The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Rep. Joyce announces winners of Congressional Art Competition
U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, RBainbridge Township, announced Meghan Bhanoo as the winner of the 2021 Congressional Art Competition for Ohio’s 14th Congressional District. Bhanoo, who is a junior at Gilmour Academy, won with her photo submission Starlight Ride.
Second place was awarded to Kelly Morris, a junior at Chardon High School, for her artwork called My Vintage Town.
Third place went to Sarah Boyle, who is a junior at Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin School, with her piece titled Casually Glam.
Fourth place was awarded to Kelsey Hearns, a junior at Gilmour Academy, with her submission Buffalo Beauty. This year’s winners were selected from a record-breaking 147 applicants from seven high schools.
“I always look forward to the Congressional Art Competition,” said Joyce. “Each and every year I am amazed by how artistically talented our students are here in Northeast Ohio. I want to thank all the students who submitted an entry, as well as the parents and art teachers who have helped foster their love of the arts. Congratulations to Meghan, Kelly, Sarah and Kelsey on being selected as the winners of this year’s competition! I can’t wait to see their artwork hung up in the U.S. Capitol, my Washington office, and my District offices.”
“Taking photos not only captures that specific moment in time, but it also reminds me of the emotions, intentions, and memories surrounding the image,” said Bhanoo. “Winning this competition has made those times more real for me and pushes me to continue taking pictures, because every moment is something special.”
“Meghan is an amazing young lady,” said Mark Most, Gilmour Academy’s Instructor of Art. “She has been a student I have had the privilege to work with for the last three years. The photos that she produces are thought provoking, about seeing the beauty in the simpler things in life. She emphasizes family and seeing the beauty in the world around her that most people don’t take the time for. Meghan will be in the AP Art program this coming year doing photography.”
The Congressional Art Competition, which began in 1982, is an annual contest run by the U.S. House of Representatives where high school students from across the country are invited to showcase their artistic abilities.
The first-place winner’s artwork will be on display in the U.S. Capitol for an entire year and the secondplace winning entry will hang in Joyce’s Washington, D.C., office for a year.
The third- and fourthplace winners will have their artwork on display in the Congressman’s District offices for one year.
In keeping with a tradition he started in 2016, Joyce will also be holding a ‘People’s Choice Award’ on his Facebook page, where constituents can vote for their favorite artwork.
The student who receives the most votes for the People’s Choice Award will also get to have their artwork on display in one of Joyce’s District offices for one year.