, the State Fair is a place of imagination, magic and adventure. It is a place of love and inclusion where all are celebrated; even the Sasquatch is at home. It represents a model of community which we all can aspire to. The original painting for this poster was painted in oil on canvas and the children depicted are Alaskans from my community here in Homer. It was important to me that I depicted real individuals as these are the faces of Alaska’s future.”

— David Pettibone

Biography

David Pettibone received his BFA in Painting from the Rhode Island School of Design and his MFA in Painting from the New York Academy of Art. In 2013, David spent several months in Utqiagvik, painting scenes of the Inupiaq subsistence whaling culture with the consent of Utqiagvik community leaders. It was this experience that turned him towards Alaska, its diverse culture and extreme natural beauty. In 2015, David and his wife, Elissa, moved from New York City to Alaska and headed straight to the 2015 Alaska State Fair days after they arrived. David has been teaching drawing and painting both in Anchorage and in Homer. He continues to maintain a daily studio practice.

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