Every year, The Art of Conservation hosts a Songbird Art Contest that invites students from kindergarten through 9th grade to submit hand-drawn artworks in any physical medium. In 2024, the contest featured five selected songbird species:

• American Goldfinch
• Brown-headed Nuthatch
• Cerulean Warbler
• Scarlet Tanager
• Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Participants from across the United States, and even internationally, competed for awards in various categories, including National Winners, International Winners, US Essay Winners, and State Winners.

Contest Overview

This year, the contest recognized outstanding entries by awarding first, second, and third places in different grade divisions. Out of the nine 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners chosen from Oregon, Art World School Students took seven swards!

Oregon Winners

Here are the Oregon winners. They showed amazing talent and creativity. Their artwork captures the natural beauty of songbirds and a vibrant artistic spirit:

1. 3rd Place Winners

K-3rd: Arda Leo Memis – Scarlet Tanager

Arda’s acrylic painting features three Scarlet Tanagers perched by a stream. The detailed composition and unique premise perfectly highlight the effort and artistry behind his work.

4th-6th: Melisa Aslan – Cerulean Warbler

Melisa’s colored pencil drawing depicts two Cerulean Warblers perched on a branch, peering curiously at the viewer. The phenomenal detail in her work earned her a spot among the 4th-6th grade winners.

2. 2nd Place Winners

K-3rd: Navira Thiruselvam – Brown-headed Nuthatch

Navira’s piece, rendered in colored pencil, shows a Brown-headed Nuthatch gazing at its own reflection in water. The interplay of bright, saturated warm colors against a cool water background creates a whimsical and striking composition.

4th-6th: Lenith Dissanayake – Cerulean Warbler

Lenith’s work uses overlapping images of two Cerulean Warblers to masterfully convey a sense of scale. The effective contrast between the warm hues of one warbler and the cool purples and blues of the other distinguishes each bird within the composition.

3. 1st Place Winners

K-3rd: Eva Lockyer – Cerulean Warbler

Eva’s colored pencil piece captivates with a dynamic angle and a wonderful gradient background. Her depiction of a Cerulean Warbler amidst spring blossoms stole the show in the 1st place category.

4th-6th: Kate Reeber – Cerulean Warbler

Using watercolor and watercolor pencils, Kate created a highly detailed piece featuring two Cerulean Warblers. Her soft, light background, complemented by fall leaves in the foreground and a cool air in the background, evokes the crisp feel of an autumn day.

7th-9th: Damon Tan – Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher

Damon’s meticulously rendered drawing of a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher captures the bird just as it lands on a branch. His careful use of colored pencil to mimic the effect of a sunbeam’s camera flare gives the viewer the sensation of stumbling upon a perfectly timed photograph.

Conclusion

Congratulations to the seven winners from Art World School Students for their outstanding achievements in the 2024 Songbird Art Contest. While not every submission could win, every participant showcased hard work, creativity, and a commitment to learning new techniques. We look forward to seeing what these talented students create in the coming year!

Keep creating, and let your art shine!