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IDNR's Cicada Art Contest
Everyone Belongs in Nature – Even Cicadas!
The rare double-brood emergence of billions of cicadas that Illinois experienced earlier this summer may be a faint memory, but the artwork these noisy insects inspired will commemorate their special visit for years to come.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ call for cicada art submissions in May resulted in nearly 350 entries from talented artists from around the state. The entries were judged by experts from the Illinois State Museum and IDNR, and winning artists’ work will be displayed at the 2024 Illinois State Fair in Springfield, Aug. 8-18.
Read our news release announcing the winners.
Adult finalists will be displayed in the law enforcement tent in Conservation World, while youth finalists will be displayed in the First Lady’s Tent on Main Street of the fairgrounds.
Hours for the First Lady’s Tent are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Conservation World is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Because of the incredible response to our call for entries, we’re unable to display every artist’s work due to space constraints. All artists’ work will be exhibited online, and entries that were not ribbon-winners will be eligible for People’s Choice voting and a special prize.