Special to Long Beach Breeze
The Celebrate the Gulf Marine Education Festival, which is held the first Saturday in April in Memorial Park in Pass Christian, is holding their annual poster contest.
The festival, which was established in 1991 to teach residents and visitors about the importance of the Gulf of Mexico, will take place this year on Saturday, April 5, in conjunction with its sister festival, Art in the Pass. The festival will feature several dozen exhibitors with information about everything from upland habitats and wildlife to the recreational and commercial services that the Gulf of Mexico provides.
All artists, both amateur and professional, who are at least thirteen years old, are invited to submit an original poster design that depicts the conservation, recreation, or the scenic qualities of Mississippi’s coastal resources.
Each artist may submit up to four entries for consideration in any medium, except photograph. All submissions must be original artwork. Digital art will be accepted, but cannot contain any imagery that is copyrighted. There is no size restriction on artwork, but it must accommodate 16.25” by 14.75” vertical for the poster. As the artwork may also be used as the festival t-shirt design, art should be suitable for reproduction on a t-shirt, as well.
Each submission must be accompanied by a completed entry form.
The winning artist will be awarded $250 and ten posters. The artwork chosen will be printed as the official festival poster, and the artist will sign the posters the day of the festival. The winning artist must attend the festival and sign the posters from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 5.
Poster contest entries must be submitted by January 10, 2025, at 5 p.m., and there is no entry fee.
Other upcoming opportunities ahead of the festival will include a children’s art contest, which will be open to all children in kindergarten through eighth grade. Children are asked to submit an original design that depicts the conservation, recreation, or the scenic qualities of Mississippi’s coastal resources. Art submissions will be judged according to grade of artist; and the winning artwork will be featured at the festival, and awards will be given out at the festival to the winning artists.
The Student Science Showcase will offer an opportunity for students to showcase the science they are doing at their school, in their community or at home, and also gives them the opportunity to present their works to the MS Gulf Coast community. Projects from individuals or groups between fifth and twelfth grades will be selected by a committee to showcase at the festival. Projects selected will receive a Celebrate the Gulf t-shirt, and meals will be provided throughout the day. Additionally, the winning projects will receive a small scholarship.
This year, the festival will also offer a School Attendance Award for the schools with the most students attending the festival. Students who attend are encouraged to register at the booth to help increase the chance of their school winning a scholarship.
Organization will have the opportunity to be an exhibitor at this year’s festival, as well. Exhibiting provides the opportunity to interact with families and students to share how the Gulf of Mexico is important. Exhibitors must have a hands-on educational activity and cannot sell anything. Exhibitors at previous events have seen between 500-900 visitors per booth.
For more information and entry forms for the poster contest and the Student Science Showcase, as well as for application forms to become an exhibitor, visit www.GrandBayNERR.org/Celebrate-The-Gulf.
