Congressional art contest open to high schoolers until April 28

March 23, 2022

Congressman Jared Huffman’s (D-San Rafael) office announced this week that the annual Congressional Art Competition has opened — the competition is open for digital submissions from high school students in the state’s Second Congressional District, which covers the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border.

Winning artwork is exhibited in the U.S. Capitol building for a year, where it sits with winning artwork from other Congressional districts throughout the country. The winning artist will receive two round-trip tickets to Washington, D.C. to view their artwork and upon admission acceptance, the winning artist will be eligible for a scholarship to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design, upon acceptance to the school.

Semi-finalist competitions will take place in each county, and a district-wide competition will determine the winner of the Second District.

“I am excited to announce the 2022 Congressional Art Competition is now open for digital submissions,” said Huffman in a press release. “During the pandemic, we transitioned to an online submission process so we could continue this beloved tradition – and in doing so, realized it made the competition more accessible. So, this year, we are continuing with digital submissions to make it easier for young artists from up and down California’s North Coast to submit their pieces for a chance to have their art displayed in the United State Capitol Building. I’m looking forward to seeing what the talented students from California’s Second District create.”

Previous contest winners include: Samuel Lopez of Fairfax (2021), Diya Patel of Ukiah (2020), Eden Winniford of Cloverdale (2019) and Jaslyn Ortiz of Cloverdale (2018).

The last two Sonoma County students to win the contest, Winniford and Ortiz were assigned to create an art piece about California for their Advanced Placement art classes during their senior years at Cloverdale High School.

Winniford’s art piece depicts the shadow of a child tugging on the China Poblana dress of an adult. The image, combined with the title of the artwork, attempts to invoke the reality of the troubles facing many migrant families.

Ortiz’ winning piece, created in markers, depicts a female face imposed on a fire-colored background, with many natural pieces of the California environment created in her features. In a 2018 interview, she said that she began it during the 2017 Sonoma Complex Fires.

According to Huffman’s office, “The Congressional Art Competition began in 1982 to provide an opportunity for members of Congress to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of their young constituents. Since then, over 650,000 high school students have been involved with the nationwide competition.”

Students must submit a completed entry form through Congressman Huffman’s website and email a picture of their submission to CA2ArtSubmission@mail.house.gov by April 28, 2022.

All submissions must be submitted online by April 28th, 2022. See instructions here; do not physically mail submissions.


By:  Zoe Strickland
Source: Sonoma County News