Duck Stamp exhibit features young artists

An exhibit of Duck Stamp art by area students is now on exhibit at the Custom House Museum in downtown Clarksville.

The exhibit is small, confined to a single wall panel, but features wonderful mixed media drawings and paintings by young artists. The Duck Stamp exhibit is part of a statewide initiative to bring awareness to local wildlife and its ecosystems.

All entries for this annual Tennessee art competition are due on March 15 each year. There are two key rules. First, the species of waterfowl you draw must be a native North American duck, goose, or swan. Second, all entries must be drawn horizontally and be 9″ high by 12″ wide.

Soon after the annual entry deadline, the artwork is judged by a panel of experts. The judges change each year, but the panel typically includes a combination of waterfowl biologists, artists, and natural resource professionals. The art is separated into four grade groups (K-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12), and each group is judged independently. Once the first place winners for each group have been selected, they are viewed again to select a single Best of Show for the state.

The contest was sponsored by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in partnership with Tennessee Wildlife Federation, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and Bass Pro Shops. Judges were Steve Middleton with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Julie Schuster of Bass Pro Shops, Sarah Welker past state coordinator of the Tennessee Jr. Duck Stamp program, Brian Elkins of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and Matt Varino, Field Representative for Senator Alexander.