State-Fish Art goes international
The 13th Annual awards ceremony held at Texas Freshwater Fisheries
By Linda K. Holt
Monitor Staff Writer
ATHENS–The Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art competition held its 13th annual exhibition June 24-25 at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries in Athens.
This is the first year the state-fish art contest has gone international, with participants from Canada, Indonesia and Turkey.
Grades 10-12 first-place winner Dinling “Sunny” Zhong was an exchange student from Bejing. She unfortunately had to head home before the event, but sent a acceptance video in her stead.
There were three age categories – grades 4-6, grades 7-9 and grades 10-12. Next year, an essay will be incorporated into the contest and a new, art-only category for grades 1-3 will be added.
Winners were chosen from each state, then overall first through third winners were chosen. There was also a people’s choice award.
State first-place winners received medals and a fishing rod. Overall winners also received a trophy and gift certificate to an art supply store.
Contestants and families from all over the nation, as well as participants from Ontario, Canada, gathered to enjoy Texas barbecue Friday evening and an awards ceremony Saturday afternoon.
The awards ceremony opened with a song “Tomorrow,” from the musical “Annie,” which was performed by Mollie Davies, who is portraying Little Orphan Annie at the Henderson County Performing Arts. More information can be found at hcpac.org.
Guest speakers included Athens Mayor Randy Daniel and Wildlife Forever board chairman Scott Grieve. A letter from Gov. Rick Perry was read to those gathered.
A home-schooler was announced as the “teacher of the year” for having several multi-award winning children, including winners in this year’s competition.
Many of those attending had already caught a fish in the TFFC lakes, some for the very first time.
Several local artists also gathered to show their wares, including a group from the Tyler SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism).
SCA members re-create the dress, life-style and handcrafted original artwork of European Medieval and Renaissance periods.
Bruce Lyndon Cunningham, a forester and botanical artist from Nacogdoches, exhibited his impressive Audobon-style illustrations of trees. The drawings incorporated all identifiers of the trees, including form, bark, flower and seeds.
Cunningham takes his artwork one step further by hand-carving frames for the original artwork made from the same wood as the illustration depicts.
Cunningham has been honored internationally for his work, which has been acquired by both President George Bush and his son, President George W. Bush.
Despite the jokes about it being jacket weather back home (compared to the Texas heat), all participants appeared to be having a good time.