Washington, DC -- During a virtual reception Thursday evening, Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) announced the winners of the annual Virginia-10 Congressional Art Competition. Out of the more than 100 entries submitted this year, a panel of judges assembled by Congresswoman Wexton selected the winning piece along with first and second place pieces in each category, four honorable mentions, and 9th and 10th grade emerging artists.
The winning artwork, “Mother,” by Alison Wan of Vienna, a student at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year and featured on House.gov’s Congressional Art Competition page. The piece can be viewed here.
“Thank you to all of the students who shared their remarkable artwork with us for this year’s competition, and congratulations to those whose pieces were honored with awards by our panel of judges,” said Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton. “I want to give a special congratulations to Alison Wan, whose winning drawing will represent VA-10 in the Capitol alongside winners from other congressional districts across the country. Alison’s phenomenal artistic talent as well as creativity in portraying the subject of her piece greatly impressed me and all of our judges.”
The virtual gallery of artwork submitted to this year’s contest can be found here, and the video from the virtual reception can be found on Congresswoman Wexton’s Facebook page here.
A full list of winners can be found below:
Best in Show - “Mother” by Alison Wan of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
1st Place in Drawing - “Introspective” by Sung-Hyun Park of Oakton High School
2nd Place in Drawing - “A Snail’s Pace” by Joan Lee of Riverside High School
1st Place in Photography - “Defaced” by Hawaa Sarwary of Dominion High School
2nd Place in Photography - “Midnight Cereal” by Amsi Mariana Santos Smith of Potomac Falls High School
1st Place in Mixed Media - “My Monday in the Pacific” by Lareina Allred of Dominion High School
2nd Place in Mixed Media - “Miss America” by Faith Nguyen of Loudoun Valley High School
1st Place in Painting - “Nature’s Grace” by Sriprajna Medicherla of Briar Woods High School
2nd Place in Painting - “The Faces of the Pandemic” by Andrew Park of Briar Woods High School
1st Place in Computer Graphics - “Feminine Enough” by Apurvaa Bala of Langley High School
2nd Place in Computer Graphics - “Night Light” by Vilina Upadhye of Briar Woods High School
Emerging Artists:
9th Grade - “All of Us” by Malak Abdalla of Lightridge High School
10th Grade - “Burning Our Future” by Neeharika Mikkilineni of John Champe High School
Honorable Mentions:
“Playing with Paint” by Mira Zineddin of Loudoun School for Advanced Studies
“Afghan Mother” by Khadijah Alekozai of Briar Woods High School
“American Icon” by Samantha Marvil of Loudoun Valley High School
“Reflection” by Andrea Yao of Mclean High School
The biographies of the four judges can be found below:
Elizabeth Bracey: Elizabeth Bracey is the Managing Director of Franklin Park Performing and Visual Arts Center in Loudoun County and serves as a staff liaison to the Loudoun County Art Advisory Committee. In 2021, she was awarded the Leadership in the Arts Award from the Purcellville Town Council. Ms. Bracey is passionate about creating community and sees the Arts as an equalizer, a way to bring people together across all demographics. She volunteers with Very Special Arts, an international non-profit organization that offers visual & performing arts opportunities for people with disabilities.
Abigail “Abi” Gomez: Abigail Gómez is owner and artist at Pretty Girl Painting, a fine art and mural painting business located in the Shenandoah Valley. She is also an adjunct art professor at Shenandoah University. Abigail was appointed by Governor McAuliffe to serve as a Commissioner on the Virginia Commission for the Arts, and is currently Commission Vice Chair. Abigail founded Arte Libre VA, a nonprofit arts organization that empowers Latinx, Black, and Youth of Color through equitable access to quality arts education and programming. Abigail received an MFA in painting from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco CA.
Brittany Root: Brittany Root is a visual artist, trained in oil painting but enjoys working in a variety of mediums including oil, pastel, acrylic, and pen and ink. She earned her Masters of Arts Management from Carnegie Mellon University and a BA in History and Studio Art from Georgetown University. Brittany creates artwork on commission for private homes and commercial enterprises. In the fall of 2019, she participated in her first sculpture exhibition at the U.S. Botanic Gardens. She currently teaches art at The Langley School in McLean and Art House 7 in Arlington. She serves on the board of directors for McLean Project for the Arts (MPA) organizing exhibition auctions and assisting with programming for adult art education. Ms. Root has a passion for arts education and working with children of all ages to realize their creative potential.
Kym Rice: Kym Rice is currently serving as the Interim Director of the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design and full-time faculty in the Museum Studies Program at George Washington University. She has taught Museum Studies at GWU since 1996 and previously served as its Program Director and Assistant Director. Professor Rice holds a PhD in American Studies from The George Washington University, an MA in American Studies from the University of Hawaii-Manoa, and a BA in Art History from Tulane University. A long-time exhibition developer and independent curator, Professor Rice works with museums and historical organizations throughout the United States. Professor Rice currently consults on museum interpretive plans and future exhibitions and has worked with many institutions including Colonial Williamsburg, Monticello, and the Smithsonian Institution.
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