Where Art Meets Conservation: Arkansas Quail and Turkey Stamp Art Competition Unites Creativity and Habitat Restoration
EDGEFIELD, S.C. — In the heart of the Ozarks, a unique partnership between art and conservation takes center stage. Wildlife art has long served as a bridge between people and nature, capturing fleeting moments of wild beauty and inspiring a deeper appreciation for the natural world. This spring, the 2025 Arkansas Quail and Turkey Stamp Art Competition does just that, blending artistic mastery with the mission of conserving the landscapes and species that define Arkansas’s wild heritage.
The annual competition invites artists from across the nation to showcase their talents, portraying two iconic species of the Ozarks: the eastern wild turkey and the northern bobwhite quail. These striking paintings do more than just delight gallery-goers — they help restore and conserve vital habitats across Arkansas.
This year’s winning entries were unveiled on Saturday, March 15, at a public reception at Historic Cane Hill Gallery. Amanda Hukill took home the grand prize in the turkey category with her piece titled Morning Mist. The full roster of winning entries, including winners from both the turkey and quail categories, is available online. The exhibit is free and will remain open to the public each week, Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., until April 19.
"The NWTF Arkansas State Chapter values its strong partnership with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to enhance wildlife conservation and outdoor opportunities," said Pablo Bacon, Arkansas NWTF State Chapter president. "I’m honored to serve as a juror for the Turkey Stamp art contest, with our chapter as a gold-level sponsor for the event hosted by Historic Cane Hill and the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation."
Selected grand prize winners will be immortalized on the 2025 Turkey and Quail Conservation Stamps, issued by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Yet, the impact of this competition reaches well beyond the canvas.
Through a collaborative effort between AGFC and the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation (AGFF), the stamp program directly fuels habitat restoration efforts. Since 2011, the voluntary purchase of the $9.50 and support from the National Wild Turkey Federation and Quail Forever, stamps has generated more than $2.5 million for wildlife conservation, supporting 54 projects across 30 counties. The results are transformative: grassland restoration, invasive species removal, tree thinning and prescribed burns that enhance habitat for turkeys, quail and countless other species.
“The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission sets aside the money from the Arkansas Turkey Stamp every year to be used for turkey management and research,” said Kacie Bauman, NWTF district biologist for Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. “Through the Arkansas NWTF Super Fund, we are able to match those dollars from the commission and create projects across the state that may lack funding or partnerships to get the project going. This allows us to impact more acres and do larger scale projects impacting habitat for the better across the state.”
In 2024, the Arkansas NWTF State Chapter funded 10 projects through this partnership, impacting over 2,225 acres across The Natural State. These projects, ranging from prescribed burns to mulching and herbicide treatments, were all tailored to improve wild turkey habitat on public lands.
The Arkansas Quail and Turkey Stamp Art Competition serves as more than an art show — it’s a catalyst for conservation. By blending community engagement with boots-on-the-ground conservation, the program ensures that Arkansas’s wild places and wildlife continue to thrive.
For more information on the Arkansas Quail and Turkey Stamp Program or to purchase a conservation stamp, visit www.agfc.com.
About the National Wild Turkey Federation
Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 24 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. The NWTF has also invested over $10 million into wild turkey research to guide the management of the wild turkey population and to ensure sustainable populations into perpetuity. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale through its Four Shared Values: clean and abundant water, healthy forests and wildlife habitat, resilient communities, and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF continues its work to provide Healthy Habitats. and Healthy Harvests. for future generations.