The Barnegat Bay is a special place and a favorite destination for both locals and visitors. Head down to the bay and chances are you will see someone enjoying activities like sailing, kayaking, paddleboarding, fishing, crabbing, and clamming.  A healthy bay ecosystem depends on sustainable practices both on land and in the bay. A healthy bay and watershed (land area draining to the bay) are not only important ecologically but also economically, contributing over $4 billion each year to New Jerseys economy.

Recognizing that art can help inspire positive action for a sustainable Barnegat Bay, the Barnegat Bay Partnership sponsors a Barnegat Bay Art Contest as part of the Ocean County Teen Arts Festival. A panel of experts volunteer their time to help us select the winners from the many beautiful entries.  Prizes are awarded for the entries that most creatively convey the theme for that year’s contest.

2019 Contest:  “Playing on the Bay”

The BBP is offering awards at the 2019 Ocean County Teen Arts Festival for works of visual art (2-D, 3-D, and photography) which most creatively convey recreational opportunities on the Barnegat Bay. The contest entry form will be distributed to interested high school art students through art teachers at the schools that are participating in the Ocean County Teen Arts Festival. All forms must be submitted to the Grunin Center for the Arts by February 22, 2019.

2017 Contest:  “Wildlife of the Barnegat Bay”

The Barnegat Bay Art Contest returned in 2017 and was open to students who were participating in the 2017 Ocean County Teen Arts Festival.  The theme of the 2017 contest was “Wildlife of the Barnegat Bay.”  The bay and its watershed provide food, shelter, and nesting areas for an amazing diversity of fishes, shellfishes, migratory birds, and threatened and endangered species. Prizes were awarded to entries of visual art that inspire others to protect the bay’s resources and conserve wildlife.

First Place – Jade McKenzie Hughes (Toms River High School North)

Second Place – Shelby Howell (Toms River High School North)

Third Place – Whitney Dyer (Jackson Liberty High School)

2016 Contest:  “Protect Our Bay – Protect Our Future”

First Place – Samantha Chandler (Lacey Township High School), Video

Second Place – Whitney Dyer (Jackson Liberty High School)

Third Place – Alexandra Acerra (Point Pleasant Borough High School)

Honorable Mention: Alexandra James (Point Pleasant Borough High School)