Arts Council of Kanawha Valley

The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) is seeking submissions of original artwork to help celebrate the WVDA’s centennial as a state agency in 2011. The winning entry will be the basis of a commemorative poster that will be featured at the 2011 State Fair of West Virginia.

“The coming year will be a very special one for the West Virginia Department of Agriculture and we want all of West Virginia to help us celebrate,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass. “This contest is one way we’ll be involving people who are not necessarily involved in farming directly.”

Entries must be suitable for reproduction as a poster and should reflect the centennial theme, “100 Years of Agriculture: Protecting Your Family’s Health and Resources.” The contest is limited to West Virginia residents and deadline for entries is April 1, 2011. Entries must include the artist’s name, address, phone number and email address if applicable.

“We want to see creativity and will accept any type of entry and artist interpretation as long as it is two dimensional so it can be turned into a poster,” said Communications Manager Beth Southern, organizer of the contest. “We see the theme as the conceptual launching point.”

Quality photos of finished works should be emailed to bsouthern@wvda.us, or mailed to WVDA – Communications Division, 1900 Kanawha Blvd. East, Charleston, WV 25305, Attn: Centennial Art Contest. Artists are asked not to send original artwork. Photos of artwork will not be returned.

WVDA reserves the right to use any submitted artwork for any purpose. Questions should be directed to Beth Southern or Jessica Elliott at 304-558-3708.