It’s always fun to learn the inspiration behind a piece of art, especially when it has such a great local story like this one.

“To have a photo of a shrimp boat taken by a local fisherman, while out shrimping on another shrimp boat and use that photo to base the design and entire vibe for the 25th Anniversary Shrimp Festival…. is pretty darn cool’  said Ginger Wareham, a graphic designer and owner of local creative agency PickleJuice and EatStayPlayBeaufort.  PickleJuice was contracted to design marketing and promotional materials for the 2019 Beaufort Shrimp Festival by the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce. “We are delighted to work together with Cameron on this project and to honor the Reaves family and all of the hard-working folks who put fresh seafood on our tables every week.”

The 2019 Beaufort Shrimp Festival logo design, poster design and other related marketing materials were inspired by a photo that was shared on Facebook by local shrimper Cameron Reaves.  Cameron comes from a long line of commercial fishermen and is a member of the Reaves family, owners of Sea Eagle Market. Upon first sight of Cameron’s beautiful photo, Ginger’s creative juices were flowing so she reached out to him to see if she could use it.  “As you can see from the original photo, not much had to be done to make it all work.  The colors were simply perfect to base this year’s event promotion design around.

We had the opportunity to chat with Cameron and learn a little more about his experiences growing up in a family of commercial fishermen:  

Q: How old were you when you ate your first shrimp?
A: Probably whenever I was old enough to eat solid food.

Q: How old were you when you caught your first shrimp?
A: I started shrimping when I was about 4 years old.

Q: Do you have any fond memories of shrimping as a child
A: Well, I remember setting off a fire extinguisher in the Pilot Cabin of our boat when I was 5 or 6. Dad came up to check on me and the entire cabin was covered in white fire extinguisher (residue).

Q: Do you have a favorite shrimp recipe?
A: Bacon Wrapped Shrimp. Just wrap the shrimp in bacon & put them in the oven… everybody loves bacon.

Q: When shopping for shrimp, can you suggest any tips?
A: Definitely ask where the shrimp if from and try to buy locally sourced shrimp if it’s available. If you’re on the Carolina coast, ask for shrimp caught in North or South Carolina waters. If you’re in the gulf, ask for shrimp that’s caught in the gulf. Try not to buy imported shrimp if you can avoid it.

Q: Can you tell us what we can expect to see from Sea Eagle Market this weekend at the 25th Anniversary of the Beaufort Shrimp Festival?
A: You’ll have to come down and find out… come see us, we’ll be there for sure. One thing I can tell you is that we will once again be selling 5 lb bags shrimp straight off the boat along Waterfront Park so you can pick some up and take it home when you leave the festival.

The 2019 Shrimp Festival opens at 6:00 pm on Friday, October 4th and includes live music along with several area restaurants previewing their shrimp dishes for Saturday’s competitions. All restaurants will be using SC Wild Caught Shrimp when preparing their food.

A big thanks to Cameron and the rest of the Reaves family for all they do for our community. Be sure to stop by Sea Eagle Market and sample fabulous local shrimp offerings from all restaurants participating at the 25th Annual Beaufort Shrimp Festival at Waterfront Park this weekend.

Shrimp local y’all!