SouthCoast Artist Reaches Johnny Depp Art Contest Finals

A SouthCoast artist is in the running for a big prize backed by none other than Johnny Depp.

Tiverton native Miranda Carpenter is a finalist for The People's Artist, a competition where creators everywhere can "step forward, be seen, and support meaningful social impact through art."

In fact, you may be familiar with her work. Remember the snow yeti from the Blizzard of '26? Carpenter was the one who sculpted that.

How Miranda Carpenter Entered the Competition

"I came across the contest while scrolling on Facebook," Carpenter said. "Most contests I’ve seen require an entry fee, so the fact that this one was free made it feel like an easy first step into putting my work out there. I’ll admit, seeing Johnny Depp attached to it definitely caught my attention, too."

Courtesy Miranda Carpenter

Johnny Depp’s Connection to the Arts

Depp is a strong supporter of the arts and has been an advocate for The Art of Elysium, an organization that supports local artists.

Carpenter took a chance and for the first time ever, she entered her paintings in the creative contest.

What The People’s Artist Winner Receives

The winner of the competition will receive:

Exclusive exhibit at The Art of Elysium's Art Salon in Los Angeles
Featured in Artforum Magazine
$25,000 grand prize

Why the Contest Matters to Carpenter

"Winning would be incredibly meaningful. Beyond the financial relief, it would give me the opportunity to invest more deeply in my art," Carpenter said.

Courtesy Miranda Carpenter

"One of my long-term goals is to create a small, community-centered gallery space where local artists can display their work and people can gather to create, connect, and share experiences through art," she said. "While $25,000 wouldn’t fully build that, it would absolutely be a meaningful step in that direction."