With a design inspired by her adventures with her black lab, Max, UW-Stout studio art major Jaelyn Logterman won the 2026 Wisconsin State Park and Forest vehicle admission pass design contest, recently announced by the state’s Department of Natural Resources.
“It is a privilege to know that my artwork will be displayed on a great deal of vehicles across Wisconsin,” Logterman said. More than half a million vehicles, to be precise. In 2023, a record-setting year, 518,846 Wisconsin state park stickers were sold. Wisconsin state parks, forests, trails and recreation areas receive more than 20 million visits a year.
“Max has come along on every family trip. As a family, we enjoy visiting surrounding rivers, lakes and parks,” she said. “Chasing Max around throughout his adventures has helped keep my feet wet throughout my childhood.”
With more than 15,000 lakes, 43,000 miles of rivers and scenic Great Lakes shorelines, Wisconsin offers plenty of opportunities for watery adventures.
Logterman grew up near scenic Lake Geneva, in southern Wisconsin. It was the natural beauty around Menomonie that drew her to UW-Stout, as well as its School of Art & Design, one of the largest public art schools in the Midwest.
“What I like most about the studio art program at UW-Stout is the range of different course options, the hands-on experiences and the accommodating professors,” she said.
The DNR-sponsored design contest is open to Wisconsin high school-age students. Logterman entered the 2026 contest last spring through a graphic design class as a senior at Delavan-Darien High School. The annual contest, now in its 35th year, received more than 150 submissions for the 2026 vehicle pass design.
In 2025, the Wisconsin State Park System, with more than 60 state parks, forests and recreation areas, celebrated its 125th anniversary.
UW-Stout’s School of Art & Design offers bachelor’s degrees in animation and digital media; game design and development-art; graphic design and interactive media; illustration; industrial and product design; interior design; studio art; arts administration and entrepreneurship; fashion design and development; and video production, and an M.F.A. in design. UW-Stout also has a new program in game and media studies.
