One of the "crown jewels" of the national park system will celebrate its centennial in 2010, and when you're talking about planning a celebration of that magnitude, there's plenty of work to do. Glacier National Park is off to a great start in that regard, and you may want to know about upcoming deadlines for some activities that are already underway.

If you're a photographer or have talent in any artistic medium, here's your chance to be part of this historic celebration.

The centennial committee is holding a juried competition to continue the tradition of preserving our heritage for the future through art.

You are invited to participate in the celebration of the first 100 years of Glacier National Park by creating official artwork for the Glacier National Park Centennial Celebration. The mission of the Centennial Celebration taking place in 2010 is “Celebrate, Inspire, Engage.” You are encouraged to create a visual representation of this theme through any art medium, including painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, textile and graphic design. Any entries not in these categories may fit under the general category.

Entries in the form of digital files are due by March 1, 2009. You'll find details here.

Perhaps your creativity is expressed in words, and anyone who has ever been to Glacier has a story to tell.

The Glacier Centennial Program would like to pull together at least 100 stories from your experiences in Glacier National Park and publish them in a book. We hope you will share stories that capture the essence of Glacier National Park—it may have been an adventure, or encounter that happened last week or 40 years ago, or it could be about a moment of solitude.

The deadline for submissions for "100 Years, 100 Stories: The View Inside Glacier Park" is also March 1, 2009. You'll find details on the centennial website.

Kass Hardy is the park's Centennial Coordinator, and Kass and a group of hard-working volunteers are off to a great start. Details for specific events are being confirmed in the next several months. You can stay up-to-date on plans and download the monthly newsletter for the upcoming celebration on the Glacier Centennial website.

The park's home page also has a link to centennial information, including a wonderful 2-minute video.

If you have any interest in or connection to this magnificent park, stay tuned for developments. It promises to be an exciting time for Glacier Lovers!