Organizers say the Mastodon Art and Science Regional Fair, an annual tradition since 1979, may go as extinct as the creature for whom it’s named unless they can find the funding and support necessary to keep it going.
“We are OK for this year, but we desperately need more money, more volunteers, more school and community support,” said Samantha DeClue, who has been executive director since 2018. “And, if we don’t get it, this will likely be the last year for the fair as we know it.
“That is really just heartbreaking, because we have such phenomenal students and teachers. The skill level is just amazing. We want to be here for them, to keep this going.”
This year’s fair will be held March 18-27 in the Field House on the Jefferson College campus in Hillsboro, culminating in a Family Expo day and awards ceremony on Saturday, March 26.
Admission and parking are free.
Students in kindergarten through grade 12 are welcome to enter projects in both the art and science categories, with a limit of one project per person per category. Students may be enrolled in public or private school or be home schooled.
The top three winners in each division of both art and science get a medal; older division winners also get a cash award. Top winners in the science category also qualify to participate in the International Science and Engineering Fair, set for May 7-13 in Atlanta, where they compete for scholarships and other awards.
New this year is a category for adults.
“This year, we opened an 18-and-up age division for both art and science,” DeClue said. “There are no real big prizes (for the adult category), probably just a restaurant gift card or free tickets to a museum. But, we thought it might be fun for grownups, and of course, there are bragging rights.”
The deadline for project registration is 11:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 28. The registration fee is $10 per project, but students may volunteer a few hours during the Fair in lieu of fees. Extended registration is available through 11 a.m. Monday, March 21, at an additional $10 cost per project.
Registration is required in order to participate.
Finding the way back
The fair will mostly be an in-person event this year.
“We’re really glad to be able to cautiously host again in person,” Mastodon Fair board secretary and Family Expo organizer Lindsay Marlow said. “We were just days away from the event in 2020 when the pandemic lockdown started, so we postponed it. We ended up doing just a small fair that summer, not open to the public, just so the scholarship kids could qualify. Then we were all-virtual last year.”
Although this year is an in-person event, there will be virtual options for participants who are still not comfortable with attending.
Following the Jefferson College coronavirus protocols, the fair will require all participants and visitors to wear face masks indoors.
“People want things to be back to normal, but we still need to take precautions,” Marlow said. “We’re going to try to set up traffic flow to take advantage of the space we have to spread people out, limit the number of people at a table at one time, that kind of thing. We will have masks available and hand sanitizing stations scattered throughout.”
Marlow said in addition to offering an opportunity to view the art and science project displays, the Family Expo will focus on interactive activities.
“We plan to have exhibits that allow hands-on art and science experiments and projects,” she said. “We’ll have a block station for the smaller kids, stations of K’nex and drawing and coloring for the older ones, and then make-and-take art things. If I get enough volunteers, I hope to have four to six activity stations.
“It’s a fun day, celebrating art and science. You come see your own or your family member’s or friend’s project, then you get to go around and do some fun stuff.”
DeClue said keeping the local fair going is even more important now than ever since so many other regional fairs have gone defunct.
“We used to draw from 12 counties in Missouri and Illinois, and we picked up another six counties in the 2020-2021 school year,” she said. “The thing is a regional fair is the only way for students to qualify for national and international level competitions.”
In addition to Jefferson County, the Mastodon Art and Science Regional Fair encompasses students from Callaway, Crawford, Dent, Franklin, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, St. Francois (art only), Ste. Genevieve (art only), St. Louis (art only) and Washington counties in Missouri and Brown, Jackson, Perry, Randolph and Union counties in Illinois.
“We are completely funded by donations,” said DeClue, the only paid staff member. “Although we did get some Covid money last year, we typically receive no state or federal funding. We are powered by volunteers.”
The fair is a nonprofit organization and receives cash and in-kind support from Jefferson College and from other local businesses, groups and people.
“We really appreciate them, but we need more help to keep the fair alive,” DeClue said.
Mail donations to Mastodon Fair, 1000 Viking Drive, Hillsboro, 63050. All donations are tax deductible.
For more information or to register, go to mastodonfair.org, email director@mastodonfair.org or call 314-529-1329.
Schedule of events
■ Monday, Feb. 28 – Project registration deadline is 11:30 p.m. Registration fee is $10 per project, but students may volunteer during the Fair in lieu of fees.
“We ask for four hours per person,” DeClue said. “That could take the form of help with setup or teardown, proctoring during the Family Expo, or even things like website design, cataloguing, whatever they can offer.”
Extended registration is available through 11 a.m. Monday, March 21, at an additional $10 cost per project. All students who enter a project will receive a free Mastodon Fair T-shirt while supplies last.
■ Friday, March 18, through Sunday, March 20 – Setup (volunteers only).
■ Sunday, March 20, from noon to 6 p.m. and Monday, March 21, from 8-11 a.m. – Project drop-off, including art portfolios. No late entries accepted.
“It’s a logistics thing,” DeClue said. “We will have some judging in person and some online, and we have to make sure judges have time to see both.”
■ Tuesday, March 22, from noon to 7 p.m. and Wednesday, March 23, from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. – Judging (closed to the public). Projects are judged blind.
“Some fairs have you put your name on the front,” DeClue said. “But we like this way better. It seems more fair.”
■ Thursday, March 24, from 4-7:30 p.m. – Art and science project displays, along with scholarship interviews and presentations. Open to the public.
“Even though we’re doing interviews, that will be kind of off to the side, and people can still come through and see the projects,” DeClue said.
■ Friday, March 25 – Project scoring/award and certificate tabulations (closed to the public)
■ Saturday, March 26, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Family Expo. Free and open to the public. Viewing of art and science projects on display, along with activities for all ages. An awards ceremony will be at 3 p.m.
“Both art and science projects are divided according to grades on the elementary school level,” DeClue said. “First through third place gets a medal and fourth place gets a ribbon. For the high school division, there also are cash prizes. The top three science project winners get $1,000 for first place, $500 for second and $250 for third. In the art category, it is divided into portfolio and floor projects. For portfolio, first place is $750, second $500 and third $250, and then floor is $100, $75 and $50.”
The top science project is also eligible to take part in the International Science and Engineering Fair competition scheduled for May 7-13 in Atlanta.
Projects and portfolios are available for pickup at the conclusion of the awards ceremony, unless other plans have been made in advance.
■ Saturday, March 26, and Sunday, March 27 – Clean up and tear down (volunteers only).