PONCHATOULA, La. -- For years prior to the annual Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival, an official poster has been unveiled.
This year a contest was held to select the winner, and photos unveiled online set off a fire-storm of debate.
Some say they won't attend another Strawberry Festival. Others say it's beautiful.
"I think it's very wrong," said one person.
"I think it's neat," said Eva Hebert. "It's different from any we've had before."
The artist, Kallè Siekkinen, portrayed two faceless children in dark paint. One of them is holding a flat of strawberries.
He said the poster was inspired by the late Bill Hemmerling from Ponchatoula, who sold works of art similar to these. He was the artist of the festival's 2008 poster.
It, too, faced tough critics.
"Often times the simplistic nature of my art and Hemmerling's art, being not very detailed, it's actually an old African custom, and by not having those details, it allows the viewer to complete the painting," Siekkinen said. "And people we find, regardless of race, can often connect with the art."
Sparked by the controversy online, festival board members held an emergency meeting to discuss what's next.
They've decided they're keeping the poster.
"Art is subjective. It is interpretive," said Shelley Matherne. "There was no intent other than to pay tribute to the festival and the strawberry industry."
The board says Siekkinen's art is free and spirited, and express feelings of joy and happiness. They say they're looking forward to this year's festival.
Four hundred posters were printed this year. Since the unveiling, the festival board says there have been many requests for purchases, and they're selling fast.
