Alabama artists can celebrate the New Year by entering the 2009 Alabama Waterfowl Stamp art contest sponsored by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division. The winning artwork will be featured on the 2010-11 Alabama Waterfowl Stamp, which is required to be purchased when hunting migratory waterfowl. Entries will be accepted from Jan. 1 - Feb. 17, 2009.
All eligible entries will be on display February 27, 2009, at the Richard Beard Building in Montgomery. Following the showing, three judges from the fields of art, ornithology and wildlife conservation will select the winning waterfowl art.
“We encourage all Alabama artists to participate in this unique contest,” said Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division Director Corky Pugh. “Like the federal waterfowl stamp, revenues from the sale of Alabama stamps are used to procure, establish or improve migratory waterfowl habitat.”
Only original horizontal artworks depicting a species of North American migratory duck or goose will be eligible. The Blue-winged Teal, Hooded Merganser and Wood Duck – depicted in the winning artwork of the three previous contests – are not eligible as subjects for the 2010-11 stamp. The competition is open to resident Alabama artists only. Entries cannot exceed 9 by 12 inches (15 by 18 inches matted).
The judging criteria will emphasize uncluttered design suitable for printing as a stamp, anatomical accuracy of the illustrated species, and artistic rendering. Close attention must be given to tone and detail, since those aspects are prerequisites for printing artwork as a stamp. Wing and feather construction must be particularly well defined. Entries may be drawn or painted in any medium.
For contest information and entry forms visit the ADCNR website at www.outdooralabama.com, or contact David Hayden, Alabama Wildlife and Fisheries Division, at 334-242-3469.
