Festival of the Arts

We have chosen our 2022 poster contest winner, Mark “Iggy” DiLeonardo.

Mark "Iggy" DiLeonardo moved from Pittsburgh to Miramar, Florida at the age of 5, but he considers himself a Floridian and has never wanted to leave the sunshine state. His love of art started at a young age, learning how to shadow and highlight from his older sister who painted. Iggy wanted to learn more about the craft and took several art courses in high school. His additional passion for playing music led him as a young adult to put down the paintbrush and embark on a musical path, playing with several bands in South Florida and touring the Northeast before returning home and starting his career as a chef. Having lived on the South Florida coastline for over 21 years, and on Deerfield Beach for the past 11, Iggy spends a lot of time on the sand. In 2009 while walking along the shore he found an abandoned canvassed beach chair and was inspired to paint again – using the chair’s canvas and wood to frame a painting of a pelican. Over the past 12 years, he has continued painting with acrylics and using found objects in his art. Water is the primary theme, and he uses the ocean as a background for many of his pieces, adding other favorite elements of the area to his work as well. Iggy enjoys attending galleries and art events to gain inspiration, but his unique technique has developed over the years just by seeing all the splendor that surrounds him and wanting to share it. He hopes you are inspired by all that surrounds you. It’s a beautiful life.