Official Artwork

The 2026 Official Artwork by Artist Elizabeth Sheats

Each year, the North Carolina Azalea Festival President chooses an artist to create an artistic representation of the North Carolina Azalea Festival. The artist is honored at the Art Unveiling, and Limited Edition signed prints are available for sale in the Azalea Festival Ticket Office. Please note, not all prints are available for purchase.

Past Festival Prints are available for purchase at the North Carolina Azalea Festival Ticket Office. The current year’s print is $50, the immediate past year’s print is $25, and all other prints are $10. Please call the Festival Ticket Office for past print availability and prices at (910) 794-4650.

Artist Bio

Elizabeth Sheats

Wilmington native Elizabeth Reynolds Sheats has had a passion for art, travel, and design as long as she can remember. For over a decade, she’s found work as a full-time artist both rewarding and challenging. Elizabeth is best known for her vivid and hope-giving tree canopies as well as her series of local landmark Christmas ornaments. She works in both acrylic and watercolor media.

As a young child, Elizabeth took classes at St. John’s Museum of Art (now the CAM) and entered numerous children’s art competitions. She continued her training with degrees in Studio Art and Interior design and was lucky enough to study abroad in both Italy and France.

A one-time Azalea Belle and a faithful attendee of the Azalea Festival Historic Home Tour, Elizabeth is deeply honored to be the 2026 Azalea Festival Artist. When she’s not painting or traveling, Elizabeth can often be found at Wrightsville Beach with her amazing husband Livingston, her three fun-loving boys, and their rescue hound, Rosie.

Discover her work at www.elizabethsheats.com

Festival Artists

1984-2003

1987 Jeff Morvil
1988 None
1989 None
1990 Martha Grove Williams
1991 Samuel Bissette
1992 Ronald Williams
1993 Morvil Design
1994 Popular Design
1995 Jeff Morvil
1996 Morvil Design
1997 Cathy Maya
1998 Jodie Rippy
1999 Jodie Rippy
2000 Deborah Cavenaugh
2001 Deborah Cavenaugh
2002 Barbra Jamison
2003 Beth Ellis Harry

2004-2020

2004 Bruce Bowman
2005 Ivey Hayes
2006 Harry Lee Davis
2007 Cathy Poulos
2008 Bruce Bowman
2009 George Pocheptsov
2010 Sandy Nelson
2011 Jenny McKinnon Wright
2012 Terry Sellers Harrison
2013 Elizabeth Singletary
2014 William Mangum
2015 Clyde Edgerton
2016 Mary Ellen Golden
2017 Sean Ruttkay
2018 Virginia Wright-Frierson
2019 Bergen DeLeeuw
2020 Todd Carignan