Towson Artist Wins 37th Annual Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp Design Contest

Annapolis, Md. (March 31, 2011) — Jim Taylor’s painting entitled “Misty Autumn Sunrise” is the winner of the 2011-2012 Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp Design Contest. The winning painting shows a pair of Canada Geese.

The entries were judged before a large crowd on March 26 at the 22nd Patuxent Wildlife Art Show, held at the National Wildlife Visitors Center in Laurel, Md.

“Mr. Taylor’s winning work was selected out of 29 entries from 12 Maryland artists,” said Patricia Allen, information & education project manager for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife and Heritage Service. “The contest is the fourth oldest in the country and is restricted to Maryland residents only.”

Taylor has been a competing artist in Maryland’s Migratory Game Bird Stamp competition since the mid-1990s. This is the third time his entry was selected as the winning artwork. Taylor’s focus is on mid-Atlantic wildlife and includes exhibitions at the Havre de Grace Decoy Festival and Easton Waterfowl Festival.

“I am honored to have had one of my paintings selected as the image for the 2011-2012 Maryland Waterfowl stamp. Canada Geese are a classic symbol of the arrival of autumn in Maryland,” said Taylor. “‘Misty Autumn Sunrise’ depicts a pair of Canada Geese bathed in golden light as the sun burns off the misty morning fog.”

The Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp Design Contest showcases the talents of Maryland’s gifted wildlife artists while raising funds for the conservation. Migratory game bird hunters are required to purchase these $9 stamps and the proceeds are used to fund migratory game bird research and habitat enhancement on the state’s public lands. More than $6 million in stamp sales have been spent on migratory game projects since the beginning of the stamps in 1974.

Prints of the winning painting will soon be available in galleries across the mid-Atlantic or by contacting the artist at 410-499-8276; e-mail jimtaylorart@comcast.net

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages nearly one-half million acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov