Life in the air will take center stage during Flights of Fancy at the San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands on the weekend before Thanksgiving. The event includes the first west coast exhibition of the top entries from the Federal Duck Stamp competition along with guest artists, conservation and environmental organizations, and a range of activities for adults, families, and children—even an early-bird walk and a breakfast with the birds! All activities are included with regular museum admission. More information can be found at www.sbcountymuseum.org.
Volunteers are needed for the event. If you would like to get involved, click here: http://www.sbcounty.gov/museum/pdf/flights-volunteer-flyer.pdf.
Adam Grimm, this year’s winner of the Federal duck stamp contest, will meet museum visitors and set up an exhibit of duck stamp and waterfowl paintings. He will be joined by his daughter, Madison Grimm, who is coincidentally the winner of the 2013 Federal Junior Duck Stamp contest. World-champion carver Dennis Schroeder will show waterfowl and songbird carvings, and last year’s Duck Stamp winner, Robert Steiner, will exhibit art and both state and federal waterfowl stamp paintings and prints. All artists will have works for sale; proceeds benefit the San Bernardino County Museum Association in support of programs and activities at the San Bernardino County Museum.
On Saturday, the weekend kicks off with an Early Bird Walk at the museum from 7 to 8 a.m. Led by Museum Director Robert McKernan, participants will walk through the museum grounds and native plant gardens to observe local wintering and resident birds. The Early Bird Walk is free; participants should bring binoculars.
From 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. museum visitors can enjoy a sneak preview of Duck Stamp Art and works by the visiting artists along with a buffet breakfast. Breakfast with the Birds is sponsored in part by Costco of San Bernardino, Orange Tree Lane Deli and Bakery, and Starbucks #10346. The preview breakfast is included with paid museum admission, and is free to Museum Association members and Flights of Fancy sponsors.
Flights of Fancy opens at 9:00 a.m. and continues until 5 p.m. Environmental organizations, including the San Gorgonio Wilderness Association, California Dept. of Fish & Wildlife, the San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society, Inland Empire Resource Conservation Board, and San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation will be represented; all will offer special activities for children. The museum’s education division will invite families to create colorful three-dimensional butterflies, to make and color flip books that show birds in flight, to paint decoys, and to look through microscopes to see feathers up close and personal. Selena Bryan will employ music and free-form dance while helping visitors make colorful feathered bird masks. These family activities are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
At 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, the winning Federal Duck Stamp artist Adam Grimm and his daughter Madison, the winning Junior Duck Stamp Artist, will give a brief presentation followed by a drawing workshop for children. At 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, Museum Director will present “Duck Stamps and Conservation” in the Land Birds Gallery.
Flights of Fancy is open on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Director McKernan will lead a gallery walk through the Life in the Air galleries on Sunday at 2:00 p.m.
Duck Stamp Art will be exhibited at the San Bernardino County Museum during “Flights of Fancy,” November 23 and 24, 2013. The exhibit includes the top entries from this year’s Federal Duck Stamp contest and Junior Duck Stamp entries.
Good evening,
This article caught my eye because my grand father personally collects every Duck Stamp ever made, and has them displayed in a protective case- every one in mint condition. I believe it started sometime back in the 30’s if I recall the cases correctly. He once explained to me how you need those stamps to hunt ducks, so each and every year he bought 2 stamps. One to hunt with, and the other to preserve in a collection. Although I’m not personally into hunting, I’ve always admired his collection of beautiful stamps. I had no idea such a contest existed, but I’m very interested in finding out how to enter this contest next year? I understand it’s over this year, but I’d imagine this is an annual deal? I am an artist myself, with an emphasis in graphite drawings of humans and animals. Just for the sentimental value alone, I’d love more information on how to become involved in the contest. How these things are judged, etc.? Could you imagine if one day I won the honor of my art work to be preserved in his collection. Very wishful thinking, but it never hurts to aspire to these types of things.
Thanks for your time, and I look forward to getting more information.
Hello again,
Never mind in regards to my previous questions. It turns out Google is a great place to find out everything you need to know in regards to the contest. It was nice to share my story with someone though.
Thanks again!!
Information about the federal duck stamp contest can be found here: http://www.fws.gov/DuckStamps/