Press Release

State-Fish Art Contest Announced

January 31, 2003

Alabama students are invited to enter the 2003 Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Contest. The contest is open to young artists nationwide and winners will be selected from each state.

Now in its fifth year, the Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Contest challenges young artists to create an illustration of their state fish and a written composition on its behavior, habitats, or efforts to conserve it.  Alabama has two official state fish, so students can choose either the largemouth bass (freshwater) or the fighting tarpon (saltwater). Entries are grouped by grade level: 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12.

For more that 15 years, Wildlife Forever, a national conservation non-profit organization, has been dedicated to preserving America's wildlife heritage through conservation education, preservation of  habitat, and management of fish and wildlife.  Working at the grassroots level, Wildlife Forever has funded projects in all 50 states, committing millions of dollars to along the way.

The winning artwork from each state is featured at the Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Expo and displayed online for one year at www.statefishart.com.  Winners are invited to the Expo for an awards ceremony, which includes fishing fun and excitement.  Last year's expo was held in June at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. The winners for Alabama were Gunnar Pierce (Grades 4-6), Megan Graves (Grades 7-9), and Joseph Graves (Grades 10-12).

Sponsors for the Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Contest include the Mall of America, the North American Fishing Club, and Jiffy Pop, a product of ConAgra Foods, Snack Foods Group.

            The deadline for the contest is March 31, 2003.

For more information on the contest or to download an entry form, visit the State-Fish Art website at www.statefishart.com or call toll-free at 1-877-FISH-ART. Information may also be obtained by contacting the Fisheries Section of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources at 334-242-3471.

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