The 2012 Governor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts ceremony will be held Thursday, Feb. 16, at Wells Memorial United Methodist Church in Jackson.

To commemorate the event each year, the Mississippi Arts Commission prints a poster for the Governor’s Awards. The poster boasts photography highlighting the influence the arts have on government, from a rose chandelier at the Governor’s Mansion to a Native American copper breastplate found in Mississippi.

The image for the 2012 event features the incredible work of world-renowned artist and Mississippi Gulf Coast native, Walter Anderson (1903-1065). Majestic herons and ducks in flight are a detail from the celebrated 3,000-square-foot mural painted by Anderson in the Community Center in Ocean Springs.

Part of the mural celebrates the natural environment of Anderson’s beloved Gulf Coast. Other scenes depict the early history of Ocean Springs. Painted in 1951-1952 directly onto the building’s cinder block walls, the mural was created by Anderson for a fee of one dollar—an illustration of his belief in the obligation that the artist and society have to each other.

The Mississippi Arts Commission salutes the success of Ocean Springs, where artists, non-profits, and businesses work together for mutual benefit. Walter Anderson’s prolific legacy, the Anderson family’s Shearwater Pottery, and the town’s many other artistic endeavors are a testimony to how the creative economy benefits everyone.

The 2012 poster was designed by Vidal Blankenstein and features photography by Tom Joynt. The poster will be available for free from the Arts Commission after the February 16th ceremony.