The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) announced today an art contest for the 2009 design for the state’s duck stamp. This is the first time since 1994 a contest will decide the stamp’s art.
The contest is open to all U.S. residents aged 18 and over. Entries will be accepted from March 1 until the April 30 contest deadline. The species selected by the Fish and Game Commission to appear on the 2009 duck stamp is the northern shoveler.
A duck stamp is required for hunting waterfowl in California. The money generated from stamp sales can only be spent on waterfowl-related conservation projects. Since it began in 1971, the California duck stamp program has raised more than $22 million. It is also the first, and oldest, state duck stamp program in the country.
DFG sells about 70,000 duck stamps annually, which includes sales to collectors who value them for their artist depiction of native ducks and geese. In addition to duck stamps, DFG typically issues signed, limited edition prints that are valued by art collectors.
The duck stamp contest will be judged by a panel of citizens with expertise in the fields of ornithology, conservation, art and printing. The winning artist will be selected during a public judging event to be held in May. A date has not yet been set for the judging.
The top entries will then be displayed in July at the Pacific Flyway Decoy Association’s art show in Sacramento. The winning entry will be reproduced on the 2009 California Duck Stamp and will be available as collectible limited edition prints.
For contest information and entry forms, please visit the DFG Web site at www.dfg.ca.gov/about/duckstamp.
