LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The first signs of Derby season have arrived with the unveiling of the Kentucky Derby Festival's 2021 poster.

Copies of the poster, titled "Going Up," rolled off the presses Friday morning at Derby City Litho in downtown Louisville. Kentuckiana native Andy Perez designed this year's poster.

“The Derby Festival poster project provided the opportunity to combine painting and collage, and recycled materials into the art,” said Perez. “Sprinkled throughout the 2021 design are pieces from previous Derby Festival posters, to honor and celebrate traditions of the past in this year’s image.”

Known for his collage and mixed media artwork, Perez is a visual artist, illustrator, and graphic designer with a BFA from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. He lives in Louisville with his family.

Perez's work has been featured across the country and world in publications, galleries, and commercials. His portrait of Colonel Sanders was featured in a recent French KFC commercial.

“The Festival’s Pegasus icon has always symbolized magic, energy and excitement. This year’s poster captures that spirit,” said Matt Gibson, Kentucky Derby Festival President and CEO. “We hope it will help brighten the walls of homes and offices around the community.”

Perez called designing this year's poster "a full circle moment," recalling how he desperately wanted and finally got the 1991 KDF poster t-shirt as a third-grader and wore it to the Pegasus Parade that year.

The poster officially goes on sale on March 5, but Festival fans can pre-order the 2021 Limited Edition or Official Poster and receive free shipping on their poster order. Fans can still purchase most of the previous artwork through the Festival's website. Limited Edition Signed and Numbered posters retail for $75 and the Official poster retails for $30, both of which can be pre-ordered online.