This story is part of our Quick Hits series. This series will bring you breaking news and short updates from throughout the state.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated on May 2 to show the contest winners.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department announced the winning artists of the 2026 Collectible Conservation Stamp Art Contest on April 25.
First Place: Michael Patrick Bailey, Newburgh, Indiana
Second Place: Justin Hayward, Casper, Wyoming
Third Place: Ryan Kniss, Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Fourth Place: Catherine Holt, Evanston, Wyoming
Fifth Place: Megan Beavers, Farson, Wyoming
Every year, Wyoming Game and Fish hosts an art contest for its annual collectible conservation stamp. The 2026 stamp turns the spotlight on the American pika, which is one of the 800 species managed by the agency.
These round-eared creatures are perhaps best known for their high-pitched squeaks and live way up in the mountains. Despite their small size, they’re actually related to rabbits, not hamsters, and are particularly sensitive to the impacts of climate change on mountain ecosystems.
K-12 students across the state are invited to submit their best original depiction of these alpine furballs. Pencil, ink or paint are fair game, and the piece can be multi-color or black and white. Artwork should be in landscape-orientation format and will be judged based on how well the artwork represents the pika and its surroundings, artistic composition and technical skill.
There’s first through third place awards and cash prizes for different groups of grade levels: Kindergarten-2nd grade, 3rd-5th grade, 6th-8th grade and 9th-12th grade. Student artists can submit their work until April 10.
All winners and honorable mentions will go on display at the agency’s headquarters in Cheyenne. The winning submission from the adult competition, which closed Mar. 31, will become the design for the 2026 collectible conservation stamp.
Game and Fish will announce the winning artists at a virtual awards ceremony on April 25. Stamps in recent years have featured the western tanager and the beaver.
