A unique genre of artists will descend upon Washington this weekend for the East Carolina Wildlife Arts Festival. They are painters and carvers, and their art, and craft, will be on display at the Washington Civic Center. But just down the street, a special exhibit will celebrate the festival’s history.

The past winners of the North Carolina Waterfowl Conservation Stamp Competition and winning decoys from the North Carolina Decoy Carving Championship can be seen together at the Turnage Theater gallery. The exhibit represents 35-years worth of Waterfowl Conservation Stamp prints with each piece’s corresponding stamp, as well as 18 years of first-place decoys.

The Waterfowl Conservation Stamp collection is on loan from Washington residents David and Sandra Gossett, while the decoys are the championship collection of the East Carolina Wildlife Guild, founders of the festival and organizers of the state decoy-carving championships.

It’s not the typical art exhibit, but there is a lot of talent on display, according to Lynn Wingate, director of Washington Tourism Development Authority and organizer of the festival.

“That’s the misconception that so many people have about this. They don’t consider the art of decoy carving. But if you were to see them up close, you would see how lifelike and real they are,” Wingate said. “It’s the time and the skill involved that’s so impressive.”

Prior to this year’s festival, there was never a location to display the winning works, but that changed this year, with Beaufort County Arts Council’s ownership of the Turnage Theater, Wingate said.

“This is the first time the entire collection will be in one place,” she said.

At the private opening reception Thursday evening, the first-place winner in the 2015 North Carolina Waterfowl Conservation Stamp Competition will be unveiled for the first time, along with the next four top place-winners. All will be included in the exhibit throughout the weekend.

The Turnage Theater and Washington Civic Center won’t be the only venues in Washington participating in the Wildlife Arts Festival: the Peterson Building, next door to the Civic Center, will host decoy carvers at work, and the North Carolina Estuarium will hold its annual children’s decoy painting workshop. Painter Linda Boyer, with help from East Carolina Wildlife Guild members Buddy Brooks and Sammy Corey, will help children paint cast resin Pintail drake decoys with acrylic paints — an event that’s always popular.

“They come in here and they’re so excited. They think it’s such a wonderful thing,” Boyer said.

Each child is given a blue ribbon for his or her work to take home along with the decoy.

The weekend’s festivities represent an opportunity for Beaufort County residents to experience the beauty of wildlife art and the waterfowl heritage of the state, Wingate said.

To sign up for the children’s decoy painting workshop, call 252-948-0000. There are currently eight openings available in the 9:30 a.m. workshop and five available in the 11 a.m. workshop. Pre-registration is required. The Turnage exhibit will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.