If one didn’t know any better, it would be easy to mistake the entries in the 2019 North Carolina Waterfowl Conservation Stamp competition as photographs. Capturing in precise detail the anatomy, behavior and habitat of ducks and swans, the five winners of this year’s competition are works of art.

Set amidst the backdrop of an opening reception for the East Carolina Wildlife Arts Festival, the five winners of the competition stood as a centerpiece of an event that brought together musicians, vendors and artists. This year, 23 entries from 13 states were submitted for the competition.

According to Paula Stevenson, with the Washington Tourism Development Authority, this year saw a record number of female artists, with 10 entries being painted by women. Of the 23 total entries, four were disqualified, as they depicted species not laid out in the contest rules by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

Of the 19 entries that were judged, five were tundra swans, four were blue-winged teals, seven were ring-necked ducks, one was a Bufflehead and two were Lesser Scaups. Winners of this year’s competition were:

First Place — Jeffery Klinefelter of Indiana

Second Place — Gerald Putt of Pennsylvania

Third Place — Rebekah Knight of Missouri

Fourth Place — Broderick Crawford of Georgia

Fifth Place — Guy Crittenden of Virginia

As the overall winner, Klinefelter, who has submitted entries for multiple competitions, will receive $7,000 in prize money. Since the winning painting for 2019 was a ring-necked duck, that species will be taken out and a fifth new species will be added for the 2020 competition.

The Wildlife Arts Festival continues throughout the day Saturday, with activities stretching from the Washington Civic Center to the North Carolina Estuarium. For a full schedule of events, visit www.artsofthepamlico.org/2018/06/09/23rd-annual-wildlife-festival.