New Opportunity!

Artwork of any official state-fish is eligible. Learn about your home state's official fish, or pick a new fish and explore its characteristics, habitat and behavior through art!  You pick the designated state-fish to paint or draw. 

How to Enter:

Completed portfolios must be postmarked by March 31.  Portfolios must include:
     > A completed entry form attached to the artwork
     > Artwork
     > 1-page composition (please include your name and address on your compostion)

Entry forms will not be accepted by e-mail.  Please download or print the entry form (above) and send via regular mail.

Entry forms must be completed, signed by a parent. teacher or guardian, and glued to the back of the original artwork

   There are seperate entry forms for Arkansas and Texas students

Download Arkansas State-Fish Art Contest Entry Forms here:

Arkansas State-Fish Art Contest 

Education Division                     

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

#2 Natural Resource Drive

Little Rock, AR 72205

Download Texas State-Fish Art Contest Entry Forms here:

 Texas State-Fish Art Contest
Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center

5550 FM 2495
Athens TX 75751   

 Visit the Texas State-Fish Art Contest Web Site

For all other State and International entries Please use address below

Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Contest
2700 Freeway Blvd. #1000
Brooklyn Center, MN 55430

--- DOWNLOAD AN ENTRY FORM HERE! -- 

Download Entry Form in MS Word (.doc format)
Download Entry Form in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf format)

The State-Fish Art Contest is open to children in grades four through twelve attending public, private, or home-schools in the United States. Only one entry per child will be accepted.

Portfolios will be judged on the quality of the artwork.

The artwork must call attention to any officially designated state-fish .  The fish must be depicted in its natural habitat.  Information about each state fish is available at   Your State Fish.

All artwork must be the contestant's original, hand-done creation. Photographs and computer-generated artwork will not be accepted.

All artwork must be horizontal, 8.5" x 11" without a mat, frame, cover sheet, or border. Art techniques may include scratch-board, pointillism, chalk, charcoal, dry brush, watercolor, crosshatch, lead, collage, linoleum printing, or crayon. (Please note: if contestants use chalk or lead they should seal it with an adhesive).

All artwork must not exceed 1/4 inch in total thickness.

No lettering, signatures, or initials may appear on the front of the design. Any artwork with such identifying characteristics will be disqualified and eliminated from the competition.

Completed portfolios must include a typed composition or theme paper not to exceed one page in length. Compositions should be related specifically to the characteristics of the state fish, its habitat, behavior, or efforts to conserve it. The composition must include the student's name and address.

The “Art of Conservation” Stamp Award

Each year Wildlife Forever will select one design from all the entries for an interesting, useful and attractive fish stamp.  Criteria for selection of the award follows:

  All rules, regulations and deadlines of the State-Fish Art Contest apply.

  The state fish should be the dominant feature of the design and the habitat must be    

      appropriate to your state and species.

    Designs may include fishing related items.

    Keep the design simple.  The image will be reduced to create a stamp.

    Color will be given priority over black and white.

     Do not make the design look like a stamp.  No numbers or design elements are allowed.  

All contestants will receive a certificate of participation.

Three winners from each state will be selected on May 1, one winner per grade group (4-6th, 7-9th, 10-12th) for a total of 150 winners (50 states * 3 winners = 150).

All winning designs will be displayed at the State-Fish Art Expo during the following summer..

All winning artists will receive a special gift certificate for art supplies from Cheap Joe's Artstuff

All winning designs will be presented online at http://www.statefishart.com/

Visit Prizes to catch the latest information about prizes for the Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Contest!

Wildlife Forever has developed a comprehensive, interdisciplinary lesson plan to enhance the State-Fish Art Contest.

Learn more by visiting the  Educators' Corner.

Educators should assume responsibility for making ethics part of the overall contest. There is no room for plagiarism in artwork or composition content. Copyright laws apply.

If this contest is part of a classroom project, then, before photocopying and distributing the entry forms to students, please complete the school information. Please type or print clearly.

The Fine Print

The State-Fish Art Contest is not open to the immediate relatives of Wildlife Forever employees or participating sponsors.
It is the students responsibility to inform Wildlife Forever of any change of address.
Contestants living in Washington D.C. may use either the Maryland or Virginia state fish in their portfolios.

Wildlife Forever:

Has the right to use the name of any State-Fish Art contestant without compensation.
Retains ownership of all artwork entered in the contest. In order to promote the Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Contest, products such as posters, prints, T-shirts, etc. may be produced from winning artwork. Any monies realized from the sale or licensing of the artwork will be used to support the contest, wildlife conservation, and education initiatives. The winning artists must provide autographs without charge to Wildlife Forever.
Will return all other entries upon request after August 31 if the student provides a self-addressed 10x13-inch envelope.
Reserves the right to destroy unclaimed entries after one year.
Will not insure entries it receives or be responsible for loss or damage of the entries.

--- DOWNLOAD AN ENTRY FORM HERE! -- 

Download Entry Form in MS Word (.doc format)
Download Entry Form in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf format)

* Entry form is available in Word 6.0 format. If you have higher version of Word or WordPerfect, or another word processing program, you should be able to view this document. If you have any questions or problems please contact us.