MINOT — The field of entries was narrowed down to five finalists. A difficult choice, to be sure, but in the end the panel of five judges chose a Prisma colored pencil drawing of two mottled ducks in flight as Best of Show in the 2022 North Dakota Junior Duck Stamp competition.
Emily Klein, 18, Valley City, had her artwork selected from nearly 700 entries from across the state. Klein’s work now advances to the national final's competition for the prestigious honor of having her work chosen for the National Junior Duck Stamp.
Colleen Graue, Devils Lake, White Horse Hill National Game Preserve and North Dakota Junior Duck Stamp coordinator, broke into a broad smile when holding up the winning entry. She recalled that North Dakota’s 2021 winner achieved national runner-up status.
“Last year, even with the pandemic, North Dakota had the most entries of any state in the U.S., which was really cool,” said Graue. “Our Best of Show winner was submitted to nationals, all 50 states and territories, and placed second. That was an exciting year for us.”
A total of 676 entries were submitted for the contest, covering all school-age groups which were divided into K-3, 4-6, 7-9, and grades 10-12. Artists were awarded first, second, third place and honorable mention in all categories.
“It’s such an interesting combination of science and art,” said Graue. “We can reach out to people of different interests. It’s such a good fit for North Dakota because every kid in the state knows ducks. They are visible everywhere. Also, it’s easy for our teachers to bring this into the classroom.”
A huge plus for North Dakota this year is that the National Junior Duck Stamp competition, usually held in the Washington, D.C. area, will be coming to Bismarck this fall.
“We’re super excited about it,” remarked Graue. “It’ll be the weekend of September 25. They’re expanding to other parts of the country to create awareness.”
The program has helped groom aspiring young artists, many of whom have entered artwork starting in grade school and continuing through high school. One such artist is Daniel Schumacher of Linton who won Best of Show three consecutive times before achieving national runner-up honors. Now he’s helping advocate for young artists to pursue and improve their talents through the Junior Duck Stamp competition.
Graue emphasized that entries into the annual competition don’t necessarily have to come from work done during school hours, but anytime during the year. The deadline for entering the annual competition is March 15.
“It is open to all schools, educators, classroom teachers, and Friends of National Wildlife Refuge groups,” said Graue. “If interested, contact one of the state coordinators.”
Graue can be reached at White Horse Hill National Game Preserve, formerly Sullys Hill, at 701-766-4272.
