HARRISBURG -- It’s time to break out the paint brushes and easel.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is accepting works for its 2027 Working Together for Wildlife Art Contest, with entries due by July 31, 2026.
The 2027 featured category is Pennsylvania shorebirds. Qualifying submissions must include at least one of the following species: American golden-plover, black-bellied plover, buff-breasted sandpiper, dunlin, greater yellowlegs, killdeer, lesser yellowlegs, long-billed dowitcher, pectoral sandpiper, piping plover (Great Lakes population), red knot, ruddy turnstone, sanderling, semipalmated sandpiper, short-billed dowitcher spotted sandpiper, upland sandpiper, whimbrel, white-rumped sandpiper, and willet.
Unlike previous years, this year’s contest is restricted to paintings. One or more shorebirds can be featured in an original, full-color, horizontal or vertical painting with a horizontal or vertical image of 14x20 inches or 20x14 inches, leaving no important subject matter within one inch of outside border, due to cropping. The painting must have a 2-inch white border or mat, unframed but signed. The total project size should not exceed 18x24 inches or 24x18 inches. To protect anonymity during judging the signed name will be covered.
All submissions for the 2027 contest must be submitted online at https://www.pgcapps.pa.gov/WorkingTogetherforWildlifeForm by 4 p.m. on July 31. Artists may submit more than one work, but for each submission, there is a nonrefundable $50 entry fee. Artists 18 and younger can enter for free.
All entries will be reviewed and evaluated by a committee of qualified Game Commission personnel.
The artist whose painting is selected for the 2027 Working Together for Wildlife fine art print series will receive $5,000, plus 25 artist proof prints. The winning artist must pencil-sign up to 200 limited edition fine art prints produced from the original painting, with signing conducted at the Game Commission’s Harrisburg headquarters, and the artist receiving the cash award after the prints are signed.
In addition, cash awards will be presented to other top-finishing artists. The artist submitting the second-place painting will receive $1,500; third place, $1,000; fourth place, $800; and fifth place, $500. In the event of a tie, the awards for the two places will be combined and split evenly.
Participating artists will have the chance to view entries after final selections are made.
Official rules about the contest are available on the Contests page of the Game Commission’s website. Each artist must be a Pennsylvania resident. For further information, contact the Game Commission 1-833-742-9453 (1-833-PGC-WILD).
Founded in 1980, the Working Together for Wildlife program has raised over $2 million for wildlife management and research across the Commonwealth.
“Revenues received from the sale of signed and numbered prints help finance wildlife research and management programs in Pennsylvania, meaning participating artists not only have a chance to take home winnings, but to help fund wildlife conservation through their work,” said Lauren Ferreri, who leads the Game Commission’s Bureau of Information and Education. “By inspiring artists, engaging the public and allowing both to help benefit wildlife, the Working Together for Wildlife program continues to promote the Game Commission’s role in wildlife conservation and serves as an important reminder that we all can make a difference.”