This weekend, Festival International de Louisiane revealed the 2026 official artwork, pin and poster at its annual Premiere Party, unveiling a colorful, slightly abstract painting by acclaimed local artist Francis Pavy to mark the event’s 40th anniversary.
Pavy was commissioned to create the original artwork and serves as the festival’s 2026 official visual artist.
“Festival International is proud and excited for this milestone year,” Marketing Director Carly Viator Courville said in a press release. “We set a high bar across the board, and that led to bringing in the Pavy family.”
Pavy painted the piece in a collaborative process with his daughter, designer Annabelle Pavy, “The result is phenomenal,” Courville added.
Each year, Festival International commissions an artist to create original artwork for the event, which is then turned into posters and pins by a graphic designer. The sale of merchandise helps sustain the free Downtown festival.
Festival posters have long been an artistic tradition in Acadiana, with posters from festivals of decades passed being treasured like family heirlooms, but as of recent, AI has made at least one incursion into this sacred space — prompting significant backlash.
“It’s a great privilege to be chosen as the artist for the 40th year of Festival International,” Pavy said. “This festival is one of the heartbeats of our community, and to be chosen to capture that vibrant, multicultural energy for such a milestone — the big 40th anniversary — is humbling.”
Annabelle Pavy also said she felt grateful to contribute to the artwork promoting and sustaining an event she herself felt deeply connected to.
“I have fond childhood memories of walking through the streets of downtown during Festival International,” the younger Pavy said. “Going down Vermillion Street and gazing at the stilt walkers, running through the water fountain at Parc Sans Souci, meeting my aunt in the art market under her ceramics tent. It is wonderful to be one of the hands passing the torch of culture and tradition in my home city.”
