By Molly Kirk/DWR
Calling all artists! The popular Restore the Wild Artwork Competition returns to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) and is looking for artists to submit artwork supporting Restore the Wild’s mission of creating and maintaining habitat to help Virginia’s wildlife thrive. Entries in the contest will be displayed in a public exhibition, and winning artwork from the Restore the Wild Artwork Competition is used to help promote Restore the Wild’s mission.
This year, we’re going underwater and asking artists to submit work featuring the dinosaur of the tidal rivers, the Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus). With their enormous size and bony plates along their spine, Atlantic sturgeon look unlike any other fish. In the spring and fall, as they travel up Virginia’s tidal rivers, they can be seen arcing out of the water and splashing back into it in dramatic breaching displays. Atlantic sturgeon were a vital part of Native American and colonial culture and diets, but rampant over-fishing in the 19th century depleted their populations just as pollution from industry decimated their habitats. The species was added to the Federal Endangered Species List in 2012, and restoration efforts have been underway for decades. Thanks to a focus on water quality, spawning habitat, and fish passage, Atlantic sturgeon populations have begun to rebound in Virginia’s tidal rivers.
An Atlantic sturgeon breaching in the James River. Photo by Stan Belback
Pieces selected for the 2025 Restore the Wild Artwork exhibition will be displayed in The Gallery at Main Street Station, 1500 E Main St, Richmond, VA 23219, from Friday, March 7 until Friday, March 28. On Friday, March 7, competition winners will be announced at a public opening reception, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Thereafter, the exhibition will be open to the public daily, Monday – Friday 6 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday 8 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Artists are invited to submit in the categories of Natural History Illustration, Artistic Expression, Youth 10 & Under, and Youth 11-17. See more details about submissions in the Restore the Wild Artwork Competition Rules and Guidelines. Please note that photography submissions are not allowed.
Virginia has more than 900 species of wildlife whose numbers are in decline mostly because of impacts to their habitat—natural areas that provide necessary food, water, and shelter. DWR is the lead agency in Virginia for the conservation of wildlife and wildlife habitat. DWR’s Restore the Wild initiative allows DWR to expand the work the agency does to preserve, establish, and maintain vital wildlife habitat areas and keep Virginia’s wild places wild. Memberships and donations to Restore the Wild provide funds directly for DWR habitat projects.
Restore the Wild’s Artwork Competition calls for submissions from the public (excluding photography) that reflect Restore the Wild’s mission to restore and create natural habitats vital to the survival of Virginia’s wildlife. Contest judges will evaluate the works not only on their artistic merit, but also on their precision in illustrating the species’ physical characteristics and habitat. Make sure to visit the Artwork Competition Rules and Guidelines for complete details and DWR’s Atlantic sturgeon page for information about the species.
