CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Nine young artists have been selected as winners in the annual Congressional Art Competition, which will be 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.
The three 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
- 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.
There were six second and third-place winners, which received a $50 gift certificate from BLICK Art Materials.
The second-place winners include:
- Karissa Quillen, Parkersburg High School, Wood County, District 1
- Kyrstin Makayla Showalter, Nitro High School, Kanawha County, District 2
- Emily Carothers, Meadow Bridge High School, Fayette County, District 3
The third-place winners include:
- Jadeah Lownsburg, Robert C. Byrd High School, Harrison County, District 1
- Heidi Mundy, George Washington High School, Kanawha County, District 2
- Riley Roberts, Meadow Bridge High School, Fayette County, District 3
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.
2020 Congressional Youth Art Competition Exhibit (listed by district and county)
HANCOCK COUNTY – Oak Glenn 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
HARRISON COUNTY – Liberty High School
Art Teacher: Brianna Saddler
- Hallie McLean (Grade 12) – Shujaa – Digital Art
- Katerina Boyer (Grade 12) – Blue Whispers – Digital Art
HARRISON COUNTY – 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
WOOD COUNTY – 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
KANAWHA COUNTY – 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
KANAWHA COUNTY – 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
KANAWHA COUNTY – 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