May 11, 2021
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Nine 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 June 7. The exhibition is sponsored by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH), in partnership with the West Virginia Congressional Delegation.
On Monday, May 3, WVDACH Curator Randall Reid-Smith and Charles Morris, director of museums, welcomed guests, and introduced Susie Azevedo and Madison Neeley, representing Congressman Alex Mooney, and Darian Gist, representing Congresswoman Carol Miller.
First-place awards were presented to Bryce Johnson, Robert C. Byrd High School, Harrison County, District 1; Emma Carpenter, George Washington High School, Kanawha County, District 2; and Gracie Hines, Webster County High School, Webster County, District 3. The first-place winners received a $100 gift certificate from BLICK Art Materials, and their work will represent West Virginia in a year-long Congressional Art Competition exhibition at the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.
An additional six second and third-place winners received awards – Karissa Quillen, Parkersburg High School, Wood County, District 1, Second Place; Kyrstin Makayla Showalter, Nitro High School, Kanawha County, District 2; Second Place; Emily Carothers, Meadow Bridge High School, Fayette County, District 3, Second Place; Jadeah Lownsburg, Robert C. Byrd High School, Harrison County, District 1, Third Place; Heidi Mundy, George Washington High School, Kanawha County, District 2, Third Place; and Riley Roberts, Meadow Bridge High School, Fayette County, District 3, Third Place. Second and third-place winners received a $50 gift certificate from BLICK Art Materials.
The Congressional Art Exhibition consists of 112 pieces by 88 students, grades 7-12, from 12 West Virginia counties.
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.
A complete list of students whose work is included in the exhibition is below.
For more information, contact Cailin Howe, exhibits coordinator for the department, at (304) 558-0220 or cailin.a.howe@wv.gov.
2020 Congressional Youth Art Competition Exhibit (listed by district and county)
DISTRICT 1
HANCOCK COUNTY
Oak Glen High School
Art Teacher: Elissa Greathouse
Ally Severs (Grade 11)
Machine Gun Kelly - Graphite pencil
Makayla Zoellers (Grade 11)
Conan Gray - Graphite pencil and Gellert Grindelwald - Graphite pencil
Kaylee Thrasher (Grade 10)
Harry Styles - Graphite pencil and Post Malone - Graphite pencil
HARRISON COUNTY
Bridgeport High School
Art Teacher: Courtney Rankin
Morgan Sprouse (Grade 10)
Angel and Devil - Acrylic
Kailey Wilfong (Grade 11)
Reflection - Charcoal
Tighe Coleman (Grade 10)
Perspectives - Mixed Media
Chloe Phillips (Grade 12)
Escargot, Colorburst - Oil pastel
Liberty High School
Art Teacher: Brianna Saddler
Hallie McLean (Grade 12)
Shujaa - Digital Art
Katerina Boyer (Grade 12)
Blue Whispers - Digital Art
Robert C. Byrd High School
Art Teacher: Katy Crim
Jane Hayes (Grade 12)
Paperback Jane - Cut paper collage
Jadeah Lownsberg (Grade 10)
Spirit of Autumn - Ink
Izzy Simmons (Grade 11)
Turn Me Right Around - Photography
Bryce Johnson (Grade 11)
Something on my Mind - Torn paper collage
Isabelle McKinsey (Grade 12)
Protect - Cut paper
Katie Brackman (Grade 12)
Takes Care of Me (diptych) - Mixed Media
Max Brager (Grade 12)
Blue Eyes - Cut paper
WOOD COUNTY
Parkersburg Catholic High School
Art Teacher: Craig Casto
Josie Augenstein (Grade 8)
Self Portrait - Mixed Media
Parkersburg High School
Art Teacher: Miranda Wilson
Karissa Quillen (Grade 12)
Best Friend - Charcoal pencil and Mau Mau - Charcoal pencil
DISTRICT 2
JACKSON COUNTY
Ravenswood High School
Art Teacher: Hailey Miller
Alexandra Harvey (Grade 12)
The Red Light Reflects - Chalk Pastel and Last Rose - Acrylic
Kaylee Norman (Grade 11)
Orion - Acrylic Paint
Emalee Liptrap (Grade 12)
All Cats go to Heaven - Colored Pencil and chalk pastel and A Sisters Bond - Graphite pencil
Tannar Ebos (Grade 10)
Oil Slick - Digital Art and COVID Learning - Photography
Devin Hughes (Grade 10)
False Lines - Digital Art
Annabel Greathouse (Grade 11)
Meow - Chalk Pastel
Annie Hunt (Grade 12)
Indianapolis - Acrylic and Drew - Acrylic and pen
Dylan Winter (Grade 11)
A Special Visitor - Digital Art and Self Portrait 2020 - Digital Art
KANAWHA COUNTY
Charleston Catholic High School
Art Teacher: Avrah Leven
Emma N. Tolliver Duffer (Grade 10)
Persephone's Pomegranate - Acrylic on canvas
George Washington High School
Art Teacher: Christy Pennington
Heidi Mundy (Grade 10)
Tropical Fish - Colored Pencil and Skull – Pencil
Samara Chamberlain (Grade 11)
Where the Doctors Are - Digital Art
Lauren Arnett (Grade 11)
Map Gazing - Watercolor and oil pastel and Dome and Blue - Watercolor and pen and ink
Caroline Castle (Grade 11)
Timeless Together - Colored pencil and oil pastel and Weight of Beauty - Watercolor and ink
Jacey Crisp (Grade 10)
A Mouse in a Meadow - Watercolor
Iva Reed (Grade 10)
Losing Time - Colored pencil and watercolor and The Innocence Killer - Watercolor and pen and ink
Karlie King (Grade 10)
Barry the Rat - Graphite and The Serenity of Silence - Graphite
Emma Carpenter (Grade 11)
Leading West Virginia Forward - Graphite
Audrey Shamblen (Grade 10)
Musicality - Pen and pencil and Breath - Oil pastel
Ava C. Dean (Grade 10)
Amidst the Flowers - Mixed Media
Aillea Elkins (Grade 11)
Birds of a Feather - Graphite and Stick Together - Graphite
Emma Lauren Walker (Grade 11)
The Bowl from Chinatown - Colored pencil and Otter Nap on a Lazy Sunday - Graphite
Akasha Brown (Grade 12)
Sweet Lolita - Colored pencil and charcoal and Girl Braiding Hair - Colored pencil and marker
Rohen Jones (Grade 10)
Recognize - Ink and acrylic and Vendor - Gold leaf and ink
Nitro High School
Art Teacher: Danielle Hunt
Delaney Corlis (Grade 11)
The Killer Doesn't Understand - Acrylic and ink and Heart Shaped Box - Acrylic
Kyrstin Makayla Showalter (Grade 11)
Blinding Lights - Ink and Adventure - Paper and acrylic paint
Delaney Coyner (Grade 9)
Watermelon - Oil pastel
Keandre Williams (Grade 11)
Untitled - Geli-print plate with mixed media
Taylor Maddox (Grade 10)
Untitled - Geli-print with Linoleum Block
Adrianna Hager (Grade 11)
Motel - Acrylic
Addisyn N. Miller (Grade 9)
The Guidelines - Mechanical pencil and Faber-Castell Artist pens
Jaelyn Perry (Grade 11)
Untitled #3 - Geli-plate with collagraph and Rainbow Portrait - Oil pastel
Audrey Moles (Grade 10)
Morph - Book pages and watercolor
Calabria Simmons (Grade 12)
Armageddon - Watercolor and Stratified Layers - Mixed Media
South Charleston High School
Art Teacher: Donna Wood
Alexis Hicks (Grade 12)
Family - Graphite
UPSHUR COUNTY
Buckhannon-Upshur High School
Art Teacher: Patricia Wagner
Grace N. Ramsey (Grade 9)
On Tranquil Waters – Acrylic
DISTRICT 3
CABELL COUNTY
Huntington High School
Art Teacher: Diana Frazier
Benjamin Grimes (Grade 9)
Water Bristle - Photography
Micah Moore (Grade 9)
Weathering the Storm - Photography
Kyleigh Hoey (Grade 11)
Growth - Acrylic
Alexandria Lindberg (Grade 12)
Chinese New Year - Pastel painting
Jolie Tessier (Grade 11)
Puddle of Memories - Photography
Carter Williams (Grade 12)
Breaking Free - Photography
Jaylynn Morales (Grade 9)
Snow Thistle - Photography
Kally Hall (Grade 12)
Deepest of Sleeps - Mixed Media
Art Teacher: Anthony Loveday
Elsa Meade (Grade 10)
Wilbursoot - Graphite
Nicole LeGrow (Grade 12)
Title 54 - Acrylic
Kennedy Shoults (Grade 12)
When Thou Art Inclined to Sleep - Acrylic
FAYETTE COUNTY
Meadow Bridge High School
Art Teacher: Tonya Mills
Rhiannon Turner (Grade 8)
Spring Flower - Torn paper collage
Jaden Butcher (Grade 8)
Tooty McFruity - Torn paper collage
Emma Hatcher (Grade 8)
Ocean Waters - Torn paper collage
Sandra S. Ballenger (Grade 8)
Portrait of Hugh Dancy - Graphite pencil and charcoal
Maggie Gunter (Grade 8)
Kissy Lips - Torn paper collage
Julie Gunter (Grade 11)
Lavender - Acrylic
Charity Reichard (Grade 9)
Winter Dream – Acrylic
Nathan McClung (Grade 9)
Here Comes the Sun - Acrylic on canvas
Emily Carothers (Grade 8)
The Environment - Torn paper collage
Riley Roberts (Grade 8)
The Life Machine - Torn paper collage
MASON COUNTY
Wahama High School
Art Teacher: Susan Parrish
Peyton Ingels (Grade 11)
Locked In - Mixed Media
NICHOLAS COUNTY
Nicholas County High School
Art Teacher: Pam Cox
Karma Wilson (Grade 12)
Russia - Scratch board
Jordan Morris (Grade 12)
Dragon's Eye - Wood burn
Skylar Robinson (Grade 12)
All the Way Anime - Acrylic
Olivia Short (Grade 11)
Roots of Addiction – Acrylic
RALEIGH COUNTY
Woodrow Wilson High School
Art Teacher: Mike Williamson
Adriana Law (Grade 11)
Natural - Charcoal and graphite and Broken - Charcoal and graphite
WEBSTER COUNTY
Webster County High School
Art Teacher: Pam Hall
Alexandra J. Sawyer (Grade 12)
Terrible Thrills - Marker on Paper
Olivia Payne (Grade 11)
Captured Dreams - Acrylic
Delana M. Lamb (Grade 8)
Northern Lights - Acrylic
Haley M. Lamb (Grade 7)
Atua - Acrylic and La Dea (the Goddess) - Acrylic
Gracie Hines (Grade 11)
Fruit D'eau - Colored Pencil
Elanor Narraway (Grade 7)
Warm in my Room Reading My Favorite Christmas Book - Digital Art
Paidon Emily Hurst (Grade 10)
Hindsight - Acrylic
Rebecca Mullens (Grade 11)
Eye of Color - Colored pencil and Sharpie
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