Mississippi  Delta Blues and Heritage Festival Poster

The angel represents the mother of the Mississippi River, from which the blues tradition flows. Some of the musical instruments used in blues are depicted in the river. Magnolias, the state flower of Mississippi, bookend the title. The broken handcuff and chain on the angel’s wrist represents slavery, the origin of blues. (Ultimately the poster design was not used for the festival.)

gouache on paper
giclée print: archival inks on watercolor paper