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# Federal Duck Stamp

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## The 2023 Contest was held on September 15 and 16, 2023

Judging for the 2023 Federal Duck Stamp Contest was held in the Olmstead Center at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

You may view the entries on the USFWS Flickr site . Please remember these are low resolution scans that have not been color corrected. All judging was done viewing the originals in person in a controlled environment. Day 1 of the Contest and Day 2 of the Contest may be viewed online. Final scores by judges are now available.

The winner of the 2023 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest is Chuck Black

Montana Artist Chuck Black Wins 2023 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest 

Sep 16, 2023

### 2024 Duck Stamp Contest Information for Artists

The 2024 Federal Duck Stamp Contest rules are now available.

The dates for the Federal Contest have been set for Thursday September 19 and Friday September 20, 2024.  A location has not been announced.  However, we are urging artists, duck stamp collectors and supporters, as well as the general public, to visit the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, CT to view the exhibition of original winning duck stamp artwork and other memorabilia this fall.  More details on the exhibit and side events associated with the collection, the Duck Stamp Program, and migratory bird and habitat conservation will be coming and this site will be updated as information becomes available.   

**Who Can Enter the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest**The contest is open to all U.S. citizens, nationals and resident aliens who are at least 18 years of age by June 1, 2024.

**Eligible Species**At least one of the five eligible waterfowl species must be the dominant feature of your entry (in the foreground and clearly the focus of attention). Eligible species for 2024 are:BrantNorthern ShovelerGreater ScaupSpectacled EiderHooded Merganser

Inclusion of additional elements such as non-eligible species or other designs that depict uses of the stamp for sporting, conservation and/or collecting purposes are optional.

There can be ***no writing*** (including numbers on bird bands or lettering on signs) depicted on your entry. Do not sign your entry.

Only one entry per artist can be accepted.

**PREPARING YOUR ENTRY**Entry may be in any media except photography or computer-generated art. Design must be the contestant's ***original hand-drawn creation***. The entry design may not be copied or duplicated from previously published material, including photographs, or from images in any format published on the Internet.

**Entry Size Requirements**Entries must be 7" x 10" and oriented in the horizontal position. They must be matted over with bright white matting. The matting must be 1" wide. Total size (entry with matting) must be 9" x 12" and less than 1⁄4" thick. We suggest using a 1/8" masonite board or foamcore with 1⁄8" matting to equal the total thickness of 1/4".

**Entry Submission Requirements & Deadline**Include the official entry forms and your payment with your artwork (see contest regulations for entry forms and payment information). Artists may submit their artwork and entry fee beginning on **June 1, 2024**. *No early entries will be accepted*. All artwork must be postmarked no later than midnight **August 15, 2024**.

***Note***: All art entered in the 2024 contest will be held for display at a special event following the contest. No artwork will be returned until late October 2024. No artist may obtain his or her work immediately after the contest.

After the Duck Stamp contest and display period, art is returned via Federal Express to the address submitted on the contest entry form. ***No individual boxes or shipping material can be saved or returned. ***Please do not submit art with a P.O. Box return address; also, please submit working phone numbers. Please notify the Duck Stamp Office of any changes to your return address by emailing **Suzanne Fellows**.

**Judging**A panel of five noted art, waterfowl and stamp authorities judges each competition. Judges evaluate entries according to criteria in regulations including, but not limited to, accuracy of the waterfowl and habitat, composition, inclusion of any mandatory elements or published theme, and suitability to be made into a 1 3/4" L x 1 1/2" W stamp. No entries are judged prior to the start of the contest; any piece of art that meets the published criteria in the **2024 Contest Rules** will be accepted for judging.

**Tips and Hints**Before you begin your entry, find out what characteristics make good stamp design.

You must be 18 years old by June 1 to enter the Federal Duck Stamp Contest. Younger artists in Kindergarten through twelfth grade should check out the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program.

Federal Duck Stamp Contest winners receive no compensation for their work other than a pane of stamps carrying their design signed by the Secretary of the Interior. However, winning artists may sell prints of their designs, which are sought after by hunters, conservationists, and art and stamp collectors.

**History of the Federal Duck Stamp Contest** Jay N. "Ding" Darling designed the first Federal Duck Stamp in 1934. In subsequent years, noted wildlife artists were asked to submit designs to be considered for the stamp. The first art contest, in 1949, was open to any U.S. artist. Sixty-five artists submitted 88 entries that first year. To this day, the contest remains open to any artist 18 or older who is a U.S. citizen.

In 2005, the Federal Duck Stamp Contest was held outside Washington, D.C., for the first time in its history. The Fish and Wildlife Service continues to hold the contest in various locations around the country in order to give more people the opportunity to attend.

The annual Federal Duck Stamp made from this artwork goes on sale at the end of June. A “First Day of Issue” event is often held to celebrate the artists, purchasers, and conservation partners.

For more information about entering the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest - including inquiries from entered artists and prospective entrants - please contact Suzanne Fellows.

If you are a member of the news media and you need information about the Federal Duck Stamp or would like to arrange an interview, contact Valerie Fellows or 703/358-2285.

### Get Started 

                        - Traveling Exhibit Calendar
                        - Contest Website                           - **2024 Contest Information**
                        - First Day of Sale Information                           - Buy a Stamp
                          - Buy Commemorative Products

2024 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest Regulations

Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest Regulations 2024

PDF

Oct 2, 2023

Federal Duck Stamp Gallery

Migratory Birds

Washington,DC

Suzanne Fellows

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+1703-358-2145
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Falls Church,VA

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