AUSTIN, Texas — Young artists from Austin and Bee Cave claimed multiple top honors in the 2026 Wildlife Forever Fish Art Contest, state wildlife officials said.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department selected 14 winners from 714 entries statewide. Their artwork will be featured in the 2027 Texas Fish Art Calendar and displayed at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens.
Candice Chen of Bee Cave took first place in the 4-6 grade division, with Austin students Eva Huang and Yueran Lang finishing second and third. In the 10-12 division, Eliza Chung of Bee Cave earned second place.
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Austin student Eva Huang finished second in the 4-6 grade division. (Photo: TPWD)
Frisco’s Annabelle Yuan, who finished second in the 7-9 division, also earned the contest’s Special Species Award for her depiction of the paddlefish, a species Texas has protected since 1977 due to declining populations.
The contest, open to K-12 students, asks participants to submit original artwork of a fish species along with a creative writing piece about the fish, its habitat or conservation efforts.
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“The Fish Art Contest is more than just drawing a fish,” said Darrel Malone, education and interpretation coordinator at the fisheries center. “It helps our youth to establish a bond with the outdoors.”