The annual Big River Art Contest engages students to the science, heritage, and stewardship of the Mississippi River through the practice of art.

Category Themes (choose one theme for the subject of your art):

• The Mighty Mississippi, sample artwork
• Caring For the River, sample artwork
• Big River Journey*, sample artwork
• Journey to the Falls**, sample artwork

*Must have been on Big River Journey trip.
**Must have been on Journey to the Falls trip.

How to Enter
All entries must be original, on 11"x 17" paper, flat, and signed. Work may be created using pencil, pen, markers, pastels, crayon, watercolor, paint, or flat collage. Original poetry may be included in the artwork; a stewardship message may be written on art in category 2 ("Caring for the River.") Each student may submit one work of art. Student's name, home address and phone #, school name, grade, phone #, and teacher's name must be clearly printed on the back of the artwork, along with name of the chosen category theme. Students may instead fill in the entry form template and attach it securely to the back of the artwork. Entries must be received by 4:00 p.m., Wednesday, June 9, 2010. Submit school packets of entries to: Art Contest, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, 111 E. Kellogg Blvd., Suite 105, St. Paul, MN 55101-1256.

Prizes
In each category a grand prize winner and threee winners will be chosen.

Student Prizes
For categories 1, 2 and 3 each winner will receive two tickets for a boat ride on one of the Padelford boats and two tickets to the Science Museum of Minnesota (including Omni Theater). For category 4 each winner will receive two tickets for a regular site seeing cruise on the Minneapolis Queen Riverboat and two tickets to the Mill City Museum (MHS). In addition to these prizes, the grand prize winner in each category will receive a pair of binoculars and a field guide.

Teacher Prizes
For categories 1, 2 and 3 one grand prize winner teacher will receive a free trip (which may be Big River Journey.) The other two grand prize winner teachers each receive a free trip (not Big River Journey.) Each trip is for up to 30 students on a Padelford Packet Boat Co. boat during the 2010-11 school year. For category 4 the grand prize winning teacher will receive two tickets for a Sunday Brunch cruise on the Minneapolis Queen Riverboat.

Judging Criteria & Selection of Winners
Works of art will be selected by a panel of judges who will evaluate works on artistic merit, content (including relevance to chosen theme), and originality. Winners will be notified by mail or phone; prize tickets will be mailed to the home address of each winning student.

Additional Information & Display of Winners' Art
All works of art submitted shall become the property of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (National Park Service.) No works will be returned. Winning art may be displayed at the Science Museum of Minnesota, Fort Snelling State Park Visitor Center, Mill City Museum, and/or other venues. The winning art will be featured online in the Big River Journey Art Gallery.

Sponsors

• Mississippi National River & Recreation Area (National Park Service)
• Padelford Packet Boat Co.
• Science Museum of Minnesota
• Minneapolis Queen Riverboat
• Big River Journey and Journey to the Falls Partners

Further Information
Kathy Swenson, 651-290-3030, ext. 303

Ideas to get you started:

The Mighty Mississippi, sample artwork
This category is about the living Mississippi River - its wildlife, plant life, scenery, and recreation - and its relationship to you. Subject possibilities include:

• Exploring the river with friends, canoeing, fishing, hiking, biking, etc.
• The river as a home for animals - turtles, frogs, mussels, beaver, otter, fox, deer, raccoon, etc. (Add a poem about the animal!)
• Birds and bird watching or the Mississippi River as a flyway
• Fish and fishing (portray specific species like catfish, paddlefish, or sturgeon)
• Aquatic insects (idea: show how aquatic insects are part of a food chain)
• Following animal tracks

Caring for the River, sample artwork
Here are some message ideas:

• Drink water? Then help care for the river! It's our water source!
• Your street flows to the river!
• Be a friend of the Mississippi River!
• Do you like songbirds? Save their river habitats!
• Show how YOU keep the river clean
• Help the river by keeping leaves and grass out of streets!
• Leave no pollution- ride a bike, turn off lights, reuse, recycle, restore
• Plant native trees and shrubs!

Big River Journey, sample artwork
Show what you did or what you saw on the boat trip; include your favorite learning station or activity.

• Show what you did or what you saw on the boat; include your favorite learning station or activity.
• Draw the boat with you and your friends at your favorite learning station.
• What did the river look like from the boat?
• Draw the boat with you and your friends viewing birds, animals, boats, buoys or the river confluence.
• What birds, wildlife or plant life did you see?
• What did you see or do at Fort Snelling State Park?

Journey to the Falls, sample artwork
Draw what you did, saw or learned on Journey to the Falls

• Show what you did or what you saw on the boat.
• Draw the boat with you and your friends at your favorite learning station.
• What did the river look like from the boat?
• Draw the boat with you and your friends viewing birds, animals, boats, bridges, the falls or other river sites.
• What did you see or do at the archaeological dig?
• What did you see or do on the history hike?

Back to the Top