Lost Fishes Art Challenge winners announcement

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We are excited to say that our judges Jeremy Wade, Dr Eleanor Adamson, and Ivan Mikolji have announced the winners of the inaugural Lost Fishes Art Challenge.

Judging was incredibly difficult. Not only were the entries such a high standard, the judging criteria was intentionally kept broad, meaning decisions ultimately came down to personal preference. This can be reflected by the fact that there were wildly different rankings between the judges for many of the species.

Each of the following entries were ranked highest overall from the judges’ combined scores, from shortlists of between 10 – 14 for each category.

Below the gallery, take a look at the video of the live panel discussion, where Jeremy, Eleanor and Ivan announced each of the winners, and discussed some of the other entries that caught their attention.

Annamite barb - Chrysteena GarciaAnnamite barb – Chrysteena Garcia

Diyarbakir (Batman River) loach - Aby Helme

Diyarbakir (Batman River) loach – Aby Helme

Duck-billed buntingi - Chrysteena Garcia

Duck-billed buntingi – Chrysteena Garcia

Fat catfish - Joanna Bowley

Duck-billed buntingi – Chrysteena Garcia

Haditha cavefish - Camilo Julián

Haditha cavefish – Camilo Julián

Itasy cichlid - Mitch Smith

Itasy cichlid – Mitch Smith

Mesopotamian barbel - Jennifer Clausen

Leopard barbel – Jennifer Clausen

Spinach pipefish - Brianna Jorgenson

Spinach pipefish – Brianna Jorgenson

Syr Darya shovelnose sturgeon - Sam Julian

Syr Darya shovelnose sturgeon – Sam Julian

Titicaca orestias - Tracy Sachs Kuhlman

Titicaca orestias – Tracy Sachs Kuhlman

YOUTH category - Lila Swartz, aged 13

YOUTH category – Lila Swartz, aged 13

Overall Winner - Cathy Outlet

OVERALL – Cathy Outlet

Lee Vincent - Portfolio

PORTFOLIO – Lee Vincent

Winners announcement with Jeremy Wade, Dr Eleanor Adamson, and Ivan Mikolji

Shoal launches the Lost Fishes Art Challenge

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Sharpen your pencils and ready your paints, the Lost Fishes Art Challenge is here!

In partnership with Conservation Optimism, Shoal are launching an art challenge for each of the 10 Most Wanted species from the Search for the Lost Fishes.

Each of the Top 10 species are currently monochrome. Having been hidden from human eyes for many years, they have lost their sparkle, their colours have faded to black, white and grey, their appearance has become unclear as a turbid river. As we lost these species, they too have lost their colours.

We need you, talented artist, to bring the rainbow back to these fishes, to magic them back to dazzling life and give them the chance to be seen in all their scaly splendour for everyone to admire.

There are exciting prizes up for grabs, including the chance to have your work exhibited at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.

Deadline 30th September, 2021.

Head over to the campaign page to learn more.