March 8, 2017
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Eight young artists have been selected as winners in the annual Congressional Art Competition, which is on display in the Balcony Gallery of the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex in Charleston through April 8. The exhibition is sponsored by the West Virginia Office of Secretary of Education and the Arts (WVOSEA) and the West Virginia Division of Culture and History (WVDCH).
On Friday, Feb. 17, Cabinet Secretary Gayle Manchin of WVOSEA welcomed guests and introduced Fred Joseph, representing Congressman Alex Mooney and Chad Story representing Congressman Evan Jenkins. Manchin presented first-place awards to Kaitlyn Starks, Robert C. Byrd High School, Harrison County, District 1; Leigh-Anna Johnson, Capital High School, Kanawha County, District 2; Jazmine Aliff, Sherman High School, Boone County, District 3; and Shyanna Ashcraft, Wayne High School, Wayne County, District 3. The first-place winners received a $100 gift certificate from Dick Blick Art Materials, and their work will represent West Virginia in the annual Congressional Art Competition for art students.
An additional four second-place winners received awards including, Seneca Whyte, Bridgeport High School, Harrison County, District 1; Sydney Moore, St. Albans High School, Kanawha County, District 2; Logan Gunter, Nitro High School, Kanawha County, District 2; and Tyler Courts, Huntington High School, Cabell County, District 3. Second-place winners received a $50 gift certificate from Dick Blick Art Materials.
The Congressional Art Exhibition consists of 127 pieces by 110 students, grades 9-12, from 16 West Virginia counties. All winners were selected by Sharon Mullens of Pinch. Mullens was the fine arts department chair at George Washington High School, where she developed an innovative visual arts program. She then joined the staff of the West Virginia Culture Center as its first director of exhibits. She created, planned and installed more than 250 original exhibits at the WVDCH’s sites, as well as assisted with the Governor’s Arts and Letters Series in the Governor’s Mansion. Before her retirement, she served as director of the West Virginia State Museum.
Mullens led more than 85 students in a drawing workshop prior to the awards program.
Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual-art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. Since the competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated. The competition is sponsored by members of the United States Congress and culminates in a year-long exhibition at the United States Capitol building.
A complete list of students whose work is included in the exhibition is below.
For more information, contact Cailin Howe, exhibits coordinator for the division, at (304) 558-0220, ext. 128, or email her at cailin.a.howe@wv.gov.
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the Office of Education and the Arts, Gayle Manchin, cabinet secretary. The division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
MEDIA NOTE: Photographs of the event are available at www.wvculture.zenfolio.comClick on photographs, youth programs and congressional arts 2017.
2017 Congressional Youth Art Competition Winners Announced
DISTRICT 1
GRANT COUNTY
Petersburg High School
Art Teacher: Michelle Hedrick
Raven Hedrick (Grade 11)
For The Love Of… - Acrylics
HARRISON COUNTY
Bridgeport High School
Art Teacher: Courtney Rankin
Mallory Leadman (Grade 10)
Violin - Colored pencils
Emma Posey (Grade 11)
Self Discovery - Oil paint
Seneca Whyte (Grade 12)
A Working Woman - Charcoal, graphite
Liberty High School
Art Teacher: Elizabeth Thomas
Carleigh Zink (Grade 12)
The Fox - Digital art
Untitled - Digital art
Lincoln High School
Art Teacher: Carolyn Light
Nagyaleeya Conrad (Grade 10)
Tedious Endeavors - Paper collage
Hannah Crofford (Grade 10)
Grandma’s Recipe - Paper
Jenna Garrison (Grade 10)
Arabian Coffee - Paper collage
Olivia Gianettino (Grade 11)
Skull - Oil paint
Ryan Hardesty (Grade 9)
Gender Equality - Acrylics
Collena Harris (Grade 11)
Untitled - Graphite
Erin Huffman (Grade 12)
Hunger - Photography
Mara Lisa Marra (Grade 11)
Audrey - Oil
Allison McIntyre (Grade 12)
Still Life: Flutes - Chalk pastels
Robert C. Byrd High School
Art Teacher: Katherine Crim
Paige Boram (Grade 12)
Heroes and Villains - Acrylics
Eryca Clevenger (Grade 10)
Merry Mosaic - Paper collage
Tannah Cox (Grade 12)
Fetch - Acrylics
Danielle Eddy (Grade 12)
Blue Bird - Acrylics
Emily Eddy (Grade 11)
Aqua Angel - Watercolor
Marley Fisher (Grade 12)
SLFL Cinci - Acrylics
Miguelina McMichael (Grade 12)
Mia Meow - Paper collage
Zorian Misner (Grade 11)
Twisted Twins - Acrylics
Olivia Roby (Grade 12)
Cat Nap - Acrylics
Alyssa Shanholtz (Grade 11)
In the Library - Pen and ink
Madisen Smith (Grade 12)
Ascension - Watercolor
Riley Spears (Grade 11)
Mass Production - Stencils, spray paint
Kaitlyn Starks (Grade 12)
Alternate Universe - Marker
TAYLOR COUNTY
Grafton High School
Art Teacher: Belinda Thobois
Mariah Collins (Grade 11)
Warm Autumn - Watercolor
Micah Harrison (Grade 12)
Autumn Leaf - Watercolor
Megan Kisner (Grade 9)
Self Portrait - Graphite
Ana Lima (Grade 12)
The Leaf - Mixed media
Abigail Montgomery (Grade 12)
Cubist Still Life - Tempera paint
Allison Peters (Grade 11)
Leaf in Color - Mixed media
Lauren White (Grade 11)
I’m Not Going to be an English Major, Mom -
Mixed media
Done De Toute Facon Voici une Feuille - Mixed media
TYLER COUNTY
Tyler Consolidated High School
Art Teacher: Joe Semple
William Tallman (Grade 12)
Old Flame - Mixed media
WETZEL COUNTY
Magnolia High School
Art Teacher: Leslie Day
Alavia Anderson (Grade 11)
Streets of Venice - Graphite
McKenna Connolly (Grade 11)
Untitled - Graphite
Kaitlyn Hamnok (Grade 11)
Toucan Sam - Graphite, colored pencils
Alexandria Lindner (Grade 11)
Fish - Graphite, colored pencils
Taylor Ludewig (Grade 12)
Underwater World - Colored pencils
Edward Mayfield (Grade 12)
Tainted Apple - Mixed media
Kaitlyn Riter (Grade 12)
Unloving - Oil pastels
Cow Wonders - Oil pastels
Lindsay Whiteman (Grade 10)
Something from Nothing - Mixed media
Snake Eye - Watercolor
DISTRICT 2
CLAY COUNTY
Clay County High School
Art Teacher: Connie Kerr
Taylor Adkins (Grade 12)
Ocean Front - Watercolor
Alexis Blake (Grade 11)
Emmy Lou - Chalk pastels
Brianna Bostic (Grade 11)
The Last Days - Watercolor
Chris Canter (Grade 10)
Hand in a Box - Chalk pastels
Emily Cottrell (Grade 12)
Eye Love Drawing - Colored pencils
Dakota Fugate (Grade 12)
Barefeet - Charcoal
Katelyn Holcomb (Grade 12)
A Touch of Class - Chalk pastels
Tori Humphrey (Grade 11)
Broken Wing - Chalk pastels
Jessica Lanham (Grade 12)
The Leaves Have Fallen - Pastels
Autumn McMillion (Grade 12)
Sister and I - Chalk pastels
Tressie Mullins (Grade 12)
High School Memory - Watercolor
Zachary Myers (Grade 12)
Panda Food - Chalk pastels
Courtney Nottingham (Grade 12)
Good Vibes - Chalk pastels
Kenzie Sears (Grade 10)
Cries of the Innocent - Chalk pastels
Baylie Triplett (Grade 12)
A Hawaiian Paradise - Chalk pastels
Samantha Young (Grade 12)
Journey Through Time - Chalk pastels
HAMPSHIRE COUNTY
Hampshire High School
Art Teacher: Robbie Glover
Monica Werner (Grade 11)
Mystic Mountain - Acrylics
Capitol Galaxy - Acrylics
JEFFERSON COUNTY
Washington High School
Art Teacher: Loretta Ober
Jace Bradbury (Grade 9)
West Virginia Pride - Mixed media
Sarah Flinchum (Grade 11)
Pop Art Meets West Virginia Wild Flowers - Mixed media
KANAWHA COUNTY
Capital High School
Art Teacher: Christy Pennington
Hailey Adams (Grade 12)
Fading Away - Oil paint
Blending Nature - Watercolor, watercolor pencils
Makayla Bias (Grade 12)
Red Diva - Digital Art
Rotten - Watercolor, colored pencils
Julianna Geyer (Grade 11)
Untitled - Printmaking
Raigan Hagerman (Grade 11)
Bubblegum Snitch - Watercolor, markers
Let Me Drain - Oil paint
Aniah Hall (Grade 12)
Self Portrait One - Charcoal
Destiny Johnson (Grade 12)
Dead Dreams - Watercolor
Queen of Spaids – Watercolor
Leigh-Anna Johnson (Grade 12)
The Voices in My Head - Pen and ink, colored pencils
Mind’s Eye - Mixed media
Ashley Kidd (Grade 12)
Courting Death - Graphite
Radiohead - Watercolor
Emma Leech (Grade 10)
Purple A Scoop of Coop - Chalk pastels
Elena Liv (Grade 11)
Shoelace - Pen and ink
Step Over - Oil paint
Lillian Pauley (Grade 10)
Oceans Blue - Styrofoam Print
Trash Mountain - Newspaper
Samantha Taylor (Grade 10)
Love of Nature - Graphite
Shiny Spoons - Colored charcoal
Israel Wright (Grade 9)
Abstract Diamond - Watercolor and ink
Shadows - Watercolor, colored pencils
Nitro High School
Art Teacher: Debbie Pierce
Logan Gunter (Grade 10)
Untitled - Colored pencils
Courtney Virag (Grade 11)
Untitled - Watercolor
Alexis Zain (Grade 11)
Lighthouse - Tempera paint
South Charleston High School
Art Teacher: Donna Wood
Surin Jaima (Grade 9)
Anymis - Acrylics
Celeste Maddy (Grade 11)
Automan London - Pen and ink
St. Albans High School
Art Teacher: Debra Moore
Jade Beall (Grade 9)
Face to Face - Tempera paint
Grace Bradley (Grade 9)
Hindi - Crayon, Tempera paint
In Bloom - Tissue paper collage
Sydney Moore (Grade 9)
Diffusion - Markers
Super Moon - Collage
Madeline Teel (Grade 9)
The Music in Me - Tissue paper collage
PUTNAM COUNTY
Poca High School
Art Teacher: Cathy Thomas