Rep. Peter Welch hosted the 36th annual Congressional Art Competition for high school students at The Gallery at Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier on May 8.
Maria Page of Halifax, a student at Twin Valley Middle High School, received one of three Honorable Mentions for her piece, “Strawberry Splash.”
Another Twin Valley Middle High School student, Roxanne Birch of Jacksonville, received a Congressman Welch's Choice Award for her piece, “Caesar.”
“I am so impressed by the talent and creativity of these young Vermont artists,” Welch said in a news release. “Their work continues Vermont's storied tradition of artistic excellence and is a reflection of our state's first-rate art programs.”
The Congressional Art Competition is a nationwide high school visual art competition initiated in 1981 by then-Rep. Jim Jeffords as a way to celebrate and encourage the artistic talent of young people from across the country.
High school students submit entries to their U.S. Representative's office and panels of local artists in each district select the winning entries. The winning pieces are then displayed for one year in the tunnel leading from the three House Office Buildings to the U.S. Capitol - a route frequently traveled by members of Congress on their way to vote as well as tourists from all over the country.