Kira Sabin

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Kira Sabin (born 1999) is an American nature and wildlife painter, best known for their involvement in the Federal Duck Stamp contest.

Early life and education[edit]

Born Kira Fennell, Sabin grew up alongside their twin, Kess Fennell, in the small town of Hutchinson, Minnesota.[1][2] Both siblings wanted to become artists from a young age,[1] and were influenced by their mother, who was a graphic designer.[3]

Sabin began writing a novel at age 16, and self-published the work, titled i once met a Girl who paints the lines on roads, through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing in December 2017.[4]

Sabin and their twin attended Hutchinson High School, where they both earned top marks in AP Art.[5] Sabin also won awards for their art in regional high school competitions.[6] After graduating from high school in 2017, Sabin attended the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, graduating in 2021 with a degree in painting in drawing.[1][3][7]

Art career[edit]

After graduating college, Sabin began pursuing art as a professional career.[2][3]

In 2023, Sabin painted a mural of a cow in Hutchinson, Minnesota as part of the city's mural project.[8]

Federal Duck Stamp contest[edit]

In 2019, Sabin was introduced to the Federal Duck Stamp contest by their grandfather, who was a waterfowl hunter.[1][9] They entered the contest for the first time that year, with a painting of a black-bellied whistling duck. Neither their 2019 entry nor their 2020 entry, of red-breasted mergansers, made it past the first round of judging.[1] Sabin was the contest's youngest competitor in 2020.[10]

In July 2021, Sabin began posting about their newest Federal Duck Stamp entry on TIkTok.[1] Their videos went viral, with the initial video ultimately gaining more than 2.6 million views, giving Sabin 200,000 followers.[1][9][10] Several publications, including BuzzFeed News[10] and CBS News,[11] credited Sabin with "reenergizing" the competition, and popularizing it among social media users. Their 2021 entry, which featured two Ross's geese,[12] did not initially make it past the first round of judging, but was picked by a judge to be included in the second round of judging.[1]

Sabin's 2022 entry, featuring a Mottled duck hen, made it to the second round of judging in the contest.[1] Their 2023 entry, of northern pintails, did not.[2] Sabin's twin, Kess Fennell, also entered into the Duck Stamp competition in 2023, with a painting of Harlequin ducks.[1][2]

Personal life[edit]

Sabin is non-binary, and has used she/her and they/them pronouns.[11] They married their partner, Greyley Sabin, in 2022.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kreier, Freda (2023-08-27). "These Twins Hope to Become Their Own Duck Stamp Dynasty". Audubon. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  2. ^ a b c d Glover, Maury (2023-10-04). "Another duck stamp dynasty? MN twin sisters hope to make names for themselves in national contest". FOX 9. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  3. ^ a b c Wiblemo, Stephen (2021-08-19). "Hutchinson artist paints 'million view duck'". Crow River Media. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  4. ^ Johnson, Kay (2018-01-15). "Kira Fennell publishes her first novel". Crow River Media. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  5. ^ Jones, Jeremy (2016-09-01). "Hutchinson students paint a different picture for Advanced Placement". Crow River Media. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  6. ^ "Hutchinson High School students participate in visual art competition". Crow River Media. 2016-05-07. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  7. ^ "Kira Fennell". Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  8. ^ Kendall, Larson (2023-09-27). "Take an Evening to Graze up at the Wall". Crow River Media. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  9. ^ a b Glover, Maury (2022-06-29). "Minnesota artist builds flock of followers on TikTok trying to win contest". FOX 9. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  10. ^ a b c Strapagiel, Lauren (2021-08-09). "This TikTok Creator Made A Prestigious Duck Art Contest Go Viral". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  11. ^ a b "Millions of TikTok users follow a young artist's quest to win the federal duck stamp competition". CBS News. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  12. ^ Bishara, Hakim (2021-08-12). "Every Year, Artists Flock for the Chance to Win This Duck Stamp Contest". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 2023-12-14.

External links[edit]

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