2000 Contribution of Federal Duck Stamps

2000 Contribution of Federal Duck Stamp Prints - As a newly founded collector of Arkansas duck stamp prints and their original duck stamps, I took to this assignment to find some of the greatest contributors of these vastly growing and widely collected works of art. The first contributor to catch my eye was John F. Marsellus' contribution to the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, New York. Now, this man had my attention in more ways than one. First, Marsellus was a collector of the duck stamp prints and their matching duck stamps as I am. Second, my son is going to be attending Syracuse University after graduating in two years with honors. His father is from Upstate New York, and Syracuse was a much anticipated visit twice a year when my son was younger. Lastly, I learned that Marsellus had every single federal duck stamp print with original duck stamp since the first federal duck stamp was designed.

The Everson Museum of Art was to display Marsellus' contribution from April through October of 2000 highlighting Marsellus' exhibition would be the display of "The first Federal Duck Stamp - designed at President Roosevelt's request by Jay "Ding" Darling, a nationally known political cartoonist for the Des Moines Register and a noted hunter and wildlife conservationist" states Resource Library Magazine (1999). In fact, John Marsellus' contribution of this exhibit in 2000 to the Everson Museum of Art was "especially significant as an historical document as it is one of the few collections to include every design created in the 66 years of the program's existence" again stated by Library Resource Magazine (1999). Marsellus' contribution later led to his donation of the entire collection of his Federal Duck Stamp Prints to the Everson Museum of Art in 1991, where he still contributes yearly the next annual Federal Duck Stamp Print.

The history of the Federal Duck Stamp Prints began as a contest to artists as it continues today to promote the nation's environmental preservations. The prints are usually designed in order to raise funds for wildlife conservation, especially specific in the conservation of wetlands. Library Resource Magazine (1999) specifies, "Revenues collected from stamp sales go into the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund, which purchases wetlands for the National Wildlife Refuge System." This is the reason I have continued on my father's collection of the Federal Duck Stamp Prints complete with their original duck stamps.

Through researching the life of John F. Marsellus, I would stand strong in stating that his collection began as a love to promote organizations which do not seek to profit but to enrich the soul through personal contributions. You see, Marsellus was the inspiration of the John F. Marsellus Sabbatical Program created in May 2000 by The Central New York Community Foundation in order to honor the "memory of John's desire to enhance the leadership capacity of applicant CEOs and senior management staff of Central New York not-for-profit organizations" states The Central New York Community Foundation, Inc. (2000). Although much could not be found as to the man that John F. Mersallus was financially, I was able to find that he served as a volunteer President of the Syracuse Chamber of Commerce.

References

The John F. Marsellus Collection of Federal Duck Stamp Prints and Duck Stamps. (2000). Retrieved on January 21, 2010 from http://www.tfaoi.com/aa/1aa/1aa248.htm

The John F. Marsellus Sabbatical Program. (2000). Retrieved January 21, 2010 from http://www.cnycf.org/cnycf/tabid/108/itemid/39/John-F-Marsellus-Sabbatical-Program.aspx