RALEIGH — The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and Washington Tourism Development Authority are seeking artists for their annual North Carolina Waterfowl Conservation Stamp Print competition.

The winning artwork will be featured on the 2018-19 waterfowl conservation stamp, also known as the North Carolina duck stamp. Artists 18 years and older are eligible to enter the competition. Entries, along with a $50 entry fee, must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Jan. 19, 2018, to the Washington Tourism Development Authority, located at 108 Gladden St., Washington.

The Commission and WTDA sponsor the annual national contest, which typically draws artists from across the United States. This year, artists may submit a full-color, realistic rendering of tundra swans, blue-winged teal, ring-necked duck, canvasback or bufflehead, which must be depicted in the appropriate habitat.

Artwork will be judged on the following criteria:

• Level and accuracy of detail in all aspects of the anatomy of waterfowl;
• Appropriateness, accuracy and detail in depiction of the selected species’ habitat;
• Attractiveness and creativity of the composition, regarding spatial balance, lighting and harmony of subject and background;
• Visual appeal and suitability for reproduction at both the print and stamp scales.

 

Artists may submit only one design in whatever medium they choose. Images must be horizontal, 13 inches by 18 inches, matted in white to outside dimensions of 18 inches by 23 inches and should be loosely covered with a protective overleaf, although not framed or covered with glass. The image should bear no signature or other marks that would identify the artist.

Complete entry guidelines, as well as specific requirements for artwork, are located on the Little Washington website at www.littlewashingtonnc.com/nc-duck-stamp.

A panel of five judges, who have expertise in waterfowl biology or artistic method and expression, will select the winning artwork on Jan. 23, 2018. The winner will receive $7,000 in prize money.

The winning artwork, along with the top four entries, will be unveiled at a reception in Washington on Feb. 8, 2018. All five entries will be on display from Feb. 9-11, 2018, during the 22^nd-annual East Carolina Wildlife Arts Festival, which will be held on the waterfront in downtown Washington.

Proceeds from sales of the print and stamp support the Wildlife Resources Commission’s Waterfowl Fund, which generates revenue for the conservation of waterfowl habitat in North Carolina.

For more information about the Waterfowl Conservation Stamp and Print Competition, visit www.littlewashingtonnc.com/nc-duck-stamp. For more information on waterfowl hunting and licenses in North Carolina, visit www.ncwildlife.org/hunting.