About
50th Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act:
For 50 years, the Endangered Species Act has protected vulnerable populations. Together we can recover them to healthy levels. Please send entries as images or pdf files to: nmfs.gar.es-art-contest@noaa.gov.
Endangered Species Day
Celebrate Endangered Species Day (May 19) by having your classroom or individual students participate in our Marine Endangered Species Art Contest. Endangered and threatened species need our help. Students’ artwork will showcase their knowledge and commitment to protecting these animals. While we are located in New England and the mid-Atlantic United States, we invite participants from anywhere in the world to submit entries!
Artwork
Artwork should highlight one or more marine endangered or threatened species from the New England/Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Text highlighting why the animals are important and what people can do to protect them may also be included. Potential themes may vary by age. Some ideas include animals in their natural habitat, sharing the shore and sea, threats to the species, or how we can help them recover. Another possible theme this year is the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act.
Find more information on each species
Divisions
Grades Pre-K - 2: sculpture and 2-D
Grades 3 - 5: sculpture and 2-D
Grades 6 - 8: sculpture and 2-D
Grades 9 - 12: sculpture and 2-D
Entry Requirements
- In addition to school entries, home school, and individual entries are welcome.
- Artwork may be in the form of a painting, drawing, or sculpture (clay, recycled trash, etc.). Painting/drawing may be multi-color, black and white, or a single color; it may be completed in ink, paint, pastel, crayon, or pencil.
- Image must be of a native marine endangered or threatened species in the New England/Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Entries depicting other species will be disqualified from the contest.
Learn more about endangered and threatened species in the New England/Mid-Atlantic region
- Artistic liberties may be taken as long as the depiction is a recognizable species. Techniques may include but are not limited to scratch-board, airbrush, linoleum printing, paper collage, dry brush, crosshatch, and/or pointillism. No photography, light sketching, or computer-generated art. Computers or other mechanical devices may not be used in creating artwork for this contest.
- Design entries must be entrant’s original, hand-drawn creation and may not be traced or copied from published photographs or other artists’ works. Entrants may rely on photographs or published images as guides. However, especially when references are used for the subject(s), the entry must be the entrant’s own creation and idea.
- Entries should NOT include any brand names (i.e., shopping bags that say “Market Basket” on them). Because we recommend viewing endangered species from afar so that they won’t be disturbed, we kindly ask that NO human swimmers, snorkelers, or scuba divers be drawn in the artwork.
