2023 Restore the Wild Artwork competition winners announced

RICHMOND, VA-The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) is pleased to announce the winners of its third annual Restore the Wild Artwork Competition. A panel of judges chose winners in the Natural History Illustration, Artistic Expression, and Youth categories as well as artwork to be used throughout 2023 to help promote Restore the Wild’s mission. This year, the Restore the Wild committee asked artists to portray the eastern hellbender, North America’s largest salamander, as the 2023 Restore the Wild species of focus, to help draw attention to how clean water is essential for the hellbender and so many other aquatic species. For more information on Restore the Wild, please visit: dwr.virginia.gov/restore-the-wild/.   

 Winner: Natural History Illustration category  Jared Sells’ oil painting, “New River Water Dog”.  Winner: Artistic Impression category  Sasha Paterson’s watercolor painting, “Cryptobranchus”. Winner: Youth category  Lily Perry’s “Rock Bottom”.  Chosen to be reproduced as a Restore the Wild sticker   Virginia Greene’s watercolor painting, “Please Don’t Roll My Rocks”.  Chosen to be reproduced as a Restore the Wild art print  Sandy James’ oil painting “Hellbender”.