Harlequin duck painting picked for 2019 U.S. junior duck stamp

By Michael Baadke

A painting of a male harlequin duck by New York artist Nicole Jeon has been selected to illustrate the 2019 junior duck stamp.

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service announced the winning artwork April 19.

The 16-year-old’s acrylic painting was one of 53 entries in this year’s National Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest, and was chosen for the top honor by a panel of five judges.

Junior duck stamps are issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and are listed in the Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers following the listings for the U.S. Department of the Interior’s migratory bird hunting and conservation stamp, more commonly known as the federal duck stamp.

The junior duck stamps sell for $5 each at the U.S. Postal Service’s online postal store and at select national wildlife refuges. The money collected is used for conservation education, including awards and student scholarships.

Jeon received $1,000 for her first-place win. A second prize of $500 was awarded to Jasmine King, 16, of New Jersey, for her acrylic painting of a wood duck. Paige Collins, 14, of Pennsylvania, won $200 for her pastel rendition of a long-tailed duck.

Haley Chandler, 18, of Arkansas, won $200 for winning the conservation message competition.

The junior duck stamp and the federal duck stamp will both be issued June 28 with a 10 a.m. ceremony at Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, Mo. The event is free and open to the public.

The illustration on the 2019 federal duck stamp is an acrylic painting of a male wood duck by Minnesota artist Scot Storm (Linn’s Stamp News, Oct. 8, 2018, page 1).

Both winning artists will be available to sign stamps at the ceremony, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Postal Service will offer a special cancellation for collectors.

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