With frequent TikTok posts about her tireless quest to win the Federal Duck Stamp Competition, Kira Sabin ‘21 has amassed an extraordinary amount of moral support from her online art community— with 10 million “likes” and counting. But close viewers of her funny and self-effacing videos can see that she’s got an equally impressive support network in the home she shares with twin sister, Kess Fennell ‘21 , and wife, Greyley Sabin, ‘21.
“It’s like parallel play, where we’re all working on the different things but in the same room,” says Greyley. “Because of our time at MCAD, we’ve all learned how to professionally critique our work so that no one takes offense to suggestions.”
Right now, Greyley is working on several mural commissions, while Kira and Kess are getting set to enter individual paintings in the 2024 Federal Duck Stamp Competition, the annual U.S. Fish and Wildlife program that raises nearly $40 million each year for conserving waterfowl habitat. Kess is fairly new to the competition, having submitted her first painting to the contest in 2023. But Kira, who started competing while she was still a student at MCAD, has become a duck stamp media darling thanks to a post that went viral, receiving more than 2.6 million views and getting national coverage on CBS News, Audubon, and BuzzFeed.
“I'm really introverted in person, so TikTok was a way that I could interact with the public without interacting with the public directly,” she says. While some of her 200,000 plus followers are also duck stamp enthusiasts, Kira’s joyful approach to painting, in addition to improving year after year, is probably her biggest draw. “I think people like to follow people who are passionate, but also, because there’s a lot of information about ducks. It’s a little bit comical.’’
Kira’s open about her dreams of painting a “Million Dollar Duck” one day, and honest about her disappointments, including her recent loss in the first round at the Ohio Duck Stamp competition. “People usually assume that I'm doing well because I've been given a lot of attention, but in reality, I'm not fantastic,” she says. “There are so many talented artists out there. I have a good understanding of where I do fall, and when I’m not up to par. But I still enjoy putting it out there.’’ While she knows she may never reach the ranks of Minnesota’s legendary Hautman brothers, who’ve won the competition sixteen times (and who’ve encouraged her to keep at it), she’s hopeful about her progress: “What I’m learning so far is that as an artist, you’re going to fail, over and over again. But if you keep trying, you will improve.”
Featured in MCAD's CUT/PASTE 2024
