WMATA to Promote Student Congressional Art Contestants: Norton Announces Winners (6/8/09)

WMATA to Promote Student Congressional Art Contestants:

Norton Announces Winners

June 8, 2009

WASHINGTON, DC - The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today announced the three winners of her Annual Congressional Arts Competition as well as a promotional boost from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Art work from this year's contest will appear on city buses, courtesy of WMATA.

A Duke Ellington School of the Arts sophomore Angel Perez won the first place prize of an exhibition of his self-portrait in the U.S. Capitol for one year, scholarships to two art institutions, and a laptop computer. Georgetown Day School junior Jacob Aubinder won the second place prize of a scholarship for arts training, exhibition of his work at the Smithsonian Institution's Anacostia Museum and at a corporate office in the District, and a digital camera. Nelson Cruz, a freshman at Capital City Public Charter School, won the third place prize of exhibition of his art work in the Anacostia Museum and at a corporate office in the District, and a $200 U.S. Savings Bond. Sixteen students won honorable mention. All participating students received Nationals baseball tickets, and the exhibition of their work in the Congresswoman's NW and SE Congressional District Offices. In addition, the District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL) will feature the work of finalists in libraries in each ward across the city. Female artists who entered the competition will be eligible for a four-week specialized summer internship, created exclusively for competition participants, at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

"This year's Congressional Arts Competition garnered 310 entries, many of professional quality," Norton said. "What an artist really wants is to show her work. Millions of people will view these students' work. We are grateful, particularly, for the partners who will showcase the students' artwork and promote the Congressional Arts Competition for next year, highlighting the importance of the competition and especially the hard work of art teachers, who inspire an increasing number of students to awaken their artistic talent."

The competition is open to all public and private District of Columbia students, grades 8 through 12, were eligible to participate. This year there were more than 300 submissions of artwork from more than 200 students representing all areas of the District of Columbia. Competition categories included painting, drawing, collage, printmaking, photography, and computer-generated art.

Artwork was judged by a panel of distinguished artists and curators: Andre Acquadro, Artist; Cheryl D. Edwards, Artist; Mariana Gerzanych, Artist; Robert L. Hall, Associate Director for Education and Visual Arts Specialist at the Anacostia Community Museum and Bert Ulrich; Multimedia Manager, National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The committee members were : Edward S. Cleveland, Owner, Omniwise System Solutions; Yaida Ford, Attorney, The Legal Aid Society of D.C.; Mariana Gerzanych, Artist; Raymond Gill, Business Development Consultant; Jason S. King, Executive Director of Turning the Page; Donnell Lewis, Founder, One Creative Source; Dawn Mascoll; Attorney, the Mascoll Law Group; Paula Sanderlin; Content Director of Visual Arts for the District of Columbia Public School System and Kate Wolfson, law student. Norton said she appreciated the strong and dedicated support of competition sponsors, volunteers, and the presence of all the family and friends that attended the event.

Norton congratulated the students at a reception at the Smithsonian Museum's S. Dillon Ripley Center last week on Saturday May 30.