Congressional Art Competition Winners to be Announced Saturday at Reception

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will announce the winners of the annual Congressional Art Competition during an awards ceremony Saturday, May 12, 2012, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the National Building Museum, 401 F Street NW.

The ceremony will feature more than 260 pieces of original art, submitted by District students in grades 8 through 12, representing 19 public, charter, private and religious schools. A panel of distinguished artists reviewed the entries from the District, and chose the winners based on technique, creativity, aesthetics, originality, artistic merit, and visual impact. Celebrated artist Michael B. Platt was lead juror on the panel, and was joined by photographer Mildred Baldwin, international artist Victor Ekpuk, and Annie V.F. Storr, professor and director of undergraduate and graduate education assessment at the Corcoran College of Art + Design.

"Our work to encourage young artists is really paying off, as we can see with the increasing numbers of entrants in our Congressional Art Competition," Norton said. "Tight budgets have left many schools unable to emphasize the arts as much as they would like, but young, gifted artists continue to multiply. I am particularly pleased that we have been able to get an increasing number of sites, in addition to the Capitol, to display the works of these young artists."

The first place winner's artwork will hang in the United States Capitol building for one year, along with the winning pieces chosen from other Congressional Art Competitions nationwide. The winner will also receive a partial scholarship to the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. The second place winner's artwork will be on display at the D.C. Chamber of Commerce and he or she will receive a summer scholarship to the Corcoran College of Art + Design Pre-College program. The third place winner's artwork will also be on display at the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, and he or she will take home a professional artist portfolio.

The students who submitted artwork for the contest are all invited to take part in Saturday's ceremony, where the winners will be announced.

Published May 10, 2012