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Nature Inspires Art Contest

See the winners and honorable mentions of our Florida nature-inspired art contest with the theme: Celebrate Nature.

Heart-shaped grape leaf at Tiger Creek Preserve.
Grape Leaf Heart-shaped grape leaf at Tiger Creek Preserve. © Linda Fish

Entry Period Has Ended

The entry period for our contest is now closed. Scroll down to see the winners. The artwork of the winning entries will be displayed at The Lake Wales Arts Center from November 7 to 30, with our special art gallery event to be held on Friday, November 18.

Contest Overview  

TNC Florida's Center for Conservation Initiatives Art Contest Nature Inspires invited artists to create a Florida nature-inspired work of art that represented this year’s theme: Celebrate Nature. Submissions were required to be visual art, including, but not limited to, digital art, painting or sculpture. Video, photography and sculptures made from natural or perishable items were not accepted. All valid submissions were considered for display at The Lake Wales Arts Center as part of a special art installation. The top three winners will enjoy a family fun day at Tiger Creek Preserve!  

Florida has some of the most striking natural inspiration, from beautiful aquatic life in our springs and on the coasts to charismatic weather, ecosystems and plants. Scroll down to enjoy the beautiful works of art that have been created for this year's contest.

Judging Criteria

Artwork was judged on expression of the theme Celebrate Nature, originality and the degree to which it is Florida nature inspired.

Prizes

Three winners were selected and invited along with four guests of their choosing to a fun day at Tiger Creek Preserve to be held on November 19, 2022, including a buggy tour and picnic.

Questions? Email NatureInspires@tnc.org

See the 2022 Winners

Mother and kitten Florida panther walk through pines.
Seeking a Pathway to Survival First Place: TNC Florida Nature Inspires Art Contest 2022 © Kristen Loffler

First Place Winner

Kristen Loffler's Seeking a Pathway to Survival

"I have been concerned about the our environment for as long as I can remember and the creatures that try to survive in it. Here, in Florida, one of the most obviously endangered is the Florida Panther. I was inspired by pictures I saw in The Nature Conservancy magazine, and others that I saw online. My art quilt is a composite of several of these, interpreted by me using fabric. I tried to make the panther look as if it is pleading for help while still keeping it's distance, and ready to protect it's offspring. I used many different fabrics including netting for the pine needles on the trees, and a cammo print for the tree trunks. It took me several weeks to complete and there are many small pieces used in the face. Nothing was painted, although I did use textile markers to connect some areas on the tree trunks, and to darken some shadows on the panthers."—Kristen Loffler

 

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Tiger Creek in January

Nathan Leemis, Second Place

Watercolor painting of orange and brown creek bed winding through a palm forest.
Tiger Creek in January Second Place: TNC Florida Nature Inspires Art Contest 2022 © Nathan Leemis
Panoramic at waterline of Gulf of Mexico showing above and below the water line; pelicans diving, sponges and the sea floor teeming with life.
Pelican Diving: Gulf of Mexico Third Place: TNC Florida Nature Inspires Art Contest 2022 © Barbara Harmon

Pelican Diving and Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem

Barbara Harmon, Third Place

See the 2022 Honorable Mentions

A sea turtle cruises through the Gulfstream.
Coming in from the Stream Florida Nature Inspires Art Contest Honorable Mention. © Gloria J. Peters
Cormorants sun themselves on a log.
Double Crested Cormorants Florida Nature Inspires Art Contest Honorable Mention. © Barbara F. Johnson
Silhouettes of pine trees lined by blue backdrop.
Dawn Amongst the Longleaf Pine Florida Nature Inspires Art Contest Honorable Mention 2022 © Jennifer Gates
A small orchid stands tall in the middle of seeming fire.
Fire Orchid Florida Nature Inspires Art Contest Honorable Mention © Ian Biazzo
An egret and a butterfly near the shoreline of a tannin rich waterway lined by palms.
Flight at Tiger Creek Florida Nature Inspires Art Contest Honorable Mention © Jacque Palomäki
Many birds over a silhouette of the state they can be found in, Florida.
Florida Birds Florida Nature Inspires Art Contest Honorable Mention © Brett and John Milley
Stained glass of a Florida sun shining with heavily laden orange tree and stream running through the center.
FLORIZIA Florida Nature Inspires Art Contest Honorable Mention © Merritt Horan Capurro
Green anole lizard rests on a white and red caladium leaf.
Green Anole in the Caladiums Florida Nature Inspires Art Contest Honorable Mention © Diana Ferrer
Two turtles sit on a log with necks slightly intertwined and their reflections in the water mirror them.
Inky Reflections-River Cooters Florida Nature Inspires Art Contest Honorable Mention © Robert Sena
A coconut tree blows in the wind in the foreground with open water and house in the distance.
Jupiter Inlet Florida Nature Inspires Art Contest Honorable Mention © Ernie DeBlasi
Two sandhill cranes walk along.
Lefty and Poncho Florida Nature Inspires Art Contest Honorable Mention © Marilyn Wescott
A dock stretches out over the water and the coast can be see across the way.
Morning in the Wetlands Florida Nature Inspires Art Contest Honorable Mention © Thomas Gale
Grasses and marsh give way to palms in the background.
Palms Behind the Marsh Florida Nature Inspires Art Contest Honorable Mention © Alice Pickett Lewis
A woman sits looking out over a coastal Florida landscape with thunder head taking form over the ocean in the distance.
Old Florida Florida Nature Inspires Art Contest Honorable Mention © Christopher Vitale
× A sea turtle cruises through the Gulfstream.
× Cormorants sun themselves on a log.
× Silhouettes of pine trees lined by blue backdrop.
× A small orchid stands tall in the middle of seeming fire.
× An egret and a butterfly near the shoreline of a tannin rich waterway lined by palms.
× Many birds over a silhouette of the state they can be found in, Florida.
× Stained glass of a Florida sun shining with heavily laden orange tree and stream running through the center.
× Green anole lizard rests on a white and red caladium leaf.
× Two turtles sit on a log with necks slightly intertwined and their reflections in the water mirror them.
× A coconut tree blows in the wind in the foreground with open water and house in the distance.
× Two sandhill cranes walk along.
× A dock stretches out over the water and the coast can be see across the way.
× Grasses and marsh give way to palms in the background.
× A woman sits looking out over a coastal Florida landscape with thunder head taking form over the ocean in the distance.

View the 2021 Winners

See the First, Second, Third Place and Honorable Mention winners.

'Florida Trinity' by Blair Updike: triptych painting portraying native Florida wildlife (from left) American alligator, wild turkey and Florida panther.
'What the Waterlilies Sing' by Bobbi Baugh: surface design on fabric constructed by collage and stitch.
'On the Boardwalk' by Kate Less-Madsen: oil on canvas.
'Chair of Vibrance' by Vitaliya Repina: this repurposed chair is a symbol of the connection we have with the universe and nature.
'Echoes' by Molly Franken: watercolor, an abstract but definitive portrait of Florida's underwater ecosystem.
'A Light in the Dark' by Penny Edwards: oil on canvas depicts a great blue heron at night.
'Bald Cypress' by Janet Molchan: sculpture reminding people of the beauty of wild Florida.
'Cherries for Breakfast' by Teresa Chin: watercolor depicting a male pileated woodpecker.
'Wading Great Egret' by Bonnie Masdeu: oil on canvas.
Visit our art gallery at Disney Wilderness Preserve to see the winning entries and honorable mentions. Masks will be required, and gathering restrictions will apply.
'Florida Trinity' by Blair Updike: triptych painting portraying native Florida wildlife (from left) American alligator, wild turkey and Florida panther.

First Place: "Florida Trinity" by Blair Updike: triptych painting portraying native Florida wildlife (from left) American alligator, wild turkey and Florida Panther. © Hannah O'Malley

'What the Waterlilies Sing' by Bobbi Baugh: surface design on fabric constructed by collage and stitch.

Second Place: "What the Waterlilies Sing" by Bobbi Baugh: surface design on fabric constructed by collage and stitch. © Hannah O'Malley/TNC

'On the Boardwalk' by Kate Less-Madsen: oil on canvas.

Third Place: "On the Boardwalk" by Kate Less-Madsen: oil on canvass. © Hannah O'Malley/TNC

'Chair of Vibrance' by Vitaliya Repina: this repurposed chair is a symbol of the connection we have with the universe and nature.

Honorable Mention: "Chair of Vibrance" by Vitaliya Repina: this repurposed chair is a symbol of the connection we have with the universe and nature. © Hannah O'Malley/TNC

'Echoes' by Molly Franken: watercolor, an abstract but definitive portrait of Florida's underwater ecosystem.

Honorable Mention: "Echoes" by Molly Franken: watercolor, an abstract but definitive portrait of Florida's underwater ecosystem. © Hannah O'Malley/TNC

'A Light in the Dark' by Penny Edwards: oil on canvas depicts a great blue heron at night.

Honorable Mention: "A Light in the Dark" by Penny Edwards: oil on canvass depicts a great blue heron at night. © Hannah O'Malley/TNC

'Bald Cypress' by Janet Molchan: sculpture reminding people of the beauty of wild Florida.

Honorable Mention: "Bald Cypress" by Janet Molchan: sculpture reminding people of the beauty of wild Florida. © Hannah O'Malley/TNC

'Cherries for Breakfast' by Teresa Chin: watercolor depicting a male pileated woodpecker.

Honorable Mention: "Cherries for Breakfast" by Teresa Chin: watercolor depicting a male pileated woodpecker. © Hannah O'Malley/TNC

'Wading Great Egret' by Bonnie Masdeu: oil on canvas.

Honorable Mention: "Wading Great Egret" by Bonnie Masdeu: oil on canvas. © Hannah O'Malley/TNC

Visit our art gallery at Disney Wilderness Preserve to see the winning entries and honorable mentions. Masks will be required, and gathering restrictions will apply.

Art Gallery: Visit our art gallery at Disney Wilderness Preserve to see the winning entries and honorable mentions. Masks will be required and gathering restrictions will apply. © Hannah O'Malley/TNC

Explore Tiger Creek

The sun's rays stream from behind a cloud over a longleaf pine forest at Disney Wilderness Preserve.

Program Overview

Longleaf Pine Forests—A Tree for Our Time

Spanning nine states in the U.S. southeast, TNC is working together to restore and manage longleaf pine forest from Texas to Virginia.

An adult gopher tortoise on the sandy soils of longleaf pine savanna.

Science

Gopher Tortoise

The gopher tortoise is one of the oldest living species on the planet, yet it's threatened or nearly extinct in parts of its range. Find out how we're protecting gopher tortoise habitat!

Two volunteers work in the native plant nursery at Blowing Rocks Preserve.

Opportunity

Volunteer with TNC in Florida

Achieving our mission would not be possible without our volunteers. We invite you to turn your passion into action by volunteering at our preserves in Florida.

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