White Bear Lake, MN- Wildlife Forever, in partnership with the Jay N. Darling Legacy Center, is proud to announce the winners of the 2021 Art of Conservation Songbird Art Contest. A distinguished panel of judges selected winners from nearly 2,000 entries received from 48 states and 43 international countries. Building off the successful Fish Art Contest and inspired by the legacy of artist and conservationist Jay Norwood Darling, youth participants learn about songbirds, their need for conservation, and compete for prizes and international recognition.

“Congratulations to all the amazing artists! The talent shown in this year’s contest was incredible. I’m inspired by the art but equally so, the connection these young people make in learning about nature,” said Pat Conzemius, President and CEO of Wildlife Forever.

“This extraordinary program really speaks to the legacy of Jay Norwood Darling. A conservationist through and through, Darling understood the deep connections between art and nature, along with opportunities for future generations. We are looking forward to seeing the impact and outreach the Songbird Art Contest will continue to have,” said Sam Koltinsky, Director of the Jay N. Darling Center. 

An international panel of distinguished judges utilized an innovative platform to help to select this year’s winners. Artists competed for national and international recognition, as well as specialty awards recognizing outstanding creativity and artistic technique. Participants also submitted essays eligible for awards which will be judged at a later date. 

And the Winners are… 

 

 

About the Songbird Art Contest: The Art of Conservation® Songbird Art Contest™ is a new art competition hosted by Wildlife Forever, focused on sharing the wonder and species diversity of North American songbirds. Building off the successful Wildlife Forever Fish Art Contest® and inspired by the legacy of artist and conservationist Jay Norwood Darling, participants will learn about a North American Songbird Species and compete for prizes and international recognition. To enter, participants submit an original piece of artwork accompanied by an essay detailing the unique characteristics of their chosen bird species and their conservation needs. Participants will have until November 30th of each year to submit their entry to the contest to Wildlife Forever.

 

About Wildlife Forever: Our mission is to conserve America's wildlife heritage through conservation education, preservation of habitat and management of fish and wildlife. Wildlife Forever is a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to investing resources on the ground. Recent audits reveal that 96% of every dollar supports our award-winning conservation programs. Please, Join Today and learn more about the Art of Conservation®, Clean Drain Dry Initiative™ and Prairie City USA® at  www.WildlifeForever.org.

About the Jay N Darling Legacy Center: The Jay N. Darling Legacy Center is a non-profit friends group to support, enhance and champion Jay N. Darling’s legacy. Jay Norwood Darling (1876-1962), was a 20th century two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist, journalist, artist, conservation activist, and advocate of sport hunting and fishing. Darling left an extraordinary footprint across our nation’s landscape that inspires us even today. Building stewardship through conservation education will empower future generations to ensure the legacy of our natural resources. The Jay N. Darling Legacy Center, based in Des Moines, Iowa, supports this extraordinary endeavor and will work to endorse, promote, and find resources to help build this important program in restoring our songbirds and their habitats.