Your future, our focus
Winners of the 2019 Wyoming Junior Duck Stamp Program will be featured in an exhibit in Northwest College’s SinClair Gallery through Dec. 13. More than 100 of the top-prize-winning images, including the artwork of local students, will be on display.
This year, 211 art entries were received from students, ages kindergarten through 12th grade, throughout the state of Wyoming.
The program is a part of the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Program, which is a national conservation education program and stamp design contest. This comprehensive educational program uses the principles of conservation and design to teach wetland habitat and waterfowl biology to children of all ages. Proceeds from stamp sales support conservation education and provide awards and scholarships for students, teachers and schools participating in the program.
Wyoming’s 2019 “Best of Show” artwork was awarded to Brianna Simmons, 18, of Cody for a watercolor rendition of a pair of northern pintail drakes titled “Pintails in Flight.”
The additional artists who placed in the top five for Wyoming include Brylee Schuler of Powell, Kaylee Cornia of Cokeville and Riley Schiller and Jace Bohlman, both of Powell.
Students were also able to include a “conservation message” with their artwork, which summarizes what they learned through the program.
Cydney Brown, 15, of Cokeville submitted this year’s winning message: “A future without conservation is like a canvas without paint.”
Additionally, Wyoming’s Junior Duck Stamp Program awards a “Betty Nelson Artistic Promise Award” to the youngest age group, kindergarten through sixth grade, to an artist the judges feel “exhibits exemplary artistic promise.” This year’s Betty Nelson Artistic Promise Award went to Kashton Walker, 9, of Cokeville for a colored pencil depiction of a harlequin drake.
The program is designed to give students an opportunity to artistically express their knowledge of wildlife’s diversity, interdependence and beauty.
To learn more about Wyoming’s Junior Duck Stamp Program, visit https://www.fws.gov/refuge/seedskadee/wyjrduck/.
The SinClair Gallery is located in the Orendorff Building. It is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is free.
For more information about this exhibition, contact Denise Kelsay, art and galleries coordinator at NWC, at denise.kelsay@nwc.edu or 307-754-6499.
For Northwest’s full calendar of events, visit http://nwc.edu/events/.