State-Fish Art Contest Winners

From Wildlife Forever:

Brooklyn Center, MN – Winners of Wildlife Forever’s State-Fish Art Contest and their families assembled in Hot Springs, Arkansas on August 21 and 22 at the Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing. Hosted by Title Sponsor FLW, the Awards Ceremony was held in Horner Hall at the Hot Springs Convention Center.  States across the nation were represented by the attending students who were 1st place winners of their individual states. Adding to the overall excitement was the announcement of whose fish art won the coveted National Awards!

MD-LIYNSKI-G6-SF15

SETH THOMAS SPRADLIN BEST OF SHOW AWARD

The Seth Thomas Spradlin Best of Show Award is the top honor, given to one piece selected by a panel of judges from all winning entries as the “best of the best”.  The 2015 recipient, a 6th grader, is the youngest to ever receive this top award.  McKenna Litynski, from Crownsville, Maryland, shows a unique perspective in her stunning, colored pencil drawing of American shad.

VOSS 2015 STAMP AWARD

2015 ART OF CONSERVATION® STAMP AWARD

Christina Voss, a 12th grader from Marietta, Georgia, is the 2015 winner of the coveted Art of Conservation® Stamp Award with her energetic acrylic painting of two king salmon, “King of the River”.

“Wildlife Forever is pleased to honor the talented Georgia artist, Christina Voss with the 2015 Art of Conservation® Stamp Award,” said Douglas H. Grann, Wildlife Forever President and CEO.  “This honor is awarded to the student whose winning design becomes part of the State-Fish Art Stamp Collection. By recognizing the work of students today, we hope to inspire the conservationists of tomorrow.”

Christina’s painting is available as a collector’s stamp, both as a single stamp and a souvenir sheet. Proceeds from sales of the stamp help fund the State-Fish Art Contest.  Both versions of this year’s, and past years, stamps can be purchased atwww.wildlifeforever.org/shop.

IL-TEPLITZ-GR6-SF15_0002

2015 SMILE AWARD

The Smile Award is given to a painting selected from all the contest entries that “makes you feel good inside when you see it. You just can’t help but smile!” said Karen Hollingsworth, manager of State-Fish Art.  Nathan Teplitz, an clever, talented 6th grader from Mount Prospect, Illinois, is the winner with his smile-worthy watercolor of a duck eye-balling a meal of bluegill titled, “Escape”.
WV_SMITH_GR10_SF15_0001
2015 INVADER CRUSADER AWARD

The artist becoming this year’s Invader Crusader was selected from all the entries in the Silent Invader Category. The artist paints not only a state-fish species, but also an invasive species. Mishelle Smith, a talented 10th grader from Charleston, West Virginia, with her unique watercolor of fisherman holding a native muskie caught in water infested with leaping invasive bighead carp, highlights the problems we are facing.

NY_LI_GR5_SF15

2015 PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD

Cynthia Li, a 5th grader from New York, received the People’s Choice Award for her watercolor of brook trout titled “A Leap of Faith”. Voting by the public took place both online, between June 9 – July 26 and at the FLW Cup on Friday, August 21st.  Over 7,550 votes and 57,000 views online PLUS the thousands of attendees at the FLW Cup responded for this national award!

CA-SILCHUK-GR3-SF15

2015 “TOP 12” 1ST PLACE NATIONAL WINNER GRADES K-3

Top honors in the “Mighty Minnows” K-3 grades division went to Moses Silchuk from Antelope, California with his watercolor of a channel catfish. Second Place was awarded to Zachary Schulmeister from Tennessee and Third Place to Evelyn Cui from Florida.

NJ-ZANG-G5-SF15

2015 “TOP 12” 1ST PLACE NATIONAL WINNER GRADES 4-6

The 4-6 grade category winner is Arthur Zang from Harrison, New Jersey with his oil painting of a stealthy brook trout.  Second Place went to Ava Obert from Arkansas and Third Place to McKenna Litynski of Maryland.

CA-CHUNG-G9-SF15

2015 “TOP 12” 1ST PLACE NATIONAL WINNER GRADES 7-9

Yugin Chung from Irvine, California took First Place in grades 7-9 with a watercolor of garibaldi.  The Second Place winner was Emme Zhou of Massachusetts and Third Place went to Mariah Allen from Utah.

CA-DU-G11-SF15

2015 “TOP 12” 1ST PLACE NATIONAL WINNER GRADES 10-12

The grades 10-12 top honor went to Allison Du from Fremont, California with her beautiful colored pencil drawing of garibaldi. Second Place was awarded to Yujie Fu of New York. Caroline Waggoner from Rhode Island received Third Place.

National Fish Make You Smarter Awards were also presented for the best page of writing that is required in addition to the art.  They can be enjoyed at http://www.wildlifeforever.org/contest/winners/writing.

All 157 state and international winners from 48 states, Canada, India and China can be viewed at www.statefishart.org.

The Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Contest seeks to involve students in the outdoors through art. Students compete in four grade-level divisions: K-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12. Deadline for submitting entries is always March 31. Information on the contest is available at: www.statefishart.org.

Wildlife Forever is America’s leading all species conservation organization, conserving America’s fish and wildlife through education, preservation of habitat and management. Learn more at the Wildlife Forever web site.