The Wisconsin Waterfowl Association (WWA) is proud to announce a new waterfowl decoy carving contest & exhibition, to occur at the 
University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, as a part of the festivities surrounding the USFWS Federal Duck Stamp art judging competition, occurring at the same time, at the university.
Entries in this inaugural carving contest will be open for viewing by the public on Friday, September 15th, 2017, and during the contest judging, on Saturday, September 16th, 2017. Exhibition hours are 9:30-4:30 pm on Friday, and 9:30-4:00 pm on Saturday, with activities taking place in the Laird Room of Dreyfus Hall, and at a “float tank”, outside the entry to Dreyfus Hall, on the university campus. In addition to viewing the beautiful decoy entries, spectators can interact with a “live” decoy painting/carving demonstration, by carver Robert Rosenberger, sponsored by the International Waterfowl Carvers Association (IWCA), as well as other exhibits. Entry to the exhibition is $5.00 per adult, which allows entry for both days of the event. Children age 17 and under enter for free. The first 500 paid entrants will receive a complementary collectible lapel button commemorating the event. Visitors may choose to enter a fundraising raffle for a duck skiff package, as well.
The contest will feature entries in four different classes: 2 IWCA classes (working decoys & decorative decoys) and 2 non-IWCA classes (‘Sconnie working decoys & antique replica decoys), which will be evaluated by a panel of judges from a variety of disciplines in the waterfowling world. WWA is actively seeking: decoy entries from carvers, organizations interested in sponsorship or display opportunities for the event, and persons who may be interested in joining the team of volunteers who will be facilitating the competition.
Don Kirby, WWA’s Executive Director , shared this quote, “We are very excited to have assembled a great team of volunteers, including our contest chairman, Mike Pierce, to be able to bring this contest & exhibition to life. I believe, with the Federal Stamp art competition coming to Wisconsin, for the first time ever in its long history, coupled with this decoy contest, the UW Stevens Point campus will become the go-to place, for lovers of waterfowl & wildlife art, from all over the Midwest, come this September. We are proud to showcase our participants’ works of art, continuing a long tradition of decoy making, in Wisconsin, and beyond.”
All information regarding the contest can be found here.
Interviews available:
- Mike Pierce – competition chairman (volunteer)
- Bruce Urben – president, WWA board of directors (volunteer)
- Don Kirby – Executive Director for WWA (staff: offices from Freedom, WI)