The competition began in October 2009 and was open to everyone free of charge -- professional artists, art teachers, amateur artists, students, anyone creative.  All participants submitted a detailed pencil or pen and ink drawing of one of the three Le Moyne/de Bry original works, together with other examples of their past paintings so the judges could select the ten best artists to be commissioned.  Artists then submitted an entrance form with their basic biographical information.

Those who chose to only enter the high school or college contest did not need to submit their past paintings to the judges.  And those who finished first, second, or third in the high school competition or won the college pencil/pen and ink competition but were not selected as one of the top ten artists overall, were not  required to complete any further art work.

The contest sought to determine up to ten artists who could paint quality reinterpretations of the original Le Moyne/de Bry works. Artists were strongly encouraged to consult "Historical Tips for the Artists" on this website to assist them in reinterpreting the original Le Moyne/de Bry works in light of recent historical and archaeological research.

The artists' work was judged on the artistry/creativity of the submission, its composition, technique, design, and its historical accuracy.  A mere reproduction of the original Le Moyne/de Bry work was not appropriate. The art should have been created with the goal of contributing to our enhanced understanding and respect of our land’s ancestors and thus better appreciating our sense of place.

The following pieces are the original Le Moyne/de Bry pieces the artists were asked to recreate.

To assist the artists in their research, the Public Trust included on its website three short video clips of archaeologist Keith Ashley discussing each of these three Le Moyne/de Bry works.  One can still find these video clips under the menu item Video of Dr. Keith Ashley describing subjects.

Artists were also strongly encouraged to review the historical record of the Timucua. To aid in this endeavor, relevant research and references were posted on the Public Trust's website.  The website summarized information about things such as the physical appearance of the Timucua, how they dressed, what adornments they wore, etc., which aided the artists in more accurately portraying the Native Americans who lived in this area prior to European contact.

Once submitted, the pencil or pen and ink art reinterpreting the Le Moyne/de Bry originals became the property of the Public Trust Environmental Legal Institute and its sponsors.

Winners of the contest were selected by the contest's panel of experts:

The ten winning artists then completed an oil, acrylic painting on stretched canvas (sized 24" by 30").  The panel of experts were available to the artists to give advice on the historical accuracy of the new artwork. The completed works became the property of the Public Trust Environmental Legal Institute and its sponsors.