Alabama Wildlife
Fine Arts Competition
September 25th – November 13th
Appreciating Alabama’s Wildlife through Outstanding Artistic Talent
We are excited to announce our fourth annual Alabama Wildlife Fine Art Competition. This contest showcases the truly outstanding talents of our local and regional artists in a competition for a $12,000 grand purchase prize, generously sponsored by The Alabama Wildlife Federation and LIV Development. The goal of the competition is to increase awareness and appreciation of specific native Alabama wildlife, as well as recognize outstanding artistic talent.
How to enter
Are you an artist? Join us for this year’s Alabama Wildlife Fine Arts Competition! This competition is open to all U.S. residents at least 18 years of age, and there are no entry or submission fees, thanks for Alabama Wildlife Federation and LIV Development’s sponsorship.
- Review and follow ALL the competition instructions carefully. Save a copy of the rules and/or prospectus for your future reference.
- Choose your species from the list and create your masterpiece.
- Submit your applications to The Kelly by August 9, 2026.
- Jurors will review everyone’s entries and notifications will be sent by August 14, 2026.
Good luck!
Past Winners
2025 Best of Show Winner: Bucky Bowles for “Secluded Pond Mallards” 
2025 Award of Excellence Winner: Jared Knox for “Window into the Blackbelt” 
2025 Merit Winner: Jennifer Alexander “Forest Sanctuary” 
2025 Merit Winner: EMarie Naylor for “At Dawn the Whip-poor-will Calls” 
2025 Merit Winner: Carol Ferguson for “Guarded Grace” 
2024 Best of Show Winner: Pat DeVane Burns for “The Last Party Line” 
2024 Award of Excellence Winner: Broderick Crawford for “Gliding In” 
2024 Merit Winner: Brittni Smith for “Just Another Tuesday” 
2024 Merit Winner: Bucky Bowles for “Cypress Bottom Gobblers” 
2024 Merit Winner: Erica Naylor for “Hawk’s Drama” 
2023 Best of Show Winner: Jared Knox for “Bobcat and Bobwhite” 
2023 Merit Winner: Sue Key for “Mister Pretty” 
2023 Merit Winner: Carol Ferguson for “Old Tom” 
2023 Merit Winner: Mary McPherson for “Morning Dove” 
2023 Mayor’s Choice Winner: Dirk Walker for “Coosa River Red Eye Bass caught on a Wooley Bugger”
Main Category: Game Species
“Best of Show” Purchase Prize: $12,000
“Award of Excellence” Purchase Prize: $7,000
Secondary Category: Song & Shorebirds
“Kelly’s Choice” Purchase Prize: $5,000
Two Opt-In Purchase Prizes: $2,500
Merit Awards
Three Overall Merit Awards: $750
Open to all U.S. residents at least 18 years of age.
No entry or submission fees.
Purchase awards become the property of The Alabama Wildlife Federation, including copyright and all that it entails, such as marketing and exclusive reproduction rights. Award-winning artwork may be used in future promotional materials or for use in fundraising campaigns. The Song & Shorebird Purchase Award will become the property of The Kelly Fitzpatrick Center for the Arts and will likewise be used in future marketing and promotional materials for the Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival and future Kelly wildlife art exhibitions, and the artist retains their reproduction rights.
Merit awards are not purchase awards, rather they are purely monetary awards recognizing outstanding artistic achievement.
We are seeking representational artworks that highlight Alabamian native species. Artwork should depict at least one of the species listed under “Categories” below in natural landscapes/settings and may incorporate fitting outdoor sporting activities/sporting dog elements when appropriate for the species selected.
All artworks will be juried and judged based on the following criteria:
Accuracy of the Chosen Species
We accept a broad range of artistic styles and interpretations; however, artistic liberties must still allow for easy identification of the exact species selected. We also encourage artists to consider their chosen animal’s natural habits and behaviors in their depictions as well, as unnatural depictions may result in entry rejection.
Composition that Highlights the Animal
While the animal does not need to be centered or even a large portion of the artwork, the composition of the piece must ultimately focus or bring focus to the chosen animal. Artists depicting their chosen animal with other species (such as dogs, predators, or hunters) should be particularly mindful of this.
Artistic Merit and Quality
Artworks were juried and judged based on design, skill, visual appeal, and quality of artistic expression.
New this year, we are introducing another category of avian species alongside the main category of native wildlife. Art must represent one or more of the below native species from either category. The Song & Shorebird category has differing awards and size limitations (further explained in “Rules”).
Main Category: Game Species
- Green-Winged Teal
- Mallard
- Hooded Merganser
- Wood Duck
- American Widgeon
- Mourning Dove
- American Woodcock
- Eastern Wild Turkey
- Bobwhite Quail
- White-tailed Deer
Secondary Category: Song & Shorebirds
- Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher
- Swallow-tailed Kite
- Cedar Waxwing
- Scarlet Tanager
- American Goldfinch
- Snowy Egret
- Least Tern
- Sanderling
- Wilson’s Plover
- American Avocet
- Open to all U.S. residents at least 18 years of age.
- Artwork must be original, signed by the artist, produced within the last two years, and not previously reproduced.
- Artwork cannot be copied from copyrighted materials. Please refer to the “Originality and Copyright Infringement” page linked below for more information.
The Kelly reserves the right to disallow the exhibition or sale of any item, which in the opinion of The Kelly is detrimental to the show’s image or does not comply with show rules.
Mediums
Artworks must be two-dimensional in traditional fine art mediums, such as oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastels, gouache, graphite, ink, etc. No digital media, photography, 3-D mediums, or prints or reproductions.
Artwork Size Limitations
- Main Game Category: Artwork must be at least 16” by 20” and no larger than 60” by 60”.
- Secondary Song & Shorebird Category: Artwork must be at least 10” x 10” and no larger than 48” x 48”.
Entry and Fees
Artists may submit up to a total of two entries, regardless of category. There are no submission or entry fees, thanks to LIV Development and Alabama Wildlife Federation’s sponsorship.
Artwork Photos/Images for Application
The artist must submit a labeled photo of each entry with their application. These images should best represent your entries for the jurors’ review, as bad entry photos may result in entry rejection.
- High Quality: When applying, please ensure that your photos of your artwork entries are high quality, well-lit, in focus, not tilted, completely in frame, and with proper white balance set. Try not to have
- Labeled: Please label your entry photos with your name and artwork title via file name (ex. “John Smith – Mallard.jpg”) or on the back of the physical photo, so that The Kelly can know which artwork is which. Do NOT add visible text on top of your entry photo, as artist names will be kept anonymous from the jury.
- Digital File Formats: For digital files, please share your photos as either PNG, JPEG, TIFF, or PDF files. Your files should be high-quality, so please ensure that your photos are at least 1920×1080 and/or 300 DPI. We do not have requirement for a maximum file size.
How to Apply
The artist must fill out an application form with their entries’ information and submit a labeled photo of each entry. Applications must be received by August 9, 2026. Please note that late entries will NOT be accepted. There are several ways to submit your application:
- Online: You may submit your application package online at https://thekelly.org/exhibitions/application
- Email: You may email a copy of your filled out PDF application and artwork photos to Exhibits@TheKelly.org
- Mail: You may mail a paper copy of your application with photos OR a zip drive of your files to our office at The Kelly Fitzpatrick Center for the Arts, PO Box 641, Wetumpka, AL 36092
- Physical: If you are local, you may come by our physical location and drop off your application and photos into the Registrar’s receiving box at our office at 301 Hill Street, Wetumpka, AL 36092.
Please do NOT drop off or mail your original artwork as part of your application or for the jury process.
Notifications
Artists will be notified by email of the jurors’ decisions for this exhibition by August 14th. Every applicant will be notified of acceptance or rejection, so please contact us if you have not received any response after that date.
Wall Ready
Each piece must be gallery-wrapped (at least 1.5 inches thick) or properly framed, if selected. In the case of gallery-wrapped art, all edges must be finished and dry. If the edges of your artwork are blank or raw, we reserve the right to refuse acceptance. Artworks must also have galley/picture wire installed to be accepted. Please ensure your D-rings and gallery wire are properly rated to the weight of your artwork and frame and are properly secured. The Kelly reserves the right to refuse artwork with improper gallery wire installation.
Artwork Delivery
Art should be delivered to The Kelly at 301 Hill Street, Wetumpka, AL 36092 on September 11th & 12th. If you are unable to deliver your art, please contact us to make alternate arrangements. If you are shipping your artwork, please note that your artwork must also arrive by Sept 12th, and that you will be responsible for the shipping costs to The Kelly as well as the return shipping cost, if not selected as a winner or sold by the exhibition’s end.
Shipping
Please do NOT ship your artwork for the jurying round. Upon jury acceptance, you may ship your accepted artwork to be received by Sept 12th. Please note that you will be responsible for the shipping costs to The Kelly as well as return shipping costs, if not selected as a winner or sold by the exhibition’s end.
You may ship artwork to us at:
The Kelly Fitzpatrick Center for the Arts
301 Hill Street,
Wetumpka, AL 36092
Commission
Art will be held from sale until after the competition is judged and the winner is announced. A twenty-five percent (25%) donation to The Kelly will be deducted from any sales during this exhibition. Art should be priced accordingly. The 25% commission does not apply to the purchase or merit awards.
Artwork Pick Up
Artwork that does not win a purchase prize or has not sold should be picked up on November 14th & 16th. If you or an authorized person on your behalf are unable to pick up your art on those dates, please contact us to make alternate arrangements. Any artwork not removed within 90 days from the pickup date (February 16th) shall be considered an unrestricted donation to The Kelly.
First Round – Jurying: Artwork applications will be reviewed by a team of jurors consisting of art professionals in the River Region and a wildlife expert from the Alabama Wildlife Federation. Please understand that the competition is highly competitive, and the jurors will be asked to select no more than fifty (50) artworks from all the entries we will receive, due to space limitations. These jurors will jury all entries based on the above judging criteria.
We hope the competition will challenge and inspire artists to push themselves and grow artistically, regardless of whether their entry is ultimately accepted or not.
Second Round – Judging: Judging will be physically conducted at The Kelly after the exhibition opens by a panel consisting of a representative from Alabama Wildlife Federation, LIV Development, and the Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival.
Note: Artist names will be hidden from the jurors and judges during both judging rounds.
Winner’s Announcement
The winner shall be publicly announced during the Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival on October 24, 2026 at 9:00am on the main stage outside of The Kelly.