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VERMONT WILDLIFE EDUCATION FUND

STUDENT ART COMPETITION

 PROSPECTUS 2025​

The Vermont Wildlife Coalition (501(c)4 parent organization of the 501(c)3 VT Wildlife Education Fund) is pleased to announce the 4th. Annual  Vermont Student Wildlife Art Expo.  This year's theme is:Vermont Student Wildlife Art Expo  

                                                           "Wildlife and Where They Live"       

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The contest idea came from a desire to celebrate Vermont's wildlife while giving students an incentive to explore or deepen their art skills. Claudia Mucklow, a Vermont Wildlife Coalition Board member noted that “With the increase in online learning keeping young people tied to their screens, our Board thought it was important to take a step back from the digital world and celebrate the richness and diversity of wildlife in Vermont.”  We encourage young artists to draw inspiration from their local woods, fields, or even their own backyard. The Vermont Wildlife Education Fund was created with generous support from The Churchill Family Charitable Fund and The Vermont Wildlife Coalition.

​and Cultural

A jury of arts professionals will select 50 pieces of art from the entries.  From those 50 pieces, they will select 20 cash award winners.  The top 50 will be hung at the Monuments Arts and Cultural Center, followed by the award-winning art traveling to The Vermont State House in Montpelier.  After the State House Exhibition, a selection of that artwork will travel to Washington, DC to be displayed in the office of Representative Becca Balint and Senator Peter Welch.

1st. Prize: $750

2nd. Prize: $500

3rd. Prize: $350

4th Prize: $250

Chelsea Wing Sikora Memorial Award - $200

The Churchill Family Charitable Fund Award - $300

10 Honorable Mention cash prizes of $100 each

4 Judges' Awards of Merit - $50 each

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Important Dates:

Submission deadline:  Friday, March 14, 2025 

Notification of Jury Results:  By Wednesday, March 24, 2025

Delivery of Selected Artwork:  Monday, April 1, 2025

Dates of the Show:  Saturday, April 26-Sunday, May 25, 2025

Awards Ceremony - Date to be determined

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Rules:

Artists must be enrolled in a Vermont School or an accredited home school program in Grades 7 - 12.

Artwork must:

  • Be 2-D (two-dimensional “flat art”)

  • Include a species of Vermont's wildlife.  

  • Be the original work of the student and created by hand (no straight copying from published sources, photographs, or computer work). Note: The judges understand that student artists, may sometimes rely on published material for reference, (we were all starting out once), but use it as reference for your own work, don’t just copy it. Found material such as parts of photos, fabric, or printed materials may be used if their use constitutes an essentially new image unique to the artist such as a collage. 

Artwork may be:

  • In any medium (watercolor, oil, acrylic, pencil, pen, etc.).

  • In any style (representational/realistic, impressionist, abstract, etc.).

Submission Procedures:

  • Students may submit up to 4 pieces of art by using the Submission Form link above.  A maximum of 2 will be selected.

  • All submissions will be by digital image of the art, NOT the artwork itself.

    • Submissions will be judged on the photo images so take care to do the best job of photography as you can, as these may be used for publicity in print-form

    • For best results, the image size should be between 2–5 MB. Photograph in good, indirect light and with your phone or camera on a tripod for a sharp image.  If you do not have a tripod, brace your phone or camera on a bean bag or steady surface to avoid movement.

    • Name the file with your last name, first name, the title of the entry, (shortened if long title), and grade:  (smith_terry_beethebuzz_9)

    • Shoot your art straight on (not at an angle), with no distracting background. Shooting against a black or other dark background can reduce glare and reflection. Avoid photographing in direct sunlight to avoid glare. 

Entries must be submitted online by midnight, Friday, March 14, 2025.  If you have any questions about submitting the form please contact:

 vtwildlifeedfund@gmail.com

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Judging Criteria:

  • Execution/technique

  • Originality/creativity

  • Composition/lighting

  • Story/natural history

Note: The judges will factor in age differences. There is no preference for any species of wildlife. A bee buzzing in your backyard (especially with good lighting and composition), can beat battling buzzards (especially ones copied from a magazine).  This year's theme is Wildlife and Where They Live.  

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Artwork Delivery Procedures:

The original art of the accepted submissions (Top 50) must be delivered, unmounted and unframed, to the Monument Arts and Cultural Center by your school or organized art program, unless a special exception has been granted.

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--Name of the art show on the outside of the box:  VT Student Wildlife Art Expo

 

--All submissions MUST include a copy of the submission form.

  • If you have difficulty printing the form, you can include a sheet with the following information::

    • The name of the student.

    • The title of the art.

    • The student's teacher

    • The student’s grade.

    • The student’s school.

    • Phone and/or email contact for the school.

    • ​

Cash award winners will be selected from the Top 50 and announced at the awards ceremony on (to be determined).  Artwork must be sent to the Monument Arts and Cultural Center and displayed in the show to be eligible for any award. All artwork remains the property of the artist but images of it may be used by the Vermont Wildlife Education Fund for advertising and publicity of the exhibition.

Artwork that is juried into the show must be shipped to the , MACC with your school as the return address and a copy of the shipping receipt sent to vtwildlifeedfund@gmail.com  

 

Shipping and delivery address:

Monument Arts & Cultural Center

44 Gypsy Lane

Bennington, VT

05201

802-318-4444​

MonumentCenterVT@gmail.com 

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