Adam Oswald Wins 2005 Nevada State Ducks Stamp Competition
...South Dakotan's First Win In National Competition

Adam Oswald, 27, of Brandon, South Dakota, captured top honors in Nevada Department of Wildlife's 27 th annual Duck Stamp Art competition in late March. His painting of a pair of flying gadwall ducks will be portrayed on the 2005-06 Nevada Duck Stamp that sells annually for $10.

According to Maureen Angel, who heads up the annual art contest for NDOW, this was Oswald's first win in any art contest. He has placed in the top five in other state sponsored contests. He works as a graphics designer and said that he has only painted seriously for about eight years.

Instead to photographs like most other artists,, Oswald said he prefers to paint use mounted specimens of ducks as models. His hobbies include hunting, fishing and golf. This year there were 30 entries in the contest. NWA has sponsored the annual contest nearly every year since the early 1980's. Long time NWA member, Hugh Judd, represents our organization in the contest every year. This year, NWA President, Sean Wallace was one of the seven judges that chose Oswald's painting as the best.

Minden Student Captures "Best of Show" in Jr. Duck Stamp Art Contest

Shehed Al-Azadi has captured first place in U.S. Fish and Wildlife's annual Jr. Duck Stamp Design Competition according to FWS contest coordinator, Donna Withers of Fallon. Al-Azadi's art work has been entered into national competition in Washington, D.C., and the outcome is unknown at this time.

Of the 356 Nevada student artists who submitted entries this year in the state contest, 100 were awarded ribbons and other prizes in recognition of their efforts. Al-Azadi, 16, who is a student at Douglas Co. High School, received a cash award from Nevada Waterfowl Association and The Outdoor Channel.

One of the five judges this year was Norm Saake, past president of NWA and former waterfowl biologist with Nevada Dept. of Wildlife.

The Federal Junior Duck Stamp Program is open to all students in Kindergarten through 12 th grade who submit original artwork depicting North American ducks, geese or swans in their natural habitat. Patterned after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife's highly successful Federal Duck Stamp Program, the Jr. Duck Stamp Conservation Program is designed to increase awareness among our nation's youth of the need to conserve North America's wetlands and waterfowl through an educational curriculum which incorporates art and wildlife management principles.

The design selected as the national winner will be made into the following year's Federal Junior Duck Stamp. Proceeds from sale of this stamp are used to support conservation education awards and scholarships for entrants.

The first place national winner receives a $5,000 cash award and a free trip to Washington, D.C., to attend the judging of the adult Federal Duck Stamp Contest, along with his/her art teacher and one of his/her parents.