U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(Editors/News Directors - Please note, winner's names follow news release text and are arranged by town. For an electronic photograph of the winning artwork, please send an email request to Elizabeth_Slown@fws.gov.)
Several
New Mexico students took home first, 2nd and 3rd place awards and a $100 savings bond for their original portrayals of waterfowl in the federal Junior Duck Stamp Competition, sponsored by the U.S.F.W.S.. The Best of Show, created by Oscar Urbina, a seventeen year old from Gadsden High School, will compete nationally on April 23.
Students entered their designs in one of 4 different grade categories; K-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12. 3 first, 2nd and 3rd place winners and honorable mentions are chosen in each category. Altogether 530 entries were judged. The artwork is now on display through April at the Macey Fine Arts Center on the New Mexico Tech campus in Socorro.
"The artwork is phenomenal," said Terry Tadano, refuge manager at Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge that hosted this year's competition. "In order to place highly, the artist must study their subject. They can use reference materials, take field visits to see the bird in their natural habitat, consult videos or photographs and generally get to know their species inside and out."
The Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Plan is a dynamic arts curriculum designed to teach wetlands and waterfowl conservation to students in kindergarten through high school. This Plan incorporates scientific and wildlife management principles into a visual arts curriculum.
This non-traditional pairing of subjects brings new interest to both science and the arts. The students learn about not only ducks, but all migratory birds, including neotropical migratory songbirds, and hundreds of other plants and animals that depend on wetlands habitat for their survival. "The art teachers expect their students to do their pre-work," said Tadano.
List of Winners
Albuquerque:
Courtney Thomas, honorable mention, K-3 grade, Sailer Fine Art and Instruction
Abraham Mendoza, 1st place, 10-12 grade, West Mesa High School
Mercedes Ramos, honorable mention four - six grade, Onate Elementary School
Tommy Kousonsavath, 3rd place ten - twelve grade, Rio Grande High School
Vanessa Alvarado, honorable mention ten - twelve grade, Rio Grande High School
Raphael Perea, honorable mention, 10-12 grade, Cibola High School
Vivienne Clark, 1st place, 7-9 grade, Clark Home School
Elias Clark, 1st place, K-3 grade, Clark Home School
Ryan Shih, 3rd place, K-3 grade, Manzano Day School
Geneva Gurule, honorable mention, K-3 grade, Manzano Day School
Zofia Trujillo, honorable mention, K-3 grade, Manzano Day School
Scott Lavato, honorable mention, K-3 grade, Manzano Day School
Clayton LaMonica, honorable mention K-3 grade, Manzano Day School
Rachel Gallegos, honorable mention, K-3 grade, Manzano Day School
Coralles:
James Schavin, 1st place four -6 grade, Young at Art
Los Alamos:
Angela Torney, honorable mention 10-12 grade, (no school listed)
Chimayo:
Rose Leitner, 2nd place, seven - nine grade, homeschool
Clayton:
Sabrina Christy, honorable mention, 10-12 grade Stone Feather Studio
Roswell:
Whitney Harrell, honorable mention, K-3 grade, Berrendo Elementary School
Joshua Hittle, 1st place 4-6 grade, Gateway Christian School
Emily Howerton, 2nd place, 4-6 grade, Gateway Christian School
Caleb Wigley, 3rd place, 4-6 grade, Gateway Christian School
Kassandra Coronado, 3rd plac,e 4-6 grade, Gateway Christian School
Elizabeth Worrall, 3rd place, 4-6 grade, Gateway Christian School
Aidan Haney, honorable mention, 4-6 grade, Gateway Christian School
Jessica Acedo, honorable mention, 4-6 grade, Gateway Christian School
Easton Hill, honorable mention,n 4-6 grade, Gateway Christian School
Megan Ewbank, honorable mention, 4-6 grade, Gateway Christian School
Cristain Maquinalez, honorable mention, 4-6 grade, Gateway Christian School
Karin Mims, honorable mention, 4-6 grade, Gateway Christian School
Jal:
Cecilia Segovia, 1st place, K-3 grade, Jal Elementary School
Natalie Herrera, 2nd place, K-3 grade, Jal Elementary School
Nathan Valdez, 2nd place, K-3 grade, Jal Elementary School
Abigail Sagarnaga, 2nd place, K-3 grade, Jal Elementary School
Michael Edington, honorable mention, K-3 grade, Jal Elementary School
Morgan Komar, honorable mention, K-3 grade, Jal Elementary School
Kaitlyn Komar, 2nd place, 4-6 grade, Jal Elementary School
Andrea Ortega, honorable mention, 4-6 grade, Jal Elementary School
Fabiola Morales, honorable mention, 4-6 grade, Jal Elementary School
Katheryn Hammonds, honorable mention, 4-6 grade, Jal Elementary School
Emily Tayor, honorable mention, 4-6 grade, Jal Elementary School
Alexis Dodson, honorable mention, 4-6 grade, Jal Elementary School
Tiffany Little, honorable mention, 4-6 grade, Jal Elementary School
Lorenzo Vargas, 3rd place, 7-9 grade, Jal Elementary School
Sterling Cooper, honorable mention, K-3 grade(no school listed)
Anthony:
Oscar Urbina, Best of Show, Gadsden High School
Gabriela Castillo, 1st place, 10-12 grade, Gadsden High School
David Sadona, 2nd place, 10-12 grade, Gadsden High School
Ricardo Ruiz, 2nd place, 10-12 grade, Gadsden High School
Efrain Garcia, 3rd place, 10-12 grade, Gadsden High School
Yolanda Vega, 3rd place, 10-12 grade, Gadsden High School
Salvador Ybarra, honorable mention, 10-12 grade, Gadsden High School
Andres Villalobos, honorable mention, 10-12 grade, Gadsden High School
Karla Chairez, honorable mention, 10-12 grade, Gadsden High School
Manuel Saldivar, honorable mention, 10-12 grade, Gadsden High School
Jovette Garcia, honorable mention, 10-12 grade, Gadsden High School
Maribel Delgado, honorable mention, 10-12 grade, Gadsden High School
Sonia Garcia, 2nd place, 7-9 grade, Gadsden High School
Capitan:
Aimee Babcock, honorable mention, 4-6 grade, Capitan Middle School
Las Cruces:
Karl Koerper, honorable mention, K-3 grade, Sally's Art Place
Jesse Gioannini, 3rd place, K-3 grade, Sally's Art Place
Benjamin Koerper, 1st place, K-3 grade, Sally's Art Place
Weston Koerper, 1st place, 4-6 grade, Sally's Art Place
Christopher Robb, honorable mention, 4-6 grade, Sally's Art Place
Stephen Markham, honorable mention, 4-6 grade, Sally's Art Place
Joseph Koerper, 1st place, 7-9 grade, Sally's Art Place
Brian Hohnson, 2nd place, 7-9 grade, Sally's Art Place
Luis Lopez, 3rd place, 7-9 grade, Sally?s Art Place
Ashley Johnson, honorable mention, 7-9 grade, Sally's Art Place
Jacqueline Markham, honorable mention, 7-9 grade, Sally's Art Place
Emma Locatelli, honorable mention, 10-12 grade, Sally's Art Place
Berenice DeLaRosa, honorable mention, 10-12 grade, Sally's Art Place
Thea DeArmond, honorable mention, 10-12 grade, Sally's Art Place
Breanna Woolwine, honorable mention, 7-9 grade, Las Cruces High School
Elizabeth Blackwell, honorable mention, 7-9 grade, Zia Middle School
Rey Lopez, honorable mention, 7-9 grade, Zia Middle School
Jacob Niu, honorable mention, 7-9 grade, Zia Middle School
Lorena Cabada Gomez, honorable mention, 7-9 grade, Zia Middle School
Trace Carrillo, honorable mention, 7-9 grade, Zia Middle School
Ramon Ladena, honorable mention, 7-9 grade, Zia Middle School
Alexandria Kerley, honorable mention, 7-9 grade, Zia Middle School
Teresa Chavez, honorable mention, 7-9 grade, Zia Middle School
George Chavez, honorable mention, 7-9 grade, Zia Middle School
Bloomfield:
Andrea DeLeon, honorable mention, 10-12 grade, Bloomfield High School
Erik Baisley, honorable mention, 7-9 grade, Bloomfield High School
Zuni:
Adrienne Voss, 3rd place, 7-9 grade, Zuni High School
Joshua Seowtewa, 3rd place, 7-9 grade, Zuni High School
Vance Cachini, honorable mention, 7-9 grade, Zuni High School
Farmington:
Kerstin Beuth, honorable mention, 10-12 grade, Farmington High School
Marie Sloane, honorable mention, 10-12 grade, Farmington High School
Hannah Miller, 2nd place, 4-6 grade, Artifacts Gallery
Kirtland:
C. Jonathan Schmitt, 1st place, 7-9 grade, Kirtland Central High School
Socorro:
Nissa Lueth, 2nd place, 10-12 grade, Socorro High School
Anjik Ghosh, honorable mention, K-3 grade, Cottonwood Valley Charter School
Ariel Dillon, honorable mention, K-3 grade, Cottonwood Valley Charter School
Belen:
Sirin Ozhan, honorable mention, 7-9 grade, Belen Middle School
Kaelun Bolivar, honorable mention, K-3 grade, Rio Grande Elementary School
Julia Saint John, honorable mention, K-3 grade, Rio Grande Elementary School
Gynelle Baca, honorable mention, K-3 grade, Rio Grande Elementary School
Los Lunas:
Amy Chavez, honorable mention, seven-nine grade, Tres Amantes Art Studio
