Date: April 10, 2015
KIMBERLY – In honor of John Day Fossil Beds National Monument’s 40th anniversary celebration, the National Park Service and Discover Your Northwest are sponsoring an art and photography contest.
“Not only is this the anniversary of the monument’s establishment, but it’s also the 150th anniversary of the discovery of the fossil beds,” said National Park Service Paleontologist Dr. Joshua X. Samuels. Monument superintendent Shelley Hall adds, “John Day Fossil Beds National Monument preserves a range of fossils of extraordinary significance to the understanding of the modern world. To celebrate our anniversary, we’re holding an art and photo contest. We are excited to see what people will come up with to capture the essence and wonder of this scientifically significant, but also unusual, unique, and beautiful area.”
The John Day Fossil Beds Anniversary art and photo contest began January 5th. Entries will be accepted through May 1st. Categories are: photography, painting/drawing, and other. Participants may enter up to 3 images total, one per category. Images may be submitted by joda_interpretation@nps.gov on CD-ROM by mail.
Entries will be judged in early May and winners notified by phone. Cash prizes will be awarded by Discover Your Northwest. The grand prize winner will receive $500. One honorable mention from each category will also receive a $100 prize. The grand prize entry will be featured on a poster that will be given out at the anniversary event on July 25, 2015. Honorable mention winners in each category will be featured as postcards. Additional information and photo contest rules are online at go.nps.gov/jodaartcontest.
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument was designated by Congress because of the exceptional scientific value of the fossils found in the area. The National Park Service manages the monument for the benefit of current and future generations.
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About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 407 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.
