Gov. Tim Pawlenty, along with the Minneapolis Saint Paul 2008 Host Committee, launched the CivicFest Walleye School of Fish Competition, a statewide artistic competition open to Minnesota students interested in designing a 4-foot birch flat-board walleye decorated with materials specific to individual U.S. states or territories.
Winning designs will be displayed in an exhibit at CivicFest: A Very Minnesota Celebration, which will be held at the Minneapolis Convention Center Aug. 29-Sept. 4, in conjunction with the 2008 Republican National Convention.
Students in grades seven and above in the 2008-09 school year are invited to choose a state or territory in the United States and research cultures, symbols, industries and events associated with that area, as well as develop a two-sided design on a paper walleye silhouette. The silhouette is available online at www.civicfest.org [1]. The deadline to enter is July 1. Winning designs will be selected by CivicFest staff and a 4-foot birch flat-board walleye will be sent to each winning student artist to be decorated and then exhibited at CivicFest. A complete list of official rules for the Walleye School of Fish Competition can be found at www.civicfest.org [2]. The walleye was chosen because it is Minnesota’s state fish.