Call for Art: Wisconsin Wild Bird Art Show

The Princeton Whooping Crane and Nature Festival, the Princeton Public Library, and Marsh Haven Nature Center are working together to hold a juried art contest and show featuring art inspired by the conservation of wild Wisconsin birds. It is hoped that this art show will inspire artists and the general public to become interested in bird and nature conservation. We also seek to promote the wonderful learning opportunities associated with each of the three organizations. Last, but not least, we want to promote local artists. We are seeking submissions from Wisconsin adults and high school students, whose work will be shown extensively in the local area. 

All art pieces must be turned in to the Princeton Public Library by Friday, May 29th at 5pm. After submission, art pieces will be displayed locally, including at the Princeton Public Library, Marsh Haven Nature Center, and other public locations. Art will be rotated between locations during June, July, and August. Finally, all art submissions will be displayed at the Princeton Whooping Crane and Nature Festival at the Princeton High School on Saturday, September 12th, where prizes will be presented. 

Complete Details & Rules for the Wisconsin Wild Bird Art Show:

Prizes

Judges will award 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each age category (Adult and High School Students).
These prizes will be announced on stage at the Princeton High School. Prizes consist of:

1st Place in each category: $25 gift card for Hobby Lobby or a similar art supply store, AND a personal, up-close raptor experience at Marsh Haven Nature Center. Each winner and two guests of their choice will be invited to Marsh Haven (located in Waupun), where they will have an opportunity to attend a Hawk Talk program, which offers a close-up, casual setting to talk about all things raptors. Participants will be invited to sit in a roundtable format for a Q & A with our animal caretaker and one of Marsh Haven Nature Center’s educational raptors. This is an opportunity to ask those questions you’ve always wondered about, delve into the philosophy of working with raptors, gain an insight into the care and training of the birds, and just be in the presence of these magnificent birds of prey. Scheduling this event will be discussed with Marsh Haven and the winners.

2nd Place in each category: $25 gift card for Hobby Lobby or a similar art supply store.

3rd Place in each category: $15 gift card for Hobby Lobby or a similar art supply store.

Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. After 1 week, prizes not claimed by the winners are forfeited.

How to Submit

All art pieces must be turned in to the Princeton Public Library by Friday, May 29th at 5pm.
The Princeton Public Library is located at 424 W. Water St, Princeton, WI 54968. 

Art must be ready for wall mounting, with bracket or wire hangers. All art must be stable and secure enough to be moved to and from public locations.  Protective materials such as plastic sleeves and bubble wrap are encouraged in order to prevent damage during transport.

All art pieces MUST have a label affixed to the back of the art piece with the information below. Other than the artist's name and the title of the art piece, this information will not be shared with the public. It will only be used for art show organization and to ensure that art is returned.

Title of the Piece:  _____________________________
Artist’s  Name: _____________________________
Date Created: __________
Age Category: _____________________________
Address: _________________________________________
Phone Number: _____________________________
Email: _____________________________

After submission, art pieces will be displayed locally, including at the Princeton Public Library, Marsh Haven Nature Center, and other public locations. Art will be rotated between locations during June, July, and August. Finally, all art submissions will be displayed at the Princeton Whooping Crane and Nature Festival at the Princeton High School on Saturday, September 12th

Deadlines

All art pieces must be turned in to the Princeton Public Library by Friday, May 29th at 5pm.
The Princeton Public Library is located at 424 W. Water St, Princeton, WI 54968. 

Awards will be announced at the Princeton Whooping Crane and Nature Festival at the Princeton High School, 604 Old Green Lake Rd, Princeton, WI 54968, on Saturday, September 12th.

Artists may take their art home immediately after the art show ends. If artists do not take their pieces home after the show, they will be transported to the Princeton Public Library. Remaining art MUST be picked up from the Princeton Library by 5pm on Friday, September 19th unless previously arranged. Any art not picked up before the deadline will be discarded or donated.

Rules

All art must somehow include the theme of wild Wisconsin bird conservation. This could include, but is not limited to, art featuring birds, bird watching, bird habitat, nests, migration, feathers, volunteer and professional people working to help birds, eggs, and symbolic representations of themes like migration, nature preservation, flight, endangered species protection, and the science of ornithology. 

All participants must be living in Wisconsin.

All participants must be either an adult, or of high school age. Each participant must enter their art in the appropriate age category.

Each artist may only submit one piece of art.

Photography is not accepted in this contest. We may hold a separate show for photography at a later date.

All art must be 2D. Sculptural, 3D, fiber arts, ceramics, video, and performance arts are not accepted in this contest. Examples of accepted mediums include charcoal drawings, paintings (oil, watercolor, or acrylic), pencil drawings, oil pastels, ink, colored pencil, chalk, marker, scratchboard, mixed media, etc. 

Absolutely no plagiarism will be tolerated. Any art found to be direct or partial plagiarism will be disqualified. When photographs are used for reference, the art should not simply be a reproduction of the photo in another medium.

All submissions must not have been previously exhibited at an art show. This rule is intended to keep the art show fresh, as well as accessible for amateur artists. It does not preclude art shown at high school or college events.

No sales are allowed during the show, but artists may give out business cards or brochures at the show and sell work privately. 

Judges are not allowed to submit art in the show.

Art must be ready for wall mounting, with bracket or wire hangers. All art must be stable and secure enough to be moved by library staff.  Protective materials such as plastic sleeves and bubble wrap are encouraged in order to prevent damage during transport.

Guidelines

Creativity combined with research is strongly encouraged. Various birds hunt, wade, swim, fly, dance, chase predators, and raise offspring. They have unique behaviors, personalities, and adaptations. Birds can be representative of wisdom, intelligence, freedom, and other qualities. They are found in many environments, in many weathers, in pairs or flocks. Birds have unique feather types and markings. Art which includes several of these elements will be judged as higher quality than a single bird sitting still on a plain background.

While we recognize that hunters and hunting play an important role, we hope that participants will chose to focus on other aspects of conservation.

We are looking for wild Wisconsin birds. This does not include peacocks, chickens, flamingos, parrots, etc. Artists are encouraged to research bird species. This does not mean that artistic interpretations aren't allowed, merely that some effort to portray a Wisconsin species is requested.  Example: a rainbow-colored Ruffed Grouse is preferred over a realistically colored Emperor Penguin.

To minimize the risk of damage, artists are encouraged to frame their work in a wood and glass frame, or at least to protect surfaces with an acrylic sealant. 

Attendance

Contributing artists are highly encouraged to attend the art show during the Whooping Crane & Nature Festival on Saturday, September 12th at the Princeton High School. Showing up to the event demonstrates respect for the sponsoring organizations and your fellow artists. 

Disclaimer

While all staff and volunteers will do their utmost to care for all art entries, none of the art show organizers or sponsoring organizations are responsible for any loss or damage before, during, or after the art show. 

Celebrate spring break with a week of free activities at the library!

STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.

On Monday March 23rd at 6pm, see live owls at the library at "Who Says Who?" This program is provided by Marsh Haven Nature Center and sponsored by the Princeton Whooping Crane & Nature Festival (held every September).

On Tuesday March 24th, take part in Take-It-Apart Night from 3-7pm. This is a great chance for kids and their families to get their hands on some tools and find out what's inside everyday objects. Take apart a fan, computer, microwave, or other appliances! Learn how things are put together, and how machines work. Safety goggles provided. Please bring a couple of tools if you can (screwdriver, pliers, etc). We are looking for small appliances to take apart and some volunteers on hand to help kids take things apart and explain what's inside.

On Thursday March 26th and Friday March 27th, get creative with recycled paper animal art! Follow our guide to creating cool critters. Drop in any time Thursday and Friday. Donations of old magazines and other recycled paper welcome this week -- thanks!

All week long: make math mosaics with stickers! Young children can match colorful gumball stickers to numbers from 1 to 100. Older kids can do short math problems to match colored stickers with the correct square on the grid, forming a beautiful mosaic pattern. Limited supplies: 1 project per person, please.