2009 Minnesota Junior Duck Stamp Judges with Minnesota Coordinator, Mara Koenig. - Photo by Duke & Duke Photorgaphy

2009 Minnesota Best of Show, Rachel Thelen, age 17 from Park Rapids, MN image of a Cinnamon Teal. - Photo by Duke & Duke Photorgaphy

Artists, teachers, and public watching the contest. - Photo by Duke & Duke Photorgaphy

Winners and family viewing the art at the 2009 Minnesota Junior Duck Stamp Awards Ceremony held on 4/18/09.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that Rachel Thelen, age 17, from Park Rapids, Minn., was selected as Minnesota’s Best of Show artist with her rendition of a Cinnamon Teal done in acrylic at the 2009 Minnesota Junior Duck Stamp Contest.

Rachel’s painting was selected from a field of 1,285 entries of talented students throughout the state. The five judges who assembled for the difficult task of selecting this year's winners were John Christian, US Fish and Wildlife Service Region 3, Chief Migratory Birds & State Programs; Brad Nylin, Minnesota Waterfowl Association; Phil Reiland, Outdoors Weekly; Laura Shimek, Art Teacher/Artist; and Timothy Turenne, Wildlife Artist.

The top 36 Minnesota winning students (first, second, and third place) were honored at an awards ceremony on April 18 at Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge’s Bloomington Visitor Center. The top 36 pieces of the Minnesota art will become part of a traveling exhibit, which will be on display throughout Minnesota from May 2009 through March 2010.

For more information and a complete list of images and contest results, please see the Minnesota Junior Duck Stamp Program's home page at: http://www.fws.gov/midwest/minnesotavalley/jr_duck_stamp.html.