Winners of the 2021 Congressional Art Competition were announced Thursday night at an art reception at Gallery 119 in Pendleton. Congresswoman Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) attended the reception to meet the artists, congratulate them, and hand out the awards.
Spartz
“The level of talent in the 5th District is extremely impressive,” Rep. Spartz said. “We have some very gifted young artists in Indiana, and I am thrilled to be able to showcase their works in Washington, D.C.”
Twenty-five high school students across Indiana’s 5th District entered the Congressional Art Competition, which is designed to support the arts and showcase the talent of young artists nationwide.
Jackson Manwell, a senior at Madison-Grant Jr/Sr High School, won the 5th District competition with his piece Champion Perspective. His artwork will be on display in the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. for one year, along with the winning artwork from other Congressional districts across the country.
The first runner up, Trust Fall, by Lee Ann Kao, a junior at Zionsville Community High School, will hang in Rep. Spartz’s Washington, D.C. office. The second runner up, Sunsets by Dana Salavaria, a senior at Marion High School, will hang in her Carmel district office, and the honorable mention, Finding the Light by Mallory Hagerty, a junior at Lawrence North High School, will hang in her Anderson district office.
For the next month, all art submissions will be featured on Rep. Spartz’s Facebook page for a fan favorite competition. The piece with the most likes at the end of the month will receive a certificate from the Congresswoman.
Notably, Rep. Spartz is a cosponsor of the ARTS Act, which is bipartisan and bicameral legislation led by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) that directs the Register of Copyrights to waive the copyright registration fee for winners of the Congressional Art Competition and the Congressional App Competition. This would allow student winners to access the benefits of copyright protection for their work.