AthFest Educates has selected local painter Will Eskridge to be its 2025 theme artist, a role that is responsible for creating a cohesive aesthetic theme to use across a variety of merchandise and promotional materials for the nonprofit’s two flagship fundraising events, the AthFest Music & Arts Festival (June 20–22) and AthFest Half Marathon & 5K (Oct. 11–12).
Eskridge is a prolific, full-time artist who has found his groove balancing exhibitions, artist markets and festivals, commissions and other creative endeavors. His large-scale murals can be found all over town at places such as Fun Galaxy, the College Avenue Parking Deck, UGA Pet Health Center, Whit Davis Elementary School, Flicker Theatre & Bar, Bojangles, Agua Linda, Coile Middle School, Clarke Central High School and the eastside Taco Stand.
A familiar face at AthFest’s annual Artist Market, Eskridge is also a talented drummer and guitarist who has written music through a variety of garage, surf, punk and synthwave projects over the years, including Forbidden Waves, BeachPunx, Fog After Dusk and Will.
Check out the press release below.
AthFest Educates Announces 2025 Theme Artist Will Eskridge
(Athens, GA) — AthFest Educates is thrilled to announce the selection of our 2025 Theme Artist, Will Eskridge. Will is an active and beloved local artist, well-known for his surreal and whimsical paintings featuring animals that are often misunderstood, feared, or outcast. His art is featured in several downtown businesses, and one of his murals hangs in the College Avenue parking deck. Will has also been a part of the AthFest Artist Market for many years. He will be working with the organization to create an aesthetic theme, logos, and merchandise for AthFest Educates’ two iconic downtown events: the AthFest Music & Arts Festival (June 20-22) and the AthHalf Half Marathon & 5K (Oct 11-12).
You can also see more of his work and learn more about him as an artist at www.willeskridge.com.
AthFest Educates funds art education for K-12 students in Athens, Clarke County. The organization produces two annual fundraisers, the AthFest Music & Arts Festival and the AthHalf Half Marathon & 5K. Proceeds from these events, and contributions from generous donors, support high-quality accessible music and arts education through the AthFest Educates Grants Program, available to local educators.
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