Entry Deadline Near for Youth Arts in the Parks 2016 Art Contest

Date: January 19, 2016
Contact: Jodi French-Burr, 304-574-2115

Glen Jean, West Virginia—Nature can be a great inspiration! Now is the time for local students to celebrate nature and use their creativity to craft an entry for the Youth Arts in the Parks 2016 Appalachian Spring Wildflower Art Contest.

This annual art contest is open to all K –12 grade students of Fayette, Nicholas, Raleigh, and Summers Counties. This contest and April exhibition at Tamarack allows students to serve as community leaders and raise awareness of central Appalachia's natural diversity and parks. Contest winners will receive art awards, plus have their works showcased in an April 2016 art exhibit at Tamarack in Beckley and online.

Complete contest rules, list of accepted wildflower species, entry form, and some species photo references are available online at https://www.nps.gov/neri/youth-arts-in-the-parks.htm or www.tamarackwv.com/gallery/youthartsintheparks.aspx. Entries must be hand delivered to a contest art receiving station the first week of February.

Contest art receiving stations (entries acceptedFebruary 1 - 7, 2016ONLY):

• Divide Elementary School (weekdays during regular school hours), Attn: Christy Gill, Propps Ridge Rd., Lookout
• Liberty High School (weekdays during regular school hours), Attn: Tonja Raines, 1700 Coal River Rd., Glen Daniels
• Woodrow Wilson High School (weekdays during regular school hours), Attn: Sandi Shaw, 400 Stanaford Rd., Beckley
• Nicholas County High School (weekdays during regular school hours), Attn: Pam Cox, 30 Grizzly Rd., Summersville

• National Park Service –Canyon Rim Visitor Center, Attn: Jodi French-Burr, Fayette Mine Rd., Lansing (open daily9:00-5:00)
• National Park Service –Sandstone Visitor Center, Attn: Dave Bieri, Meadow Creek Rd., Sandstone (open daily9:00-5:00)

So kids, let your creative nature flow as you prepare your art entry. Join in on this celebration of ecology through art withYouth Arts in the Parks!

This Youth Arts in the Parks art contest is part of New River Gorge Wildflower Weekend (April 22 –24, 2016), an annual spring event that celebrates this region's amazing ecology. This event is hosted by staff and volunteers of New River Gorge National River, Tamarack, and the West Virginia State Parks of Babcock, Hawks Nest, Pipestem Resort, and Twin Falls Resort.

For more information about participating sites visit:

National Park Service:https://www.nps.gov/neri,https://www.facebook.com/newrivergorgenps, https://Twitter.com/NewRiverNPS, or stop by any New River Gorge National River visitor center.

Tamarack: www.tamarackwv.comor stop by Tamarack in Beckley, WV.

West Virginia State Park sites: www.wvstateparks.com or stop by any state park.