Send this story Print this story

Adjust text size

Winning art to hang in D.C.
Congressional competition finds student art

by Dolores Fox Ciardelli

Winnie Chang, a sophomore at California High School in San Ramon, has been named the winner in the 11th Congressional District art competition for her oil painting entitled "Oh California Poppies! - Our State Flower."

She was the second-place winner in last year's competition, an annual event sponsored by U.S. Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Pleasanton).

Chang's artwork will hang in the busy corridor that connects the Cannon House Office Building with the Capitol, used daily by members of Congress and visitors to Washington, D.C. In addition, she is being offered a free trip with a guest of her choice to Washington, D.C., to attend an awards ceremony June 17.

Foothill High School junior Nari Kim placed second in the competition for her pastel painting entitled "Moood," while Caroline Kim, a junior at Foothill, took third place for her acrylic painting entitled "American Hero at Haiti."

"The Art Competition is a great opportunity for talented high school students in our community to showcase their work in an art gallery and meet other young artists from the area," McNerney said. "I'm always impressed by the talent and creativity of our students, and this year was no exception."

The art competition was held Saturday at the Grand Theatre Center for the Arts in Tracy. The competition is part of the nationwide annual Congressional Art Competition intended to showcase the artistic talents and abilities of students in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories. Members of Congress host competitions among high school students in their districts. The winning entries are then displayed in the Capitol for a year.

"My congratulations to all the students who participated and especially to the winner of this year's competition, Winnie Chang," said McNerney. "I look forward to seeing her piece hanging in the U.S. Capitol."

Honorable mentions were awarded to Youjin An of Dublin and a sophomore at Dublin High School for a watercolor painting entitled "Mister Rooster," and to Julia Ye Rim Park, of Pleasanton and a junior at Amador Valley High School, for a watercolor painting entitled "Fairyland With Horses."

Judges included Pleasanton artist Tricia Leonard; Tracy Arts Commissioner Michael Hays; Lucinda Kasser, associate professor in the Visual Arts department at the University of the Pacific; and Amy Whelan, a Library, Arts and Culture commissioner in Morgan Hill.