Mary Elizabeth Kimbrough is one stone-cold cool creator, bringing the magic with vibrant ceramics and expressive paintings that groove with Alabama’s wild beauty. From Auburn to Illinois to art schools coast-to-coast, she’s soaked up knowledge like a sponge and spins it into fearless textures, bold colors, and patterns that pop.

Her work has danced its way into collections from the U.S. to Japan, Bahrain, and Cyprus, and right here in Mobile she’s repped by Sophiella Gallery. When she’s not rocking the studio, she’s fully retired from teaching full-time at Bishop State and leading workshops that get folks fired up.

This year, she’s vibin’ on the Gulf Coast landscape—celebrating its beauty while calling out the need to protect it. We’re stoked to see her bring that passion and style back to The Throwdown stage! Help MEK stay solid gold — fund her groove!

For 13 years, local artists have gone head-to-head in this high-energy live art competition. Five artists. Ninety minutes. One shared supply table—and a surprise mystery box. It’s fast, creative, and a thrill to watch. At the end of the night, attendees can bid on these freshly made masterpieces in a live auction, hosted by director, actor, and writer Japonica Brown.

This year, we’re throwing it back in honor of MAC’s 70th anniversary — with a special “retro-bution” edition of The Throwdown! Past competitors are returning for another shot at victory, and we can’t wait to see what they bring to the table. This year’s competitors are Christy LeGross (returning champion), Mary Elizabeth Kimbrough (2019 competitor), Kathleen Kirk Stoves (2020 competitor), Christopher Murray (2022 competitor), and Ty Tover (2023 competitor).

Thank you to our 2025 event sponsors: Mobile County Commission, Heros Sports Bar & Grill, The Royal Scam, United Johnson Brothers, New Horizons Credit Union, Downtown Mobile Alliance, Cathead Distillery, Braided River Brewing Co., and Ron Barrett LLC.