Endangered Species Day

The national Endangered Species Day Youth Art contest provides young people with an opportunity to learn about endangered species and express their knowledge and support through artwork. Started in 2006 by the United States Congress, Endangered Species Day recognizes the importance of endangered species and is an occasion to educate the public on how to protect them. The art contest is an integral part of the seventh annual national Endangered Species Day, celebrated on May 18th, 2012.

The Endangered Species Day Youth Art Contest is organized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Endangered Species Coalition, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art/ University of New Orleans.

Teachers can include the Endangered Species Day Youth Art Contest as a featured activity for Youth Art Month in March 2012.

Learning about endangered species

Schools, scout troops and other educational institutions are encouraged to learn about our nation’s wildlife, birds, fish and plants on the brink of extinction. Lesson plans and other educational materials can be found at www.EndangeredSpeciesDay.org.

Subject Matter

Artwork should highlight one or more land- and/or ocean-dwelling endangered species—mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, fish, plant, and/or invertebrate (e.g., insect, spider, snail, coral, crustacean or clam)—found in the United States. Entrants are encouraged to depict species found in their region, ideally in the species’ usual habitat. Entrants may wish to choose from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Spotlight Species. (See: http://www.fws.gov/endangered/ for a list of all endangered species.)

Judging

Winners will be chosen in four categories: K-Grade 2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12. From these, one national winner will be selected. Initial judging will be conducted by the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, a Smithsonian Affiliate. A prestigious panel of judges, including artists, conservationists, educators and others will then select the final winners. The art will be judged on the basis of:

• Concept: How well the work relates to the endangered species theme
• Composition: How well the elements of line and form work together
• Color: How color enhances the artwork
• Expression: How imaginatively the work conveys an idea or emotion

Entry Requirements

• The physical size of submitted artwork must be 8 1/2" x 11" and less than 1/8" thick.
• Image must be a live portrayal of a native North American endangered species.
• Artistic liberties may be taken as long as the depiction is a recognizable endangered species.
• Entries should not be matted, mounted, laminated, framed or folded.
• Chalk and pastel entries should be sprayed with a fixative to safeguard artwork.
• The entry may be multi-color, black and white, or a single color; it may be rendered in ink, paint, pastel, crayon, or pencil.
• Techniques may include scratch-board, airbrush, linoleum printing, paper collage, dry brush, crosshatch, pointillism. No photography, weak pencil, or computer-generated art. Computers or other mechanical devices may not be used in creating artwork.
• No lettering, words, signatures or initials may appear on the front of the design. Please note this change from previous art contests. Such markings will result in disqualification.
• Design entries must be entrant's original, hand-drawn creation and may not be traced or copied from published photographs or other artists' works. Entrants may rely on photographs or published images as guides. However, especially when references are used for the subject(s), the entry must be the entrant's own creation and idea.
• The entry must have the name, grade and title on the back of the submission in pencil.
• Attach a completed entry form with tape or other fixative to the back of artwork. If using glue, be careful to use one that will not run through and damage the artwork. No paperclips.
• Entries must be postmarked by March 15, 2012.

Submission

The deadline for submissions is March 15, 2012. Entries should be sent to:

Endangered Species Day Art Contest

Ogden Museum of Southern Art

University of New Orleans

925 Camp St.

New Orleans, La. 70130

Prizes

Winners will be chosen in the four age categories. From these, one grand prize winner will be selected and honored with his/her name engraved on a special trophy that was designed by a gifted young artist (Meredith Graf of New Orleans, LA). The grand prize winner will receive a round-trip flight to Washington, D.C. for him/herself and one guardian to attend a reception in May. Accommodations will also be provided. (Prize is not redeemable for cash.) All other expenses are the responsibility of the winner. In addition, the grand prize winner will receive a one-hour art lesson from well-known artist Wyland (via Skype) and $50 worth of art supplies of their choice from Chartpak, Inc.

The grade category winners will receive a special plaque and $25 worth of art supplies of their choice from Chartpak, Inc.

All contest entrants will receive a Certificate of Participation (available on Endangered Species Day Website for teachers/youth leaders/parents to download).

An exhibition of the artwork and other promotions are also planned.

Ownership

Submissions become property of the Endangered Species Coalition. Through submission of artwork, entrants and their legal guardians grant non-exclusive reproduction and publication rights to the works submitted which will not be returned. Though the Endangered Species Coalition will attempt to treat all submitted work with the utmost care, the Endangered Species Coalition is not responsible for any damage or loss that may occur during the sending of entries through the mail. Other contest partners, including U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the Ogden Museum/ University of New Orleans will also have permission to use artwork for non-profit educational purposes.

All artwork must include a complete entry form. You can download the form here.

2011 Endangered Species Day Youth Art Contest Winners

The 2011 contest winners and semi-finalists from each age category can be viewed here-congratulations everyone!

The grand prize winner is Green Sea Turtle, by Amy Cheu (grade 9-12).

First place runner up is Desert Tortoise, by Sophia Rojas (grade 3-5).

Grade K-2 winner is Florida Panther, by Kevin Song

Grade 6-8 winner is Swallow-tailed kite, by Kevin Huo

Semi-Finalists can be viewed here.

Teachers are encouraged to download and print our Endangered Species Day Youth Art Contest Certificate of Participation for their young artists. Thank you for contributing your artistic talents to Endangered Species Day!