2015 Junior Duck Stamp Exhibit - ISM Museums and Galleries
2015 Junior Duck Stamp Exhibit
Dickson Mounds Museum and the USFWS Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge is pleased to announce the first showing of the 2015 Junior Duck Stamp Competition winners. The original artwork will be on display at Dickson Mounds Museum until June 2, 2015.
This year a pair of wood ducks was selected to appear on the 2015-2016 Federal Junior Duck Stamp. The design for the new stamp, painted by 17-year-old Andrew Kneeland of Rock Springs, Wyo., was chosen by a panel of judges at the national Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest, held at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, W.Va.
The acrylic entry, which won the Wyoming State Junior Duck Stamp Contest, was judged the winner among best-of-show entries from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This year, a total of more than 24,000 entries were submitted to the 53 state Junior Duck Stamp contests. Proceeds from sales of the $5 Junior Duck Stamp support environmental education.
“I congratulate our winning artist and all the talented young people who participate in the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program each year,” said Service Director Dan Ashe. “After 22 years, the Junior Duck Stamp Program remains one of the Service’s hallmark efforts to connect youth with nature and inspire budding wildlife artists.”
Isabelle Kapoian, 16, of Bedford, N.H., took second place with an oil painting depicting a tundra swan.
Third place went to Bradley Gray, 16, of North Ogden, Utah, for his depiction of a pair of green-winged teal.
The 2015 Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation Message Contest winner was 14 year-old Sherry Xie from Virginia, who wrote: “Nature painted us the wetlands, but it is we who must conserve and appreciate the art.”
For complete contest results, go to the Junior Duck Stamp Program's website at www.fws.gov/juniorduck. A gallery of all state Best of Show entries can be found at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwshq/sets/72157652007419625.
The Junior Duck Stamp Contest winner receives $1,000. The second place winner receives $500, the third-place winner receives $200, and the Conservation Message winner receives $200. The winners were selected by a panel of five judges.
The Federal Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest is the culmination of a year-long Junior Duck Stamp conservation program used by educators across the nation. The program’s Educators Guide and Youth Guide provide 10 lesson plans, with exercises and activities focusing on conservation science, our changing natural world, and fun. Supplemental guides focus on homeschools and informal education settings such as nature centers, national wildlife refuges, and after-school programs. The curriculum guides are available at www.fws.gov/juniorduck.
The Illinois State Museum - Dickson Mounds is located between Lewistown and Havana off Illinois Routes 78 and 97. The museum is open free to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day. Tours and special programs are available for groups with reservations. For more information call 309.547.3721 or TTY 217.782.9175 or visit the www.experienceDicksonMounds.com. Also check out weekly updates on Facebook at “Illinois State Museum – Dickson Mounds”.
Learn about other exhibitions currently at the ISM Museums and Galleries.
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