Local teen is art contest finalist
U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman has announced the results of the Congressional Art Competition for California’s 2nd District.
Ivy Cleek is the Humboldt County finalist for this year’s contest. Cleek is in the 11th grade at Fortuna Union High School. Cleek’s winning work is titled “Behind the Glass.”
In Del Norte County, the finalist is Brandy Schollard, a junior at Sunset High School in Crescent City. Schollard’s work is titled “Beacon in the Storm.”
The winner of this year’s Congressional Art Competition for California’s 2nd District is San Domenico School sophomore Zexuan Wu of San Anselmo, whose work is titled “We Are the Keeper of Tomorrow.”
“Every year, the Congressional Art Competition serves as a testament to our students’ creative talents,” Huffman said. “I want to thank the many artists who submitted their work this year and extend a heartfelt congratulations to our
winner, Zexuan Wu. I’m so impressed by the creativity and skill exhibited by our North Coast students, and I
look forward to seeing Zexuan’s portrait in the halls of Congress.”
Wu’s submission will hang in the U.S. Capitol for one year along with artwork from each congressional district in the country. Wu will also receive round-trip tickets to Washington, D.C. to attend the awards ceremony. All participants will receive a certificate of recognition.
Judges for the finalists included Nicole Jean Hill, professor and department chair, Department of Art at Cal Poly Humboldt; Alyssum Wier, executive director, Arts Council of Mendocino County; and Holly Blake, residency manager, Headlands Center for the Arts. The judges selected the winning submission because of the use of color and technique.
“An Artistic Discovery” is the art contest that has been held by the United States Congress every year since 1982. More than 650,000 high school students have participated in the contest over the past four decades. For more information about the Congressional Art Competition, go to https://www. house.gov/educators-andstudents/congressional-artcompetition.