Wildlife Arts Festival in Wetumpka

Championship dogs will launch off a dock into open water. Painters will work in the open air. And more than $30,000 in prize money will go to artists who best capture Alabama’s wildlife and landscapes. Come to the 5th Annual WEWA. Admission is free! The Alabama Wildlife Fine Art Competition serves as the festival’s centerpiece, awarding prizes totaling more than $30,000, including a $12,000 grand prize. Winners will be announced the morning of the festival, and the accompanying “Art Gone Wild” exhibition showcases work by contemporary artists from across the Southeast.

Beyond the galleries, the festival fills the streets with:

• DockDogs competition: Canine athletes compete all day in Big Air, Extreme Vertical and Speed Retrieve.
• Sporting demonstrations: Local and regional kennels, dog trainers and fly-fishing experts show their craft.
• Live painting: Artists work in public view throughout the festival.
• Casting lessons: The four-time national championship bass fishing team from the University of Montevallo offers casting lessons to young anglers, courtesy of the Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association.
• Animal encounters: The Alabama Wildlife Federation and Raptor’s Ridge Wildlife Education lead interactive conservation programming.
• Guided birding tours: Visitors can participate in intimate trips along the Coosa River.
• Family activities: Children’s programming, live music and a vendor marketplace round out the day.
• Basket weaving seminar: Andrew McCall, known as “The Vine Man,” will lead a session in which students will be able to make a vine creation of their own