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 Fifteen-year-old artist Joanna Rush of Chattanooga won the Best of Show in the 2011 Tennessee Federal Junior Duck Stamp art contest. Her winning acrylic, colored pencil and water color artwork titled Let’s Get Together depicts a male and female cinnamon teal with stunning realism.
The contest is sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, along with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the Tennessee Wildlife Federation and Bass Pro Shops. TWF CEO Mike Butler spoke to the crowd prior to the presentation of the awards, and he, along with TWF Board members Al Buckley and Philip Crowe – himself a nationally recognized wildlife artist – served as judges for the event.A total of 606 entries represented 24 schools and 10 home schools from across the state in four different age group categories at the 17th annual event. Eleven artists were finalists for the Best of Show as a result of their first-place awards. Three first-place winners were named for each division.Joanna’s winning artwork will appear on the Tennessee waterfowl stamp, which will be available early next year, and will travel throughout the country on display in galleries and wildlife museums. Proceeds from the stamp’s sales go to benefit the waterfowl program.
The state winner also advances to the national competition, and the winning piece at the national event will be used as the design for the 2011-12 Federal Junior Duck Stamp. Her artwork will travel throughout the country on display in galleries and wildlife museums for one year.
The 36 first, second and third-place Tennessee winners will also be on display at locations around the state throughout the following year. For more information about this program, display locations or to purchase a Federal Junior Duck Stamp, see the refuge website at www.fws.gov/TennesseeRefuge, or call the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge at (731) 642-2091.
The Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program is an educational program designed to teach wetland habitat and waterfowl conservation to students in kindergarten through high school. Using scientific and wildlife observation principles, the program helps students communicate visually what they have learned by creating an entry for the Junior Duck Stamp art contest. This non-traditional pairing of subjects brings new interest to both science and the arts. It crosses cultural, ethnic, social and geographic boundaries to teach greater awareness of our nation’s natural resources. The Junior Duck Stamp Program is based on the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp.
2011 Tennessee Federal Junior Duck Stamp Winners
Best of Show: Joanna Rush (Chattanooga)
Art teacher – Karen Barton, Agape Art Academy
Kindergarten –Third Grade:
1st Place Rachel Skillman (Chattanooga)
Bailey Roberts (Tullahoma)
Olivia Morgan (Tullahoma)
Fourth-Sixth Grade:
1st Place Kaylyn Craig (Rossville)
McKenzie Covrig (Georgetown)
Chelsea Smith (Dyersburg)
Seventh-Ninth Grade:
1st Place Kelsey Skillman (Chattanooga)
Jet Smith (Ooltewah)
Catelyn Alvezios (LaFollete)
10th-12th grade:
1st Place Joanna Rush (Chattanooga)
Olivia Hughes (Jackson)
Staci Hunter (Cookeville) |
Chattanooga Girl Wins Best of Show at Duck Stamp Contest
