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The DuPont Nature Center invites artists of all ages and abilities to submit original artwork that shows us what the Delaware Bay means to you.
If selected, your work will be displayed publicly at the DuPont Nature Center and returned to you at the end of the display period. The DuPont Nature Center is a part of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) Division of Fish and Wildlife.
The showcase will be split into three themes:
Shoreline Serenity
Submissions due March 1, 2026
Display period: April – May
Delaware Bay Connections
Submissions due May 1, 2026
Display period: June – July
Unique Shapes, Sizes and Colors
Submissions due July 1, 2026
Display period: Aug. – Sept.
More information on each theme is in the official rules below.
Find the submission form at the bottom of this page, after the official rules.
First, read all of the rules and requirements on this page. Then complete the online Entry and Artwork Release Form (below) and upload a photo of your artwork under the appropriate theme. The Entry and Artwork Release Form must be completed for each entered piece, and a photo of the artwork must be submitted.
The photo for each entry must be named for submission in the following format: themetitle-artworktitle-firstname-lastname.format. Please use dashes to separate words in the filename.
Example: shoreline-serenity-horseshoe-crabs-spawning-john-smith.jpg
If the artist is a child under the age of 18, the child’s parent or guardian must complete and submit the online form(s).
If any children under the age of 18 can be seen and recognized in the submitted artwork, a separate parental release form must be completed for each child by the child’s parent or guardian and submitted to DNREC.
Any photographic artwork submitted must be at a resolution of at least 1650 by 2100 pixels and be no larger than 10 MB in size. Images must be submitted in JPEG or PNG format. Photos of other art media (illustrations, sculptures, etc.) in the submission form can be smaller sizes.
All artwork must be smaller than two feet tall and two feet wide, unless given permission by the DuPont Nature Center Manager. Email patrick.ruhl@delaware.gov if you would like to submit something above this size.
We cannot display any art that requires heavy hanging materials, needs electricity, has sharp edges that may cause injury or that moves in any way.
Artists can submit up to three pieces per theme and the same work to multiple themes. Note that your piece may be selected and displayed for only one theme.
Only pieces that meet the criteria along with the completed submission form will be eligible.
The artwork submission, and the completed Entry and Release Form(s), must be submitted by the deadline listed for the intended theme.
DNREC shall not accept late or incomplete entries or entries that have not followed these Official Rules.
DNREC reserves the right to adjust any deadline(s) as the result of causes beyond its immediate control. DNREC will take reasonable steps to notify the public of any adjustments made to deadlines.
Submissions must not contain inappropriate, indecent, obscene or unlawful content. DNREC has sole discretion in determining whether any submission contains such content. Submissions determined by DNREC to contain such content shall be rejected.
All submissions must be original and created solely by the submitting entrant(s) and may not violate the intellectual property rights, copyright or right of property of any third party. DNREC will reject submissions that it determines, in its sole discretion, contain copyrighted materials.
Photo submissions should accurately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it appeared. Photos that have been digitally altered beyond standard optimization will be disqualified. Allowable standard optimization includes removal of dust, cropping, reasonable adjustments to exposure, color and contrast.
AI-generated photographs and/or artwork will not be accepted.
Artwork must not promote specific businesses, products or political positions.
Display Period:
April through May
The crashing of the waves as the bay washes up during a storm. The golden glow of the sunrise over the horizon. Gentle breeze whipping salty air across your face. Taking a stroll down the beach can offer a sense of serenity like no other. This theme invites entrants to capture and artistically portray the peace and tranquility that the shoreline can provide.
Display Period:
June through July
The Delaware Bay is the perfect place to find relationships and bonds woven through nature. Oyster reefs support dozens of fish deep in the water, while the millions of eggs laid by horseshoe crabs nourish migrating birds along their amazing journeys. Of course, we can’t forget that the Delaware Bay is a critical waterway for humans as well. Works submitted to this theme should feature the connection that people or wildlife have with each other and to the Delaware Bay itself.
Display Period:
August through September
Some animals like to stand out, with bold beaks or shimmering scales. Others prefer to blend into their surroundings, using their adaptive features to protect themselves from predators or sneak up on prey. With hundreds of species of fish, birds and other wildlife calling the Delaware Bay home, we’re lucky enough to spot a range of bold colors, striking patterns and remarkable measurements. Show us one of your favorite scenes from the Delaware Bay that highlights the brilliant shapes, sizes and colors you might be able to find.
This Showcase is open to artists of all ages and skill levels.
DNREC employees and children of DNREC employees may submit art in accordance with these Official Rules.
All entries will be reviewed by the DuPont Nature Center staff.
The number of displayed works of art will be dependent on the number of entries and size of the pieces displayed.
If your art piece is selected to be on display, we will contact you for the appropriate credit as necessary. This will include your name (or professional name, if preferred) and details about the work of art and/or the artist’s connection to the theme or Delaware Bay environment. We cannot allow specific advertisements for websites, social media handles, stores, etc.
Upon selection of your art piece for display, we will reach out to you about delivery and hanging of your artwork. Once it is on display, we will notify the artist of the dates it will be on display and when they will be able to pick their art back up. All photographic artwork will be printed on high-quality paper and will be given to their respective artists at the end of display.
By entering this Showcase and submitting this completed Release Form, I, on behalf of myself and, if applicable, the Child identified on this Release Form, grant permission to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and its employees a royalty-free, world-wide, perpetual, nonexclusive license to display, distribute, reproduce and create derivative works of the Artwork submission, in whole or in part, in any media now existing or subsequently developed, for any State of Delaware or DNREC purpose, including, but not limited to advertising and promotion of DNREC in print, its website and its publications. By entering this Showcase, I further agree that the Artwork submission complies with these Official Rules. I will make no monetary or other claim against DNREC or the State of Delaware for the use of any content provided DNREC in connection with My or My Child’s Participation in this Showcase.
DNREC is an Agency of the State of Delaware subject to Delaware’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (29 Del. C. 10001 et seq). Participants are advised that any information provided to DNREC in conjunction with this Showcase may be deemed a public record under FOIA.
This Release Form affects the rights, obligations and duties of the Parties only. Notwithstanding any other provision to the contrary, nothing in this Release Form is intended to, nor shall it be interpreted or construed in a manner which shall: (a) grant any third party the right to enforce any of the terms, rights, or obligations set forth herein; (b) confer any substantive or procedural rights or privileges to any third party in relation to or arising out of any collateral civil or criminal legal proceeding; or (c) waive or otherwise affect the sovereignty of the State of Delaware or the application of 10 Del. C. § 4001, et seq. to any civil proceeding involving any officer, employee, or agent of the State of Delaware.
These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware. Any legal action brought by either party to enforce any provision of this Agreement shall be brought in an appropriate Delaware State Court.
Related Topics: art, delaware bay, dnc, dupont nature center, education, environmental art, fish and wildlife, outreach, showcase
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