Each spring, Congress holds the Congressional Art Competition across the nation. In each of the United States’ 435 districts, one winner is selected and their artwork is shipped to Congress to be put on display at the Capitol building for one year. Awards are given out in a juried exhibition by experts in the art world.
Fla. District 25 Representative, Debbie Wasserman Schultz hosted the awards reception held on April 22 at Nova Southeastern University. Heritage students submitted over 40 works which included watercolor, oil painting, drawing, photography and AP art.
Heritage had five students in the top 15 out of 440:
Junior Lina Song – 1st Overall
Junior Yechang Liu – 3rd Overall
Junior Leeya Bitton – Best Photography
Junior Lindsey Cheng – Best Oil Painting
Junior Mayli Tommie – Photography Honorable Mention
Drawing, painting and AP art teacher Ms. Andrea Preston (left) and photography teacher Ms. Alexandra Yadgaroff (right) are recognized by Schultz (center) for teaching art and poses with her. (Photo/Isabella Sanders)
34 students go to the reception and each receive a certificate of participation. There were too many students from Heritage, so they had to split the students into two groups to take a picture with Representative Schultz. (Photo/Isabella Sanders)
Junior Reese Pasalodos poses with her oil self portrait. (Photo/Isabella Sanders)
Song’s oil self-portrait wins 1st place overall. She received two airplane tickets to Washington, D.C. and a tour of the White House. (Photo/Isabella Sanders)
Tommie stands next to her Honorable Mention photograph. (Photo/Isabella Sanders)
Bitton’s double exposure film photography wins Best Photography. (Photo/Isabella Sanders)
