I had a whale of a time working on this illustrated map for Port St. Joe’s 2025 Mermaid Bay Festival!

As a free, arts-oriented event for all ages I knew when approaching this map project that we needed to keep the illustration simple, easy to read, and oh-so bright and colorful. The map highlights wayfinding areas most prominently (i.e. the Lighthouse and Pirate Ship Stage), followed by the performer locations, food vendors, and then all of the various activity stations.

By pairing every point-of-interest with an associated illustration, my aim was to make eventgoers curious about all of the available entertainment options, while still keeping the map easy to navigate overall.

We completed this project in a few short weeks just before the event— so my utmost thanks goes to Ellen Gortt for her prompt communication and clear + precise creative direction. Thanks for being a dream to work with, Ellen!

KIND WORDS

“Morgan is incredibly professional and talented. She took my simple "festival map" idea and added so many beautiful, creative elements, matching our event theme perfectly. Communication was very open and collaborative on every aspect of the project. I highly recommend Morgan, and I can't wait to work with her again in the future!”

Ellen Gortt, Founder, Mermaid Bay Festival