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Some people find 'Trump' Moonfest 2017 poster offensive

Posted at 5:51 PM, Oct 20, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-20 19:35:22-04

Moonfest is just over a week away and this year’s poster for the event is causing a stir on social media because it includes a caricature of President Donald Trump.

People posted on the Engage West Palm Facebook page saying they find the poster offensive.

“It wasn’t supposed to be harmful or offensive," said Kristen Dagata, a Moonfest event coordinator. "It was something the artist was depicting. Just political satire. We’ve done it in the past with the Democratic Party. Now the Republican Party. We’re just having fun.”

Dagata said organizers don't think the poster will cause people to not come to Moonfest.

Craig McInnis is the artist behind the sketch.

“As long as it’s stirring emotion, negative or positive, then my art is doing it’s job," he said.

While McInnis said he and the Moonfest organizer had shot around some ideas, he was then left to his own creativity. 

"Mr. Trump is an easy caricature because he has very distinguishing features," he said.

McInnis said he's drawn other presidents before.

"They’re on tv. Their image is burned into our minds," he said. "I drew Ronald Reagan when I was in high school because he was easy to draw."

He also said he's willing to draw anyone in a satirical way.

"I will gladly do a Hillary caricature. I would gladly do a Bernie Sanders caricature," McInnis said. "I would do George Washington. I would do someone’s mom. I don’t care who it is. It’s art."

Now, he said his art is doing exactly what it’s supposed to do, which is promote the event and spark discussion.

“It’s not a family picnic on July fourth or that type of thing," he said "It’s cool and edgy. It’s Halloween."

Moonfest is a private event, not a city event.

However, The West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority had shared an image of the poster on social media in order to promote Moonfest. DDA has since taken down posts from social media that included the poster.

The associate director said DDA will still support and promote the event because it’s good for downtown, but the organization won’t share images of the poster because people found it offensive.