Monday, August 18, 2008

The Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest








A Tradition of Conservation and


the Arts Comes to the Midwest





The Midwest has a long tradition of wildlife conservation, waterfowl hunting and arts appreciation. These traditions will come together this October as Minnesota plays host—for the first time ever—to the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest, sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.





The winning design chosen by a panel of five judges during the contest will be made into the 2009-2010 Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, or "Duck Stamp," the cornerstone of one of the world’s most successful conservation programs.




The 2008 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest will be held Oct. 17 and 18 at the Bloomington Center for the Arts, 1800 West Old Shakopee Road in Bloomington, Minn. A number of associated events sponsored by the Fish and Wildlife Service and its partners will take place during the weeks leading up to the contest.




Hosting the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest in the Twin Cities is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service invites people to be a part of history. The contest judging is free and open to the public.


Since the inception of the Federal Duck Stamp program in 1934, sales of Duck Stamps have generated more than $700 million to acquire and preserve more than 5.2 million acres of migratory waterfowl habitat, including many waterfowl production areas that are part of the 97-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. No other program can match that cost-effectiveness.





The first Federal Duck Stamp was designed in 1934 by Iowa native J.N. "Ding" Darling, the director of the Bureau of Biological Survey, forerunner agency to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This first Duck Stamp sold for $1. In 2006, more than 1.6 million people purchased a Federal Duck Stamp.



Every American can make a difference in conserving our natural resources by buying Duck Stamps. Ninety-eight percent of the proceeds from every $15 Duck Stamp goes directly toward acquiring wetland and grassland habitat for birds, endangered and threatened species and other wildlife. You can see the benefits provided by Federal Duck Stamps at national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas across the nation.


Though waterfowl hunters 16 or older are required to purchase a Federal Duck Stamp, these stamps are not just for hunters anymore. Birders, conservationists and anyone interested in preserving wildlife and their habitat can contribute to conservation by purchasing a Duck Stamp. Federal Duck Stamps are also highly sought after by stamp and wildlife art collectors. And a valid Federal Duck Stamp provides free admission into any national wildlife refuge that charges an entrance fee.



You can also see the benefits of Federal Duck Stamps at waterfowl production areas across the Midwest. The Service’s Small Wetlands Program, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, uses Duck Stamp dollars to acquire high quality wetland and grassland habitat across the Prairie Pothole Region of the upper Midwest.


These tracts of land are managed as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System, protecting critical habitat for grassland nesting songbirds, shorebirds and wading birds, in addition to waterfowl. Many waterfowl production areas are open to the public for wildlife-dependent recreation including hunting, fishing, bird watching, photography and environmental education.
In the 50 years since the Fish and Wildlife Service began protecting waterfowl production areas, the Small Wetlands Program has been used to acquire more than 695,000 acres in fee and perpetually protect an additional 2.1 million acres by easements – all paid for using Duck Stamp dollars.


The Federal Duck Stamp Contest is the only federally sponsored art competition. Hundreds of prominent wildlife artists from across the country enter each year. While the winner receives no money from the federal government, the winning artist benefits from the increased visibility and sale of prints and artwork.


The Federal Duck Stamp Program also nurtures this nation’s future conservationists by sponsoring the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Program, which for the past 16 years has helped children connect with their natural world through arts and science education.




The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information about the Federal Duck Stamp Program and to find out how to purchase Federal Duck Stamps, visit http://www.fws.gov/duckstamps.


The Bloomington Art Center is a nonprofit community art center whose mission is to stimulate creativity by making high quality arts programs accessible to people of all ages, skills and abilities.






16 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm confused...have some finalists in the Fed Duck Stamp contest been named?

Anonymous said...

Nope. All entries have been received, and the judging will take place at Bloomington Art Center Oct. 17-18... They will go through several rounds of judging, and will announce the winning stamp on Saturday, Oct. 18.

Anonymous said...

The finalists received there congratulatory letters this week.

Anonymous said...

I know a 'finalist' who received a congratulatory letter form Wildlife Forever. What makes a 'finalist'? The official website doesn't mention that judging has already begun. Maybe the 'finalist' are just the entries which met the criteria as to size and application?

Anonymous said...

How many finalists are there usually on the first day of the contest?

Anonymous said...

My cousin is a finalist, how many finalists are there?
Did everyone who entered get invited?

Unknown said...

I got my letter from Wildlife Forever inviting me as a "finalist" to the artist reception & I'm pretty sure that means I met the required criteria. Basically, it's everyone who's entry was accepted & wasn't disqualified for violating any of the contest rules.

Anonymous said...

I am a finalist also..is it worth a 850 mile one way trip to attend? I thought the finalists were the top 20 artist? confused here also..

Anonymous said...

There are 270 entries in this year's contest. All of these met the criteria and are invited to attend the contest in Bloomington, Minn. The contest judging is open to the public, so anyone can attend. The winner will be announced at the Bloomington Art Center around 1pm on Saturday, Oct. 18.

Anonymous said...

I received no confirmation that my entry was received. should everyone have been notofied by now?

Anonymous said...

S. yes the letter was misleading and I take it to mean my entry did arrive. However since the regulations say NO verticle designs accepted then this cannot mean if the rules are to be followed...it is accepted? as a finalist. I would prefer to fine out when the times for the judgings are to take place. A long trip to see the event is a little less stressful knowing when the viewing to the judges starts/

Anonymous said...

okay...we now know that there are 270 'finalist'....who knows how to find out the results....does someone post them onto a website immediately?

Anonymous said...

The winner of the stamp contest was supposed to have been announced at 12:30 EST today

Anonymous said...

Looks like it was announced today. Read the story at http://www.fws.gov/midwest/News/Release08-85.html

Anonymous said...

How does someone find out what order all of the entries came in?

Anonymous said...

All the entries and their rankings are listed here:

http://www.fws.gov/duckstamps/federal/pdf/contest08.pdf