Youth Wildlife Art Contest

NRA to Sponsor 20th Youth Wildlife Art Contest

The NRA is now accepting entries for its 2007 Youth Wildlife Art Contest. The contest, the 20th in the annual series, is open to students in grades 1 through 12 (including home-schooled children). NRA membership is not required. The deadline to enter is October 8, 2007.

Winners in each grade category will receive $500. Second-place finishers will receive $250, and the third-place award will be $100.

Entries may be submitted in one of four categories, based on school grade. Category I includes grades 1 through 3. Category II is for grades 4 through 6. Category III covers grades 7 through 9, and Category IV includes grades 10 through 12. Entries may portray any North American game bird or animal that may be legally hunted or trapped. Endangered species and non-game animals, such as eagles and snakes, are not eligible subjects. Call (703) 267-1531 or email artcontest@nrahq.org if you need to confirm whether a certain animal or bird is eligible.

Contestants are limited to one entry each. Entries may be in a medium of the artist�s choice (oil, water color, pastels, pencil, pen and ink, charcoal, etc.). Submissions should be on good quality bond or drawing paper, or illustration board. Preferred sizes for the image are 8-1/2" x 11" or 11" x 14"; matting is optional. Entries need not be framed. Composition must be original. Photographs may be used for reference, but artwork determined to have been traced or copied from an existing photograph or work of art will be disqualified.

Entries must arrive at NRA by October 8, 2007, and must be accompanied by a brief statement signed by the student�s parent, guardian, or teacher attesting to the originality of the work and verifying the artist�s grade level as of October 8, 2007. In addition, the artist�s name, age, home address, phone number, and grade must be printed on the back of the entry or on a note attached to the back of the entry. Entries will be judged on effort, creativity, anatomical accuracy, and composition.

Send entries to: NRA Youth Wildlife Art Contest, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030. Entries will be returned only if accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. NRA assumes no responsibility for lost or damaged artwork, and reserves all rights to reproduce entries. The immediate families of NRA staff members are not eligible to enter. Questions regarding the contest may be directed to (703) 267-1531 or artcontest@nrahq.org, or visit www.nrahq.org/youth/wildlife.asp.

The contest is supported through a generous gift from Jim Broering, President of AcuSport Corporation, for the creation of the James and Kathleen Broering Endowment.