Otter Tail County artists invited to enter Minnesota state park plate contest

Minnesota artists, including those in Otter Tail County, have until Oct. 31 to submit designs online for a new state parks and trails license plate. For a Perham-area artist, school or design firm, the winning entry could turn into a moving statewide showcase for the North Shore and Minnesota tourism.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said in a July 15 news release that it was inviting Minnesotans to help create the plate. The 2026 theme centers on the North Shore and the Lake Superior agate, which the agency identified as Minnesota’s state gemstone, and the DNR said artistic experience is not required.

The Perham Focus highlighted the contest as a local opportunity for artists in the Otter Tail County area, putting Perham and nearby communities into the statewide call for entries. Minnesota State Parks and Trails said on social media that the design competition was returning after about a decade, a sign that the plate has been out of circulation long enough to make the new version a fresh branding tool.

Entries are being accepted online through the Minnesota DNR website from Sept. 15 through Oct. 31. That gives local creators a clear window to submit work, whether the design comes from an individual artist, a classroom project or a commercial design firm looking for a public-facing assignment.

Winona Radio said public voting is planned for December, with the winning design to be announced later that month. If a North Shore-themed plate is selected, it will travel on vehicles across Minnesota and carry a visual shorthand for parks, lakes and the state’s outdoor identity, giving visitor-driven businesses near those destinations another layer of exposure when the plate shows up on roads, in parking lots and at trailheads.