2024 Art Contest Information for Art Teachers

About the Contest

Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) CoastFest returns to Mary Ross Waterfront Park in Brunswick from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. 

As part of CoastFest, DNR’s Coastal Resources Division (CRD) is again hosting our annual Art Contest for students in Pre-K to 12th grades. The artwork will be displayed at the Brunswick-Glynn County Library, 208 Gloucester Street, from Thursday, Sept. 26 to Tuesday, Oct. 8. 

Theme

This year’s theme is “An Ocean of Color: Radiant Reefs,” and we encourage students to submit colorful, creative perspectives on our inshore and offshore artificial reefs, as well as natural ones like Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary. For more than 40 years, CRD has been building essential fish habitat through artificial reef creation. We use sunken vessels, concrete rubble, even retired subway cars. You can view this video about our reef program for inspiration:

Age Divisions

A few changes are coming to the Art Contest this year. Students will compete by age group and across all schools. The students will be divided into the following age groups, in which they will compete against students from other schools across the region:

• Pre-K to 2nd grade
• 3rd grade to 5th grade
• Middle school
• High school

Awards & Prizes

There will be First, Second, and Third place ribbons for each of the four age groups, along with prizes of age-appropriate art supplies for each of those winners. Additionally, superlative awards in the following categories will be given out contest-wide: 

• Best Use of Humor, 
• Best Underwater Storyteller, 
• Best Use of Color, 
• Outstanding Detail, and 
• 50 other General Honorable Mention awards. 

Artwork will be judged the week of Sept. 30 prior to CoastFest. Judging will be based on creativity, mastery of medium, interpretation of theme, and representation of our coastal environment. In addition to the CRD-sponsored awards, numerous other groups provide prizes. CRD is currently working with our partners to confirm those groups and a full list will be updated on this webpage in the coming weeks.

One Grand Prize winner selected from the overall contest will have his or her artwork featured on the 2025 CoastFest T-Shirt. The selected student will also have the opportunity to choose a pizza party or ice cream social for his or her art class in the weeks following the contest. 

New this year, CRD will announce the Grand Prize winner in-person at CoastFest. We will notify the teacher and student prior to CoastFest and invite them to join us for the presentation during CoastFest. 

The art-supply prizes for First, Second, and Third place winners, along with superlative winners (“best use of”) can be picked up by students at the contest’s exhibit at the Brunswick-Glynn Library during CoastFest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5. Prizes not picked up that day will be given to art teachers when they pick up the art on or after Oct. 10 at DNR Regional Headquarters.

Artwork Submission Guidelines

All artwork must be delivered to DNR’s Coastal Regional Headquarters by Friday, Sept. 13. Our office is at One Conservation Way, Brunswick, GA 31520, and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 

Please follow these guidelines carefully:

• Artwork must be submitted by art teachers (not parents, unless the student is home-schooled)
• Art must hang flat
• Maximum size accepted is 12 inches by 18 inches, minimum size is 4 inches by 6 inches; Artwork may also have a one-inch matte border
• Artwork can have some three-dimensional texture, but must easily hang when displayed
• Artwork should be lightweight
• One piece of art per student
• Maximum 30 pieces of art per school

Each piece of art must be clearly labeled on the back with the teacher’s name, student’s name, grade, and school. Artwork will be available for pick-up at DNR’s Coastal Regional Headquarters beginning Thursday, Oct. 10. Prizes not picked up by students during CoastFest on Oct. 5 will be given to teachers to distribute. 

Other Information & Contact

CRD sincerely appreciates the hard work of every teacher and student involved, and we understand what a massive undertaking this contest is every year. Thank you continued support and involvement.

If you have any questions about the CoastFest Art Contest, please contact our art contest coordinator:

Meghan Angelina
912-264-7218
meghan.angelina@dnr.ga.gov

CoastFest Art Contest Poster

Help get your students excited about CoastFest and the art contest by printing out this poster for your classroom! Click here to download a high-res version.