The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the City of Bloomington, Minn., announced today that 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.
The winning design chosen 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.
“Minnesota’s heritage of wildlife conservation, waterfowl hunting and arts appreciation makes it an ideal place to hold the Federal Duck Stamp Contest,” said Robyn Thorson, the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Midwest regional director. “It is only fitting that the Bloomington Center for the Arts will be the venue for this unique competition that blends waterfowl and wildlife with the arts.”
“We are very pleased to be hosting the 2008 Duck Stamp Contest in Bloomington,” said Mayor Gene Winstead. “It is a great opportunity to showcase the visual arts and wildlife conservation and their contribution to our quality of life.”
“The close working relationship that exists between the City of Bloomington and Bloomington Art Center provides a strong and solid platform for a spectacular event such as this,” said Kathleen Corley, director of the Bloomington Art Center. “We were pleased to be chosen by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and anticipate a response from our community that will demonstrate its support of the arts and wildlife conservation.”
The $15 Federal Duck Stamp is a vital tool for wetland conservation, with 98 cents of every dollar generated going to purchase or lease wetland habitat for the National Wildlife Refuge System. Since the stamp’s inception, more than $700 million has been raised to acquire more than 5.2 million acres of habitat and hundreds of refuges across the nation to conserve America’s fish and wildlife resources.
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 first Federal Duck Stamp was designed in 1934 by Iowa native and editorial cartoonist J.N. “Ding” Darling, who was the director of the Bureau of Biological Survey, forerunner to the Fish and Wildlife Service. It sold for $1. In 2006, more than 1.6 million people purchased a Federal Duck Stamp. Every waterfowl hunter over the age of 16 is required to buy a Federal Duck Stamp. In addition, Federal Duck Stamps are highly sought after by collectors and provide free entry into any national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
Learn more about national wildlife refuge that charges an entrance fee.
This year, the Fish and Wildlife Service marks the 50th anniversary of the Small Wetlands Program, created to stem the rapid loss of important small wetland and grassland habitat across the Prairie Pothole Region of the upper Midwest.
These prairie wetlands and grassland habitats are known as waterfowl production areas and are purchased using revenues from Federal Duck Stamp sales. In the last half-century, the Small Wetlands Program has developed into one of the most successful landscape-level conservation efforts in the United States, complementing the success of the Duck Stamp
The winner of the 2007 Federal Duck Stamp Contest, Joseph Hautman, hails from Plymouth, Minn. His painting of a pair of northern pintail ducks was chosen from among 247 images by a panel of five judges last October in Sanibel, Fla. Hautman’s stamp, which goes on sale July 1, will be the 75th Federal Duck Stamp.
Minnesota has produced more winning Federal Duck Stamp artists than any other state. Minnesotas hunters, birders, conservationists, art lovers and stamp collectors have purchased more than 9.1 million duck stamps since 1934.
For more information about the Federal Duck Stamp Program, visit http://www.fws.gov/duckstamps.
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 on our work and the people who make it happen, visit http://www.fws.gov.
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. For more information, visit http://www.bloomingtonartcenter.com.
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