Multiple Blue Ribbons-Winner and First-Time Contest Victor Are Awarded Best in Show in State’s Annual Wildlife Art Competition

A 10-time Delaware stamp contest winner who added another blue ribbon to his run of artistic success and a first-time winner of a state stamp competition have claimed top honors in Delaware’s Waterfowl Stamp and Trout Stamp art contests, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today. Well-known in Delaware for his seven winning state trout stamp entries, as well as for three previous waterfowl stamp competition wins, Jeffrey Klinefelter took Best in Show again for his painting of a redhead duck which will grace the 2024/25 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp. A painting of a rainbow trout by Trevor Dumaw of Colorado Springs, Colo., was awarded first place and will be featured on the 2024 Delaware Trout Stamp.

The annual stamp art competition drew 14 entries for the 2024/25 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp and 12 entries for the 2024 Trout Stamp. The Waterfowl Stamp contest specified that submitted artwork must include the motif of a redhead duck on open water. Trout Stamp artwork entries could depict a rainbow, brown or brook trout.

As the 2024/25 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp winner, Klinefelter, of Etna Green, Ind., receives a $2,500 cash prize and 150 artist’s proofs of the limited edition print series of his first-place entry. An artist who likes who likes to paint from his own photos, Klinefelter over the past 30 years has won numerous contests in states including Nevada, Ohio, Delaware, California, Oklahoma, Oregon, North and South Carolina, Indiana and Colorado. After winning the 2023 Delaware Trout Stamp last year, he rang up a fourth blue ribbon in Delaware’s Waterfowl Stamp contest.

As the 2024 Delaware Trout Stamp winner, Dumaw receives a $250 cash prize and retains the rights to reproduce and sell prints of the stamp artwork. Dumaw credits his passion for wildlife art to countless hunting and fishing trips in upstate New York, where he was born and raised. At age 20, Dumaw put his career on hold to enlist in the U.S. States Army as a military policeman. He was deployed to the Balkans before completing an overseas tour in South Korea, where he was assigned to the United Nations Joint Security Battalion, and a deployment to Baghdad, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Dumaw finished his military career as a police investigator before being honorably discharged. As an artist, his preferred subject is the wildlife he’s surrounded by at the eastern foot of the Rocky Mountains.

Other winners were:

• 2024/25 Waterfowl Stamp – Second place: Guy Crittenden, Richmond, Va.; Third place: John Stewart, Wilmington, Del. Honorable mentions: Caleb Metrich, Lake Tomahawk, Wis.; Marion Orchard, Severn, Md.; Michael Kensinger, Altoona, Pa.; and Jonathan Milo, Monroe, Conn.
• 2023 Trout Stamp – Second place: Dennis Arp, Edison, Neb., brook trout; Third place: Tory Farris, Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, brown trout. Honorable mentions: Tiffany Beczkalo, Dallas, Ga., rainbow trout; Walter Wincek, Elyria, Ohio, brook trout; Matt Doyle, Everett, Pa., brook trout.

Artwork in each contest was judged by a different set of five judges, with each judge separately evaluating and scoring the respective contest artwork in person.

The 2024/25 Waterfowl Stamp judges were: Carrie Lingo, Delaware Ducks Unlimited representative; Drew Clendaniel, stamp collector; Lori Crawford, Delaware State University Professor of Art; Elio Battista, Advisory Council on Wildlife and Freshwater Fish member, and Shawn Sullivan, wildlife biologist.
The 2024 Trout Stamp judges were: Noel Kuhrt, stamp collector; Ed O’Donnell, Trout Unlimited member; Sam Palermo, avid angler; Linda Parkowski, Advisory Council on Wildlife and Freshwater Fish member; and Mike Steiger, fisheries biologist.

The winning 2024/25 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp will be available for purchase July 1, 2024, and the winning 2024 Delaware Trout Stamp will be available for purchase Jan. 1, 2024.

The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife, in partnership with Ducks Unlimited, started the Delaware Waterfowl Stamp and print program in 1980 to raise funds for waterfowl conservation, including acquiring and improving wetland habitats vital to the survival of migratory waterfowl. To date, more than $3.6 million has been raised. A Delaware Waterfowl Stamp and hunting license are required for most waterfowl hunters.

Delaware began requiring trout stamps for anglers in the 1950s, and a Delaware Trout Stamp and a general fishing license are required for most anglers to fish in designated trout waters during certain seasons. Funds from the sale of the stamps are used to purchase trout to stock in select streams in northern New Castle County and in two downstate ponds.

More information about Delaware’s Waterfowl Stamp contest can be found at de.gov/waterfowlstamp. More information about the Trout Stamp contest can be found at de.gov/troutstamp.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on nearly 68,000 acres of public land owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram,  Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

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DOVER – Wildlife art enthusiasts, stamp and print collectors, waterfowl hunters, anglers, birdwatchers and wetland conservationists will gather at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, April 8 for the judging of Delaware’s annual Waterfowl Stamp and Trout Stamp contests, which will be held at the Delaware Ducks Unlimited Greenwing Event at Owens Station Shooting Sports & Hunter Education Center, 12613 Hunters Cove Road, Greenwood, DE 19950. Following the competition, entries will be on display at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge April 10-24.

Sponsored by DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife in partnership with Ducks Unlimited, the annual waterfowl stamp contest draws entries by renowned and emerging artists from across the country. The winning artwork will be reproduced on a stamp which must be carried by most waterfowl hunters. Waterfowl stamps are also purchased by collectors and other conservation-minded citizens.

This year marks the 38th anniversary of the Delaware Waterfowl Stamp contest, which began in 1980 to raise funds for waterfowl conservation, including acquiring and improving wetland habitats vital to the survival of migratory waterfowl. To date, more than $2.8 million has been raised from the purchase of Delaware Waterfowl Stamps. The new Waterfowl Stamp, which will go on sale for the 2018/19 hunting season, will feature artwork that must include a pintail duck and a Golden Retriever.

For the 2018 Trout Stamp contest, artists from across the nation had the opportunity to submit paintings of rainbow, brown or brook trout for consideration. The winning artwork will be reproduced on a stamp that is required for most trout anglers. Some 6,500 trout anglers and stamp collectors support this program annually, generating funds to purchase trout for stocking in six northern New Castle County streams, Tidbury Pond in Kent County and Newton Pond in Sussex County.

Delaware’s 2018/19 Waterfowl Stamp will be selected by a panels five judges that includes a Ducks Unlimited designee and a member of the Advisory Council on Wildlife and Freshwater Fish, with the remaining three judges randomly selected by the director of the Division of Fish & Wildlife from a pool of available judges that includes conservationists, biologists and artists. The 2018 Delaware Trout Stamp also will be selected by five judges including a member of the Delaware Trout Association and a member of the Advisory Council on Wildlife and Freshwater Fish, with the remaining three judges also randomly selected by the director of the Division of Fish & Wildlife from a pool including anglers, biologists and artists.

For more information on Delaware’s Waterfowl Stamp and Trout Stamp programs, please contact the Division of Fish & Wildlife at 302-739-9911, or visit http://de.gov/waterfowlstampor http://de.gov/troutstamp.

Media contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Vol. 47, No. 74

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DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship is now accepting applications from Delaware artists for participation in a rain barrel painting contest aimed at educating Delawareans on the benefits of using rain barrels to reduce rainwater runoff and improve water quality. Artists selected will be invited to paint creative designs on rain barrels that will be prominently displayed in public areas.

To enter the contest, adult artists must complete and submit an application by Friday, March 17, which includes providing a description and preliminary sketch of their design. Watershed Stewardship staff will choose participants in the contest based on their application and design ideas. Once contest participants have been selected, they will have five weeks to finish their barrel painting and submit final photographs and information requested.

Participating artists must be willing to give of their time and must provide materials, including paint and brushes or other application tools, an interpretation of their work and a short biography. In exchange, DNREC’s Watershed Assessment and Management Section will provide a fully-assembled 55-gallon plastic rain barrel with two coats of primer applied, plus cans of clear top coat. This year’s barrels have been donated by Tidewater Utilities, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and Coca-Cola.

Photos of the finished rain barrels will be posted online for public voting at www.delawarewatersheds.org. The barrels also will be displayed at the Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village in Dover from May 31 through July 19. Five finalists will be chosen by online voting at www.delawarewatersheds.org. All five finalists will receive prizes. A professional judging panel will choose the grand prize winner, whose barrel will be displayed at the DNREC Building at the 2017 Delaware State Fair. The winner will also participate in Governor’s Day, Thursday, July 27 at the fair. The winning barrel will then be displayed in a prominent location to be determined.

Applications can be found at www.delawarewatersheds.org. Completed applications and sketches should be emailed to sara.wozniak@delaware.gov or sent by close of business March 17 to:
DNREC Watershed Assessment and Management Section
C/O Sara Wozniak
2430 Old County Road
Newark, DE 19702

For more information, please contact Sara Wozniak at sara.wozniak@delaware.gov or 302-382-0335.

What is a Rain Barrel?
A rain barrel is a container that collects and stores water from roofs and downspouts for uses such as watering lawns, gardens, and house plants; cleaning off gardening tools; and washing your car. Rain barrels help lower your water bills, particularly in the summer months by collecting thousands of gallons of water a year. Rain barrels are also important for our environment because they help reduce water pollution by decreasing the amount of stormwater runoff reaching our streams and rivers. An average rainfall of one inch within a 24-hour period can produce more than 700 gallons of water that run off a typical house. This stormwater runoff picks up anything on the ground such as litter, excess fertilizer, pet waste, and motor oil, transporting it to storm drains that dump the untreated water directly into our waterways.

Media contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Vol. 47, No. 48

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DOVER, Del., – Today, May 19th, Lt. Governor Matt Denn will welcome winners of the 6th Annual Lt. Governor’s Art Contest to Legislative Hall in Dover.

This year, the contest received hundreds of amazing entries from students all over Delaware. Each entry was truly unique and showed particular character. Art came from schools all over Delaware and was done by artists from Pre-K through 12th grade. Thirty pieces were chosen in 12 categories (1st, 2nd, 3rd places & honorable mention in elementary, middle and high school categories).

This year’s theme was “Family Fun in Delaware.” Participants created a piece of art that highlighted what family fun in Delaware means to them. Winners will have their artwork displayed in the Lt. Governor’s Dover and Wilmington offices for the entire year following the contest.

The winners and their families will attend an art reception in Legislative Hall, where their artwork has been beautifully displayed by the Department of State’s Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs. The Lt. Governor will make remarks, hand out awards, and take pictures with the artists and their families. This year’s winning artwork comes from 7 schools (sorted by district):

Appoquinimink School District:
• Middletown High School
• MOT Charter School

Capital School District:
• Central Middle School

Milford School District:
• Milford High School

Caesar Rodney School District:
• Major George Welch Elementary School

Indian River School District:
• Millsboro Middle School

Red Clay School District:
•Cab Calloway School of the Arts

Art Contest Reception
Monday, May 19, 2014
6:00pm
Legislative Hall
411 Legislative Avenue
Dover, DE 19901
*Doors open at 5:15pm; remarks by Lt. Governor at 6:00pm.