It's that time of year again and entries for the 2010 George Montgomery/NRA Youth Wildlife Art Contest are beginning to arrive at NRA Headquarters. Open to any students in grades 1 through 12 (including those who are home-schooled), contestants are only allowed to enter once and can use any medium they choose.

A submission from 17-year-old Jordyn Brenneman of Tigard, Oregon, was one of the first to arrive. Titled "Symphony of Nature," this colorful bird enthusiastically conducting in the great outdoors is the Northern Shoveler. Also found in Europe, Asia, and sometimes Australia, the Northern Shoveler is known to frequent the Hudson Bay and the Great Lakes during the North American breeding season.

Soon we expect to be buried with the hundreds of entries sure to follow. Foxes, bears, birds and more -- just as long as they appear on the North American game animals and birds list. Whatever you do, don't forget to submit your entry soon -- that November 1 deadline will get here a lot quicker than you think.

For more on the George Montgomery/NRA Youth Wildlife Art Contest, visit www.nrahq.org/youth/wildlife.asp or send an email to artcontest@nrahq.org.

The George Montgomery Foundation of the Arts has recently made a generous donation to the NRA Youth Wildlife Art Contest, now known as the George Montgomery/NRA Youth Wildlife Art Contest. Through the endowment, the two organizations hope to further promote youth artwork and appreciation of nature's beauty.

Now entering its 23rd year, the contest began in 1987 through the efforts of John Robbins, Managing Editor of Hunting Communications and former NRA InSights Editor Brenda Dalassandro. With the aid of the recent donation, marketing and outreach efforts can now be increased to foster relationships with art teachers across the country. The opportunity to engage aspiring young artists will introduce them to the NRA's youth programs for the very first time.

The donation is also comprised of other assets which include an extensive bronze collection by George Montgomery himself. The George Montgomery bronze, a self portrait of the artist, will be named the George Montgomery/NRA Youth Wildlife Art Contest Best in Show Trophy. This representation trophy will be awarded to the top entry throughout all categories. More...

Finally, here are the Honorable Mentions from Category IV of this year's Youth Wildlife Art Contest. Students in Category IV are in grades ten through twelve.

And that wraps up our coverage of the 2009 Youth Wildlife Art Contest. If you missed any of the other categories, check out the entries that placed for category one, category two, category three and category four. The Honorable Mentions this year were also top notch. Look at category one, category two and category three to see just how tough of a time our judges had in narrowing everything down.

Everything has pretty much wound down now, but in a few months time the contest will begin anew. With the level of competition this past year, it's not too early to start thinking about your entry for 2010. 

Take a look at the Honorable Mentions from Category III of this year's Youth Wildlife Art Contest. Category III is made up of students in grades six through nine.

On to the next batch of Honorable Mentions in the 2009 Youth Wildlife Art Contest, Category II. The judges had a tough time deciding on which entries would place and it was clear each student had worked hard on their entry. A wide mix of of creativity, anatomical accuracy, and composition made for a lot of excellent art.

In case you missed it, check out Category I's Honorable Mentions here.

The process of returning this year's Youth Wildlife Art Contest entries to their owners is in full swing. Before we seal the last of the envelopes and send these pieces back to their rightful owners, we wanted to show off some more of the great artwork we saw this year. Over the next week we'll be showing off the Honorable Mentions starting with Category I, shown above.

We started accepting entries for the 2009 Youth Wildlife Art Contest a few months ago. Before we knew it, the paintings and drawings and sketches began pouring in. Our man Kyle spent countless hours opening packages, cataloging each entry, finding suitable display locations, and waiting for the deadline to arrive. All the while fielding calls about acceptable subjects, possible extensions (don't worry - none were given) and when the work would be returned. We now have an answer for that. 

With the exception of the winning entries, which will remain on display in the National Firearms Museum through the end of the month, we are now in the process of returning each submission.

Please be patient; this task takes time. After all, we're dealing with delicate pieces of work that require the utmost of care. The self-addressed stamped return packages promise to make the task a touch easier. If all goes well, everything should be in the mail before Christmas.

So thanks again for all your hard work and spectacular submissions. The Media Relations staff and the contest judges enjoyed viewing your entries.

 

Abraham Hunter won Category IV in the 2009 Youth Wildlife Art Contest. As soon as the judges made their call, we reached out to Abe for an inside look into his career as an artist. Here's what he had to say:

I do feel greatly honored to have won first place in your wildlife art contest! Thank you all so much for the work you do in protecting our gun rights.

I began doing historical drawings several years ago, the exact date I'm not sure of. I wasn't very good at drawing people so I substituted wildlife in their places, such as squirrels for the good guys (like George Washington ) and rats for the bad guys (like British Redcoats). I got quite a bit of practice on these drawings that helped me a lot.

One day in March of 2006, I was intrigued by the wing feathers on a flying Bald Eagle, so I decided to paint it. Needless to say, my first attempt was far short of primitive, but I guess I had to start somewhere. I knew I could do better, so I went for it. I began more and more to concentrate on wildlife subjects. I've gotten a lot better since then, and I think I can do even better.

I first entered your contest last year (and yes, I can criticize that entry). This one took me a little short of 40 hours. I really worked hard on it and I really enjoyed doing it. I'm still surprised I won and I'll enter again next year!

I've never taken an art lesson, never read an art book, or watched a video on the subject. I give 100% credit to God for giving me the talent, especially since no one in our family has ever painted.

Thanks again and God Bless!

Abraham Joseph Hunter

Here are the winning entries in Category I of this year's Youth Wildlife Art Contest. Students in this category are in first through third grades and the judges were absolutely floored by the talent displayed in the entries that placed. In fact, there were many pieces from this category of young artists that impressed the judges.

Congratulations to:

• First Place: Albert Pei, Union City, California
• Second Place: Richard F. Yong, Castro Valley, California
• Third Place: Holly Liu, Pleasanton, California
  

Now for the winners of Category II in the Youth Wildlife Art Contest, entered by students in fourth through ninth grades.

Congratulations to:

• First Place: Reanna Wang, Flowery Branch, Georgia
• Second Place: Lucy Wang, Buford, Georgia
• Third Place: Levana Zhang, Fremont, California
  

And here is the artwork that placed in Category III in this year's Youth Wildlife Art Contest. The third category is made up of students in grades seven through nine.

Congratulations to:

• First Place: Lauren Ge, Atlanta, Georgia
• Second Place: Gina Huang, Johns Creek, Georgia
• Third Place: Sherry Xiao, Fremont, California
  

From 2009 Youth Wildlife Art Contest: Category 1

Tune into NRAnews.com to hear J.R. Robbins talk a little about the Youth Wildlife Art Contest. NRAblog will be displaying slideshows of winning entries all week.

Above, view the third place winner in Category I drawn by Holly Liu of Pleasanton, California.

Here are the entries that placed in Category IV, tenth through twelfth grades, in this year's Youth Wildlife Art Contest. There were many great pieces which were both technically and artistically impressive and gave the judges a hard time narrowing down their choices.

In the end our judges liked two entries so much they decided to award a tie for third place; a first in the art contest.

Congratulations to:

• First Place: Abraham Joseph Hunter, Vienna, Illinois
• Second Place: Cindy Huang, Johns Creek, Georgia
• Third Place (tie): Monica Burtley, Grants Pass, Oregon; Eric Kang, Livingston, New Jersey
  

Earlier we told you that the 22nd annual Youth Wildlife Art Contest was about to be judged. Now, this year's entries have been looked over and the winners will soon be announced.

First, second, and third-place were awarded in each of the categories: first through third grades, fourth through sixth grades, seventh through ninth grades, and tenth through twelfth grades.

Our three judges had a tough time narrowing down the winners and were very impressed with the overall talent on display in this year's collection. As a testament to how arduous the judging process was, our 'Honorable Mentions' category includes more artwork this year than any year previous.

The winners will be announced the week after Thanksgiving. Each piece of art will be posted to the blog as soon as they are scanned. There were really some incredible pieces this year that we can't wait to share. Keep your eyes peeled as we roll out the winners and put their work on display here at NRAblog.

The deadline to enter the NRA Youth Wildlife Art Contest has passed and our work is underway. And that work is not easy as as it sounds.

As the hundreds of entries continue to roll in, our man Kyle takes a look at the forms, files the art, and starts entering details in the database. Any missing information means he's working the phones emails students and parents so everyone is ensured a fair shot at the title.

Once Kyle completes the cataloging portion of his task, we'll load a few hundred pieces of the art into the atrium, wrangle the judges, and start picking winners.

If all goes well, the winners will be named in the next few days. Either way, we plan to announce the winners after the Thanksgiving break ... so stay tuned.