Sponsors of the High Plains Prairie Chicken Festival, to be held April 11-13 in Milnesand, invite artists of all ages to participate in a poster contest. The grand prize winning entry will be reproduced as the festival poster, according to a New Mexico Department of Game and Fish news release. The grand prize winner will receive $300 and the winners in three age categories — adult, grades 7-12 and grades K-6 — will receive $50 each. The deadline for artwork submissions to the NMDGF is Feb. 15. Any two-dimensional media, including but not limited to prints, oils, pastels, acrylics, water media, pen and ink, graphite, photography and mixed media will be considered. Images should represent the lesser prairie chicken and its habitat, according to the release. Entries should be sent to the Public Information and Outreach Division of NMDGF, 1 Wildlife Way, P.O. Box 25112, Santa Fe, NM 87504. Artists should submit slides, prints, high-quality digital photos or original work. The festival celebrates the lesser prairie chicken and the Llano Estacado (staked plains) of eastern New Mexico. Festival participants see prairie chickens perform their early morning courtship dances and learn about the cultural and natural history of the southern Great Plains. The event is a cooperative effort of the NMDGF, the Nature Conservancy of New Mexico, the Grasslans Charitable Foundation and the community of Milnesand. Attendance at the festival is limited to the first 100 participants registered because of the sensitivity of the birds during their breeding season. Registration fee is $90 per person. Persons can register at the department’s Web site, www.wildlife.state.nm.us or by sending a check for $90 for each participant to: 6th Annual High Plains Prairie Chicken Festival, #1 Pueblo Point, Clovis, NM 88101. Information: Tish McDaniel, 762-6997 or chickenfestival@yahoo.com