The 4th Congressional District High School Art Competition recently concluded on Feb. 19 with a ceremony hosted by Congressman John Rutherford at the Art Gallery at the Deerwood Campus of Florida State College of Jacksonville.
Students, teachers, parents and family members attended the ceremony and helped cerebrate the winners.
Every year, members of the U.S. House of Representatives sponsor a nation-wide competition to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of the young people in their communities, and more than 650,000 high school students nationwide have been involved with competition since it began in 1982.
A local panel of jurors selects one winning art piece from each Congressional District, which is then displayed for one year in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol. The Washington Exhibit includes winning artwork from all participating districts nationwide.
Jacksonville area schools and teachers participating included: Atlantic Coast High, Thom Buttner and Kelly Delaney; Bishop Kenny High, Lauren Doran; Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, Hilary Hogue; The Episcopal School of Jacksonville, Mark Zimmerman; Fernandina Beach High School, Joy L. Keith; Allen D. Nease High, Megan Welch; Ponte Vedra High, Edwin Consunji; Providence School, Cathy B. Dixon and Sandalwood High, Kim Collier.
At the ceremony, honorable mentions were awarded to:
Emma Richmond, Providence School, for her colored pencil drawing “Serenade of the Ocean.”
Amelia Packard, Episcopal School of Jacksonvile, for her photograph “Ghost of a Dancer.”
Shannon Brady, Ponte Vedra High School, for her colored pencil and marker drawing “Weight of the Worlds.”
Victoria Burdick, Providence School, for her colored pencil drawing “Flicker.”
Ellie Reed, Episcopal School, for her acrylic paint on canvas “Ethnic Physicalities.”
Micole Arias, Sandalwood High, for her watercolor and gold foil work “Fly Away.”
The winning piece was an oil pastel and colored pencil drawing by Providence School student Hunter Weeks, titled “A Map of Remembrance.”
“Through participation in the arts, students learn to appreciate and accept the differences they find in the world around us,” Rutherford said. “I am proud to showcase the talented students of the 4th Congressional District.”
