George Montgomery NRA Youth Wildlife Art Contest Draws 350 Entrants for $7,000 Purse

The 31st Annual George Montgomery/NRA Youth Wildlife Art Contest was held last November at NRA Headquarters in Fairfax, Va., and featured 350 incredible entries submitted by young artists from all over the United States. Begun in 1987, the Youth Wildlife Art Contest challenges students to create exceptional works of art depicting North American wildlife and offers $7,000 in cash prizes.

The contest started out small with a specific goal: to foster young artists’ enthusiasm for the outdoors through animal-identification skills and to expand their knowledge of the continent’s indigenous wildlife. Over the years the contest has grown in size substantially, and many past winners have gone on to successful careers as professional artists. It makes us proud that the contest’s message has resonated with young artists, who carefully study an animal and hone their techniques to not just accurately depict a species but to give their entry life.

The Youth Wildlife Art Contest is open to any student in grades 1-12, including home-schooled children, and does not require NRA membership to participate. Any North American gamebird or animal that may be legally hunted or trapped is eligible to be depicted. Endangered species and non-game animals, such as eagles and snakes, are not eligible subjects.

In an effort to level the field of competition and recognize skilled artists of all ages besides the most talented high school seniors, the contest is divided into four categories based on school grade. Although many artists begin at different ages and advance at varying rates, grade-based categories are the easiest way to fairly group artists with similar skills. Judges select first-, second- and third-place entries in each category, and award respective prizes of $750, $500, and $250. “Best in Show,” selected from among all entries across all categories, is awarded $1,000.

With 350 entries from across the United States, the National Rifle Association would like to congratulate the winners of the 2018 George Montgomery/NRA Youth Wildlife Art Contest.

Best in Show
Emma Vande Vort; “Swimming Lessons”; Grade 10 (age 16); Lynden, Wash.

Category 1, 1st-3rd Grade
1st Place: Jayden Cheuk; “The Duck in the Pond”; Grade 2 (age 7); Chandler, Ariz.
2nd Place: Chandana Muhlian; “Majestic Fox in the Woods”; Grade 3 (age 8); Parsippany, N.J.
3rd Place: Sophia Zhao; “Best Love”; Grade 3 (age 9); Chandler, Ariz.

Category 2, 4th-6th Grade
1st Place: Cynthia Liu; “Together”; Grade 5 (age 10); Chandler, Ariz.
2nd Place: Morgan Feng; “Snow Hunter”; Grade 5 (age 10); Sugar Land, Texas
3rd Place: Ada Lau; “The Lone Wolf”; Grade 6 (age 11); Houston, Texas

Category 3, 7th-9th Grade
1st Place: Anna Yao; “Together in the Snow”; Grade 8 (age 13); Chandler, Ariz.
2nd Place: Leyi Gao; “Tree House”; Grade 7 (age 12); Sugar Land, Texas
3rd Place: Minjeong Kim; “Savage”; Grade 9 (age 15); Coppell, Texas

Category 4, 10th-12th Grade
1st Place: Christina Zhang; “Thriving in Adventure”; Grade 12 (age 17); Richmond, Texas
2nd Place: Anya Yu; “Tranquil Moments”; Grade 11 (age 16); Gilbert, Ariz.
3rd Place: Ethan Pro; “Pronghorn Buck”; Grade 12 (age 17); Canyon Country, Calif.

Honorable Mention
Lucas Yan; “Floating Elegance”; Grade 2 (age 7); Chandler, Ariz.
Fay Fay He; “The Deer”; Grade 3 (age 8); Chandler, Ariz.
Elaine Lin; “Fox in the Grass”; Grade 2 (age 7); Chandler, Ariz.
Devyn Jin; “Happy Time”; Grade 2 (age 7); San Jose, Calif.
Christina Lee; “A Sheep in the Mountain”; Grade 6 (age 12); Dallas, Texas
Ziteng Cai; “Bison”; Grade 6 (age 12); Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Victoria Ursol; “Bear Glare”; Grade 6 (age 11); Fair Oaks, Calif.
Sophia Lin; “Curious”; Grade 6 (age 11); Scottsdale, Ariz.
Jayda Ma; “Wild in the Forest”; Grade 7 (age 12); Sugar Land, Texas
Cathering Wang; “Curious Fox”; Grade 9 (age 14); Fremont, Calif.
Fiona Gao; “Courage”; Grade 7 (age 12); Chandler, Ariz.
Jessica Xu; “Snowy Raccoon”; Grade 7 (age 12); Coppell, Texas
Meiven Yang; “Inquisitive”; Grade 11 (age 16); Phoenix, Ariz.
Haejin Chong; “Fishing”; Grade 10 (age 15); Carrollton, Texas
Amanda Wong; “Wings up to New Heights”; Grade 10 (age 16); Chandler, Ariz.
Yunbeen Bae; “Serene Day”; Grade 11 (age 16); Frisco, Texas

The George Montgomery/NRA Youth Wildlife Art Contest offers young artists interested in hunting and wildlife an outlet to use their creative talent, practice artistic techniques and refine wildlife identification skills through the creation of original works. This contest encourages youth to nurture their interest for the visual arts, hunting and wildlife conservation. It also reinforces the positive effects of hunting and wildlife conservation with the public at large. For more information, visit artcontest.nra.org.