Wildlife Forever Announces State Fish Art Contest Winners

 

The following press release is courtesy of Wildlife Forever:

White Bear Lake, MN – Wildlife Forever and title sponsor Bass Pro Shops are proud to announce the winners of the 20th Anniversary State-Fish Art Contest.  A distinguished panel of five honorary judges selected the following Top 12 National Awards from the 1st place winners of all 50 states plus international.

2018 judges included Jeff Edmundson, KARE11; Doug Grann, Wildlife Forever board; Ed Rudberg, CD3; Bob White, wildlife artist and  Erin Williams, National Park Service.

“Students, educators and parents from across the United States and around the world connect with this contest, with its amazing student’s art and aquatic conservation message,” remarks Bob Ziehmer, Senior Director of Conservation at Bass Pro Shops.

And the winners are…

2018 NATIONAL WINNERS – GRADES 10-12

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The grades 10-12 top honor went to Na Eun Kim from the Republic of Korea with, “Trout’s Recovering Memories”, his stunning watercolor of a brook trout. Second Place was awarded to Ian Oh of California.  Yejin (Shelly) Lee Li from Virginia received Third Place.

2018 NATIONAL WINNERS GRADES 7-9

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Mindy Zheng from Herndon, Virginia took First Place in grades 7-9 with a captivating acrylic, titled “Northern Pike”, swimming out of the deep. The Second Place winner was Nicole Li of Georgia and Third Place went to Yuzhe Tian from Massachusetts.

2018 NATIONAL WINNERS GRADES 4-6

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The 4-6 grade category winner is Alston Leung from Great Neck, New York with his watercolor of a kid on a dock fishing for bluegill titled “Bluegill”. Second Place went to Calvin Yu from Massachusetts and Third Place to Bethany Zhao of California.

2018 NATIONAL WINNERS GRADES K-3

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Top honors in the “Mighty Minnows” K-3 grades division went to Ivy Mou from New York with her delightful watercolor painting, “Hawaii Triggerfish”.  Second Place was awarded to Aadya Ganjalagunte from Arizona and Third Place to Zia Lee from Washington.

2018 ART OF CONSERVATION® AWARD WINNER

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This Award recognizes creativity, originality and unique artwork from across the world. This powerful acrylic painting, titled “The Expert Fisherman“,  features a bald eagle grasping an American shad in its talons. “Wildlife Forever is pleased to honor a very talented 7th grader, Angelina Drost from South Carolina, with the 2018 Art of Conservation® Award,” said Pat Conzemius, Executive Vice President, Wildlife Forever. “This painting depicts two species that are conservation successes.. By recognizing the work of students today, we hope to inspire the conservationists of tomorrow.”

2018 SMILE AWARD WINNER

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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.  Vritika Gupta. a talented kindergartener from Princeton Junction, New Jersey, is the winner with, “Sad Fish”, a delightful smile-worthy oil pastel.

2018 INVADER CRUSADER AWARD WINNER

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The artist winning this year’s Invader Crusader was selected from all the entries in the Silent Invader Category. The artist needs to paint not only a state-fish species, but also an invasive species.  The 2018 winner is Mark Acker, a 9th grader from Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, with his watercolor and colored pencil art “The Underwater Fish”.  It shows a native humuhumunukunukuapoa’a swimming in water infested with the invasive aquatic plant Hydrilla.  Invasive species are capable of causing extinctions of native plants and animals, reducing biodiversity, competing with native organisms for limited resources, and altering habitats.

National 2018 “FISH MAKE YOU SMARTER AWARDS” are announced on www.statefishart.org for the best essay that is required in addition to the art.

2018 STATE 1st PLACE WINNERS
All state winners in the four grade categories from across America and internationally are listed at www.statefishart.org The Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Contest seeks to involve students in the outdoors through the arts. Students compete in four grade-level divisions: K-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12.  Deadline for submitting entries to the contest is always March 31 each year.

ABOUT STATE-FISH ART
The Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Contest™ is celebrating its 20th year of bringing children, adults and aquatic conservation together through the Art! To enter, young artists create an original art illustration of any official State-Fish and an essay detailing its behavior, habitat, and efforts to conserve it. Entries are in four grade levels: K-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12. Educators nationwide utilize Fish On!, the State-Fish Art Lesson Plan, combining the disciplines of science and art. It is available free on CD and by download. Entries are always due on March 31st.  Visit www.StateFishArt.org