The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center has opened entries for the Texas division of Wildlife Forever’s 2025 Fish Art Contest.
The Fish Art Contest, which is accepting entries until February 28, is part of an international conservation education program aimed at promoting interest in fish, fisheries and fisheries among youth.
“The Fish Art Contest does a great job of exposing students across Texas to the wonders of fish and aquatic resources through art connections,” said TFFC Director Tom Lang. “We always look forward to this time of year when we are once again amazed by the outstanding work and artistic interpretations of Texas youth.”
Participants must submit a completed entry form and an original illustration of a wild fish found in Texas. Applicants in grades 4 through 12 must also submit one page of creative writing. After submitting the admission form, applicants must mail their work to TFFC, 5550 FM 2495, Athens, TX, 75752. Physical artwork must be 8 x 10 inches to 9 x 12 inches wide and postmarked by February 28th.
A new category for this year’s Texas Fish Art Contest is the Special Species Award, which features a focused species or set of species each year. One winner will be chosen from all entries to be spotlighted at TFFC. Students must ensure that their work is correctly labeled and identified as the correct focal species, but is not required to submit additional documentation for consideration.
The focal species for the 2024-2025 contest is the Guadalupe Bass, the state fish of Texas.
This year’s award honors Shirley Watson and her third-grade class at Decatur Elementary School, who discovered in 1989 that Texas did not have an official state fish. Their efforts paid off when they traveled to Austin to testify before lawmakers about why fish that could only be caught in Texas were the best for the job. Learn more about our state fish and how the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is working to restore this iconic Texas fish to its natural habitat.
Texas winners will be recognized in the Texas Fish Art Calendar, win a scholarship, be featured in TPWD’s Fish Art Contest Flickr album, and be invited to a family fishing celebration to recognize their accomplishments.
Additionally, the winner will receive automatic entry into Wildlife Forever’s national contest. Texas students may choose to enter the National Specialty Prize with fish not found in Texas, but there is a limit of one entry per student, so Texas State Prizes You cannot apply.
“We have a unique opportunity to celebrate the talent of Texas students and the beauty of our diverse fisheries,” said Kate Barcalow, TFFC Education and Interpretation Coordinator. “In doing so, we also recognize the amazing efforts of our teachers and the biologists who support them. In order to complete their works of art, students are encouraged to work to protect their fish, their habitats and species. We will explore the conservation work being done and build connections between students and fish.”
Educators interested in enrolling their students in the 2025 competition can find entry forms, rules, guidelines, and more online. The lesson plans include an interdisciplinary curriculum with lessons and activities, a species identification section that walks you through the profiling of fish in each state, a glossary, and student worksheets.
The Fish Art Contest is sponsored by Wildlife Forever, Bass Pro Shops, Rapala, U.S. Forest Service, Wonders of Wildlife, Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, National Fish Habitat Partnership, U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management, and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Services. , Adventure Keen, International Game and Fish Association, REPYOURWATER, Western Native Trout Initiative.
Wildlife Forever, located in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, is a nonprofit, multispecies conservation organization dedicated to preserving America’s wildlife heritage. Working at the grassroots level, Wildlife Forever has funded conservation projects in all 50 states and committed millions of dollars to “on the ground” efforts. Wildlife Forever supports habitat restoration and enhancement, land acquisition, and research and management of fish and wildlife populations.
For more information, visit the TFFC Texas Fish Art Contest website and the Texas Fish Art Program Facebook page.
