Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

The State Fish Art contest—a nationwide art competition, with support from the William E. Armentrout Foundation and Friends of the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, is about more than pretty pictures.

05—The idea is to get the students involved in art and science and the out of doors

Zoeann Stinchcomb, with the Texas Freshwater Fisheries center in Athens, says K through twelfth graders may compete by submitting a drawing or painting of a state fish. (Unlike the fourth through twelfth grade participants, the K through third grade entrants will not be required to submit an essay.)

11—Our state fish in Texas is the Guadalupe Bass. However, Texas students are not limited to drawing just the Guadalupe Bass. They can draw any recognized state fish from around the country.

Students from across the nation compete for prizes and a chance to have their artwork reprinted on a conservation stamp.

22—The competition in Texas is stiff; we have more entries generally every year than any other state, and sometimes more than all the other states combined.

Why do you think that is Zoeann?

For one thing, we promote it quite a lot, and also we give good prizes, and we have a big state, and you know, I just think that for some reason the people in Texas have realized the value of the contest.

Deadline to submit an entry is March 31. Find contest details at www.statefishart.com.

That’s our show… with support from the Sport fish and Wildlife Restoration program…providing funding for management of the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.