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A quintet of
marching mallards will once again officially open the judging of the Nation's only Federally sponsored art competition when the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest gets under way November 4 in Washington, DC.
The Interior
Department's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sponsors the Duck Stamp Contest each year to select the new Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, or Duck Stamp. The design chosen from among the 337 entries in this year's contest will become the 1999-2000 Federal Duck Stamp, which goes on sale July 1, 1999.
The judging of
this year's contest kicks off Wednesday, November 4, at 10:30 a.m. with the march of the Peabody Orlando Hotel ducks, four hens and a drake that will circle the Interior Department auditorium led by a uniformed "duckmaster." Then the public will have a chance to view the acrylic, oil, and watercolor entries while the panel of judges, including "The World of Ducks Unlimited" host Jameson Parker, ranks them.
The winner of the Duck Stamp Contest will be announced Thursday, November 5, at around 12:30 p.m. All contest events take place in the Interior Department
auditorium at 18th and C Streets, NW., in Washington, DC, and are free and open to the public.
"The Duck Stamp Art Contest is great fun," said Service Director Jamie Rappaport Clark,
"but it also focuses attention on one of our Nation's most succesful conservation efforts, and one of the easiest to participate in."
"This year, migratory bird conservation is one of the Service's four major priorities," Clark noted. "I think that simply purchasing this
conservation stamp is one of the best and most effective gestures of support for our wild creatures and wild places anyone can make."
"I'm looking
forward to seeing this year's entries and to once again welcoming our friends from the Peabody Hotel, with whom we have forged a most successful partnership to promote the Duck Stamp as a conservation tool," she said.
Federal Duck
Stamps, which cost $15, are a required purchase for waterfowl hunters ages 16 and older. However, stamp collectors, art lovers, and conservationists also purchase them to add to their albums or enjoy as miniature works of art, or simply as a way to contribute to waterfowl conservation. Ninety-eight percent of the proceeds from Duck Stamp sales goes toward purchasing wetland habitat for the National Wildlife Refuge System.
The Peabody Ducks: A Talented Bunch
Returning to
Washington, DC, for an encore performance, the Peabody Hotel marching ducks will open the contest once again this year with a chorus of resounding "quacks" as they parade through the Main Interior Building's auditorium to the sounds of their own theme music.
The famous
mallards appear at the Duck Stamp Contest thanks to a unique partnership between the Service and the Peabody Hotel Orlando, which incorporates the Federal Duck Stamp into its efforts to raise awareness about waterfowl and deliver conservation messages to guests and the community. Visitors to the renowned Florida hotel can purchase a Duck Stamp after they watch the mallards frolic in the lobby fountain.
The Peabody Orlando and its sister hotel, the Peabody Memphis, are both world-famous
for their fountain-dwelling, farm-raised mallards and duck-themed decor. Beginning with a prank in the 1930s, when the manager of Peabody Memphis and his hunting partner placed their live duck decoys in the fountain, the hotels' waterfowl theme now extends to duck-shaped soaps, butter pats, and stationery, as well as eateries named "Dux" and "Quackers."
The Judges: A Diverse Panel of Wildlife Enthusiasts
The judges for
this year's Duck Stamp contest engage in a variety of wildlife-related pursuits such as outdoor writing, environmental education, wildlife carving, and taxidermy. One of this year's judges is Jameson Parker, host of The Nashville Network's weekly series, "The World of Ducks Unlimited."
Parker, a collector of wildlife art and outdoor literature, is also known for his
roles in such television series as "Simon and Simon," "One Life to Live," and "Somerset," as well as in other television and film productions.
About the Contest
The winner of the Federal Duck Stamp Contest receives no cash award from the Federal Government; however, the contest is highly competitive because winning boosts the reputation of
even a previously unknown artist to the top of his or her profession. And winning artists stand to make hundreds of thousands of dollars from the sale of limited edition prints of their
Duck Stamp design.
Eligible species for this year's contest were the green-winged teal, black duck, greater scaup, northern pintail, and ruddy duck.
This year, the
337 design entries will be displayed for viewing and judging at the Interior Department auditorium, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC, at the following times: Tuesday, Nov. 3: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Viewing Wednesday, Nov. 4: 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Viewing/Judging Thursday, Nov. 5: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Viewing/Judging*
*The winner will be announced at approximately 12:30 p.m.
In addition,
Duck Stamp licensed products, including posters, T- shirts, mugs, calendars, caps, and other items featuring Duck Stamp designs will be available for sale in the Interior Department lobby. Part of the proceeds from the sale of these products also are used for wetlands acquisition.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats
for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System comprised of more than 500 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands, and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state wildlife agencies.
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