Hi Folks, .....I'd like some feedback, please..... The AGA Contest has been, up to this point, limited to entries of aquascaped freshwater and brackish water aquariums and paludariums. the common element with all has been a focus on the AQUASCAPING. Considering the potential pool of entrants (over 1000 AGA members and over 1500 APD members), the number of people who actually make the effort to enter makes me wonder if all the work is really worth the bother. I am considering adding 2 NEW CATEGORIES to the mix this year, neither of which has much to do with aquascaping. Both new categories are an attempt to get more people involved in sharing whatever aspect of this hobby they love with others. Before I do, I'd like to hear what you have to say.... New Category #1. - Botanical Illustration - there is a long history of the use of botanical illustration and many fine artists have devoted a large part of their energies to drawing plants. Maybe some of you like to draw, sketch or paint some of your aquatic plants, or maybe you do needlepoint or stained glass (or any other art or craft) and use aquatic plants as your source of inspiration. Would you like to have a category where you could submit photos of your artwork for display??? As I see it, these entries need not be "strict" botanical illustrations. The content is left up to the artist's imagination - the only stipulation is that the subject matter be an aquatic plant. New Category #2 - Garden Ponds - many AGA members probably maintain garden ponds. Landscaping a garden pond (or a tub on your balcony) might at first seem different from aquascaping an aquarium but when you think of it, aquascaping is just landscaping under water. Do you want a "garden pond" category added to the Contest to allow you to display your pride and joy? Again, as I see it, I would not limit this category to full suites of photos of the pond. If you have a particularly beautiful shot of a water lily, you could enter it. So, what do you think? Please be brief and give me a reason for any yes or no reply. As per usual, off-beat or off-topic responses will be cheerfully ignored... Thanks, James Purchase AGA Aquascaping Contest Committee ------------------ To unsubscribe from this list, please send mail to majordomo@thekrib.com with "Unsubscribe aga-member" in the body of the message. Archives of this list can be found at http://lists.thekrib.com/aga-member/