State Park Sticker Design Contest

Wisconsin state park and forest annual vehicle admission stickers are designed by high school students chosen in a statewide contest. The design contest, sponsored by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), is open to all high school-age students attending public, private or parochial schools or homeschooled in Wisconsin.

2024 design contest winners

Samantha Williams, a sophomore at Slinger High School, designed the winning 2024 admission sticker. The winning design will be printed on all 2024 state park and forest annual vehicle admission stickers.

Thank you to all students who submitted artwork!

Second Place by Aspen Wolter Jefferson H.S.	Third Place by Chase Robert Reyer Oshkosh North H.S.	Honorable Mention by Carly Goodlund McFarland H.S.
Honorable Mention by Brianne Larue Fortney Ashwaubenon H.S.	Honorable Mention by Raina Crawley Slinger H.S.	Honorable Mention by Kaya Miller Slinger H.S.
Honorable Mention by Sean Allen Kiel H.S.	Honorable Mention by Isabel Lehner Beaver Dam H.S.	Honorable Mention by Emily Grubb D.C. Everest Idea Charter School

2025 design contest

2025 Sticker Design Contest Rules

Contest Rules

Submission materials:

• Design template [PDF]
• Entry form [PDF]

Eligibility

Entrants must be enrolled in grades 9 through 12 or equivalent, attending public, private or parochial schools, or be homeschooled in Wisconsin during the 2023-2024 school year. Children of the Department of Natural Resources employees or judges are not eligible.

Each student may submit only one entry.

Contest Deadline

Entries must be received by the Bureau of Parks and Recreation, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707, no later than 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, April 30, 2024.

Subject Matter

The design must be the artist's original creation and shall not be copied or duplicated from previously published art, including photographs, clip art, or electronic graphic images. Photographs or photo manipulations will not be accepted.

Technical Requirements

Color

• The design is limited to four colors maximum.
• Black and white, if used, each counts as a color.
• All colors must be flat and solid, with no shading, blending or halftones.
• There can be no colorless areas.

Shape And Size

• The design must fill the shape provided on the design template [PDF].
• No other shape or size may be used.

Lettering

• The wording, which must appear on the sticker, is provided on the design template [PDF].
• The typeface must be Arial bold 36 and cannot be altered, stretched, etc.
• The artist may arrange the lettering in any way.
• All wording must be used.
• No other wording, including the artist's signature, may appear on the design.

Suitability For Reproduction

The Department of Natural Resources reserves the right to alter the design if necessary. This includes redrawing, resetting type, and changing colors.

Failure To Comply With Contest Rules

Any entry that fails to comply with the contest's requirements shall be disqualified and not considered by the judging panel.

Judging Of The Contest

A panel appointed by the Bureau of Parks and Recreation director will serve without compensation to judge the entries. The judges will be selected to provide a representative cross-section of individuals with expertise in design and an interest in parks and forests. The contest will be judged, with winners to be announced in a news release and on the DNR website.

Submission Procedures

Submission Procedures

Entries may be submitted in one of the two following ways:

1. Entries may be sent via regular mail. Do not laminate the design. The entry form [PDF] must be included and either stapled to the design or securely attached to the back. Each entry submitted this way must be mailed or hand-delivered to:

   Sticker Design Contest
   DNR/Bureau of Parks & Recreation
   101 S Webster Street, P.O. Box 7921
   Madison WI 53707-7921

2. Entries may be sent electronically via email. Scan the completed entry form [PDF] as a PDF. You may email this entry form file and the design file (accepted formats are PDF, PNG, and JPG) to DNRWisconsinParks@wisconsin.gov.

Each contestant must verify that they meet all eligibility requirements and enclose the completed and signed entry form with a parent's or guardian's and teacher's (if applicable) signature. All designs submitted will become the sole property of the Department of Natural Resources. The DNR will not insure any entry it receives nor assumes liability for any damage, loss or theft of any entry. Each student may submit only one entry. Entries will not be returned.

Tips For A Winning Design

Tips For A Winning Entry

Based on the results of previous contests, here are some tips and suggestions that you may find helpful.

• Read the rules! Each year, we get entries that fail to comply with rules and must be rejected.
• The winning design will be reduced to 2.5 x 2.5 inches. Fine detail disappears when the design is reduced.
• Remember, shading, blending, and halftones are not permitted.
• The design should be appropriate for Wisconsin State Parks and Forests and all available recreation activities. Many designs are rejected because they feature snow-capped mountains, plants or animals not native to Wisconsin.
• If you portray an animal, flower, tree, etc., realistically, ensure it is accurate. Consult a good field guide. This should not discourage you from doing stylized compositions.
• Take a look at the park stickers from the last several years. The DNR probably will not choose something that was featured in the recent past.

Past Winners

Most of these designs were done by high school students and chosen through the annual design contest.

		2024
2023	2022	2021
2020	2019	2018
2017	2016	2015
2014	2013	2012
2011	2010	2009