Free Exhibit of Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest Entries Takes Place Feb. 19-26

Due to the weather, the delivery of the exhibit was delayed reaching Wheaton. The exhibit will now open to the public on Wednesday, February 19.

Montgomery Parks is showcasing art and conservation in February by hosting an exhibit of the Federal Duck Stamp contest artwork. The paintings represent the work of some of the nation’s premiere naturalist artists. All are finalists in this year’s Federal Duck Stamp and Junior Duck Stamp contests. The exhibit will be on display in the lobby of Montgomery Parks Wheaton Headquarters building (2425 Reedie Drive, Wheaton) beginning Wednesday, February 19

The Federal Duck Stamp art contest started in 1934 with the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act. That law requires hunters to purchase a yearly stamp as a license to hunt waterfowl. Since its inception the program has raised more than one billion dollars for wildlife conservation and funded the conservation of more than six million acres of land for wildlife. 

“The Federal Duck Stamp competition emphasizes realistic and accurate representation of waterfowl, down to the placement of individual feathers,” said Jen Scully, Montgomery Parks waterfowl expert and 2025 Federal Duck Stamp Contest judge. “You don’t have to be a bird lover to appreciate the detail and artistry that goes into these works, so we hope the public will come take advantage of the opportunity to see this fabulous art for free.“ 

The duck stamp exhibit will include nearly 20 works from the national contest, including the winning painting of a nesting pair of spectacled eiders by artist Adam Grimm. His painting and all Federal Duck Stamp winners are referred to as million-dollar ducks, because of how much the artist can make selling prints of the image as the result of the win. The exhibit will also include 53 Best of Show entries from Junior Duck Stamp contests across the nation.