Congressional Art Competition 2013 Call for Art

One of the education programs that the Maine Arts Commission assists with is the Congressional Arts Competition. This aim of this contest is to place student artwork from each Congressional district in the United States in Washington, D.C. Here in Maine we work with Congressman Michael Michaud and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree to find one piece of artwork from their districts to be a part of this show.

The work will go on show in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol for one year, beginning in June 2013. We are looking for examples of high quality two-dimensional art. The program recognizes the importance of student art on a grand scale.

Finalists and runners up, their families and art teachers will be invited to a reception at the Blaine House in Augusta where the selected students will be recognized for their work. The Blaine House event is the annual celebration that highlights the close partnership between the Maine Arts Commission and Maine’s Congressional offices. Both of Maine’s congressional representatives are highly enthusiastic about this program and strongly encourage their constituents to apply.

Full details of this opportunity can be found on our website.

Congressional Art Competition 2012 Call for Art

Congressman Michael Michaud, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, and the Maine Arts Commission invite you to participate in this year’s Congressional Art Competition.

The students selected as winners will have the opportunity to have their work displayed in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol for one year, beginning in June 2012. We are looking for high quality examples of two-dimensional visual art created by high school students. The deadline for submissions is March 30, 2012.

Must be a high school student: grades 7-12
Work must be two-dimensional
Work must be no larger than 26in. by 26in. unframed.
Work must be no more than 4 inches in depth
Each entry must be original in concept, design, and execution and not violate any U.S. copyright laws.
acceptable categories:
Paintings (oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc); Drawings (pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, markers); Collage (must be two-dimensional); Prints (lithographs, silkscreen, block prints;) Mixed media (use of more than two mediums); Computer generated arts; Photography.

Full details are available on the pages of
MaineArts.com.

Maine Honors the Congressional Art Competition Winners

The winners, runner-ups, art teachers and family, involved in the 2011 Congressional Arts Competition, attended a reception at the Blaine House this Saturday, May 7. Governor LePage and representatives from both congressional offices were present to honor the extraordinary creative talent discovered in the young Maine artists taking part in the competition.

Those young artists attending included Whitney Wei, winner of the 1st District; Jeremy Vroom, winner of the 2nd District; the runner-ups of the 1st District, Elizabeth Cox, Eve Hupper and Emily Howell; the runner-ups of the 2nd District, Caili Inman, Matthew McKeown and Sylvia Beliveau.Don Tuski attended the reception to announce that the Maine College of Art offers the winning participants an $8,000 scholarship and a $6,000 scholarship for the runner-ups.

The Congressional Art Competition features one piece of student artwork from every participating congressional district in the country. Maine’s winners will have their work displayed in the halls of U.S. Capitol for a year. Both winning students, along with their families, will be flown to Washington in an opening ceremony in June.

Governor LePage honored the wonderful creativity exhibited by these students, expressing how significant creative thinking is for the leaders of tomorrow.

“Your success, based upon your creativity, represents a considerable achievement and I am certain that this success will follow you into whatever future you choose for yourself,” said Governor LePage. “I hope you will keep your creativity here in Maine and be a part of a great future for our state.”

In honor and pride of the artists and their pieces, Michaud said, “The corridor that these students’ work will hang in is the same one I and many members of Congress walk through each day we are voting in the House of Representatives. It’s always a treat to see the great student work on display—especially the two works of art from the state of Maine.”

The encouragement of the event certainly will follow these young artists into their future endeavors, especially onward to the opening ceremony in the U.S. Capitol.

The Maine Arts Commission organized the Congressional Art Competition in cooperation with both congressional offices. For more information on this, or any other Maine Arts Commission programs, visit http://www.mainearts.com

Maine’s Second Congressional District 2010 Congressional Art Contest Winner Announced

Anna Smedley
SelfPortrait
2009

Today, Congressman Mike Michaud announced that Anna Smedley of Lewiston High School is Maine’s Second Congressional District winner of the 2010 Congressional High School Art Competition.

“The students competing in this art competition always remind me of the tremendous skill and promise among our young adults in Maine,” said Michaud. “I appreciate all those who participated this year and the tremendous role that the Maine Arts Commission played in the competition.”

Each year, thousands of students from around the country enter the Congressional High School Art Competition. One winner is chosen from each congressional district, and their artwork is hung for one year in the U.S. Capitol Building. The winner from each congressional district is eligible for a scholarship to the Savannah College of Art and will be flown to Washington, DC by Southwest Airlines for the official opening of the show in June. The Maine winner and runners-up will be honored at a reception at the Blaine House on May 15th.

“Walking by the artwork in Washington reminds members of Congress and their staff of their states and districts,” said Michaud. “Seeing the artwork as I go to vote or attend meetings in the Capitol Building is always a warm reminder of home.”

Anthony Shostak, Education Curator for the Bates College Museum of Art, and Robyn Holman, Curator of Atrium Art Gallery at the University of Southern Maine, Lewiston-Auburn College, judged the art work submitted for the competition, which was managed by the Maine Arts Commission.

“The jurors were impressed by the self-portraits done from direct observation,” said Shostak and Holman, referring to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place portraits. “While holding to the traditional format of portraiture, the paintings remained fresh and creative. Each carefully considered composition conveyed a sense of the artist's searching gaze, intense sustained effort, and confident skill in handling paint in a manner appropriate to the academic or expressionist style of the painting. Through the timeless endeavor of self-portraiture, the students reference a venerable art historical tradition that connects them to the greatest artists of all time.”

In addition to the winner, the jury also chose the following runners-up for the Second Congressional District:

•First Runner Up: Matthew McKeown, Oak Hill High School, Self Portrait, oil on canvas (image above center)
•Second Runner Up: Rebecca Spilecki, Lewiston High School, Reflection, oil on canvas (image above)
•Honorable Mentions: Siobhan McCarthy, Bangor High School, Fallen Figure, mixed media; Tristan Herbold, Bangor High School, Cartoonz, mixed media

Berwick student wins Congressional Art Competition

Amanda Morin’s photograph (above) will hang in the halls of Congress
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced today that the artwork of Noble High School student Amanda Morin of Berwick has been chosen, through a process overseen by the Maine Arts Commission, to hang at the U.S. Capitol building. As the local winner of the 2010 Congressional High School Art Competition, Morin’s digital photograph will represent Maine’s 1st District in an exhibition that features artwork from every Congressional District in the country.

“Congratulations to all the students who participated this year—I was really impressed by the caliber of the submissions,” said Pingree. “I’m proud that Amanda’s striking photo will represent our district and show everyone in Washington what strong artistic talent we have in Maine.”

Portland Museum of Art Curator Sage Lewis and Michelle Lewis, Chair of Art Education at Maine College of Art, judged the competition.

“This photograph demonstrates an intimate multi layered look at a sleeping figure,” the two judges said of Morin’s winning piece, an untitled photograph that overlays several components. “The contrast of the hard edge of the architecture with the skin and softness of the fabric is mirrored in the way dark and light, night and day play in the composition. It’s evocative of a dream state and the unique sense of space that is inherent in the processing of multiple thoughts and images.”

Nearly 50 submissions were sent in this year from across the district. Second place was awarded to Madeline Bunker of Wells High School for her pencil drawing Circles (above), and third place to David Brann of Mount Ararat High School for his photograph Watching the World Go By (below). Honorable mentions were given to Emma Cameron of Kents Hill School and Harold Luttrell of Lakes Region High School.Images of the top-five finishing pieces can be seen online.

All five students—along with their families and art teachers—will be honored by Governor Baldacci at a Blaine House reception on Saturday, May 15. Morin will be flown to Washington, D.C., for the exhibit’s opening in June.

Results from the 2nd congressional district will be published shortly.

The 2010 Congressional Art Competition Seeks Entries

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, Congressman Michael Michaud and the Maine Arts Commission invite high school students to participate in this year’s Congressional Art Competition. The selected students will have the opportunity to have their work displayed in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol for the entire year, beginning in June. In addition, winners will be eligible for a scholarship to the Savannah College of Art and Design. We are looking for examples of high quality, high school two-dimensional art.

First place, second and third runner up
1. Must be a high school student: grades 9-12
2. Work must be two-dimensional
3. Work must be no larger than 28in. by 28 in. to the outside dimensions of the frame
4. Work must be no more than 4 inches in depth
5. Each entry must be original in concept, design, and execution and not violate any U.S. copyright laws.
6. acceptable categories: Paintings (oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc); Drawings (pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, markers); Collage (must be two-dimensional); Prints (lithographs, silkscreen, block prints; Mixed media (use of more than two mediums); Computer generated art; Photography.

Deadline for entries: March 19, 2010
To be considered for review, work must be submitted in digital format. Actual artwork will not be accepted for review. Image format must be a digital or scanned image saved as JPEG (.jpg) with resolution of 300 dpi or higher at 5” x 7”. When you save your image, use the following naming conventions to name your file:
• Artist name_title of image_year of work.jpg (Example: JaneDoe_Untitled_2004.jpg).
• Maximum of 72 characters in the file name.
• Name cannot contain any spaces or characters other than letters, numbers, underscore or hyphen.
• Work samples must be accompanied by a Maine Arts Commission Congressional Art Competition Entry Form in electronic format that includes student name and contact information, and the title, dimensions, medium and date for each image submitted.
Entries must be submitted in the format above on CD ROM and mailed with accompanying documentation only in electronic format to: Congressional Art Competition, Maine Arts Commission, 25 SHS, Augusta ME 04333-0025. Entries that do not have the specified documentation will not be considered. Failure to comply with these requirements will result in disqualification of your entry. Only complete submissions will be accepted.

For further information, please contact Lindsay Rowe at the Maine Arts Commission, 207/287-6720 or lindsay.rowe@maine.gov.

An Artistic Discovery: The 2009 Congressional Art Competition

Maine’s winners of the 2009 Congressional Art Competition will be honored at a reception in Washington, D. C. on June 24. Both Suki Nesvig from Portland’s Waynflete School (1st Congressional District winner), and Michele Jaffarian from Rangeley Lakes Regional High School (2nd Congressional District winner), will meet their representatives in the nation’s Capitol where their winning artwork will be displayed as part of a year long exhibition.

Both Nevsig and Jaffarian received complimentary airline tickets for them and their families to travel to Washington to be part of the ribbon cutting ceremony that will formally open the show.

You can view all of the winning pieces of artwork in the Online Gallery by clicking the link for each state.

Governor Baldacci Hosts Reception for Congressional Arts Awardees

Students Suki Nesvig (left) of Portland’s Waynflete School and Michele Jaffarian (below) of Rangeley Lakes Regional School shared the influences that shaped their award winning pieces of artwork during a Blaine House reception held in their honor Saturday.

Among the attendees were Governor John Baldacci and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree who both spoke with equal admiration for the work of the students present at the reception. They also reminded attendees of the importance of art and creativity to Maine’s economic future. Congressman Michaud was unable to attend due to schedule conflicts, but his words, read by Rosemary Winslow, echoed those of previous speakers and highlighted the prominence that the artwork has in the nation's Capitol.



The nation’s Capitol is where the artwork of Suki and Michele is now heading. It will form part of a year-long exhibition of national winners. Both students will be flown to the nation’s capital, courtesy of the Congressional Arts Awards competition sponsors, to witness the unveiling of the show.

More images

Reps. Michaud and Pingree Announce Maine Winners of 2009 Congressional Art Contest

Representatives Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree announced the winners of the 2009 Congressional Arts Competition for Maine. Michele Jaffarian, a senior at Rangeley Lakes Regional School, was announced as the winner for Maine’s Second Congressional District, and Suki Nesvig of Portland, a senior at Waynflete School, was announced as the First Congressional District’s winner. The winners were chosen by jurors selected by the Maine Arts Commission. The two winners and their families will be flown to Washington, courtesy of complimentary airline tickets provided by sponsors of the competition, to be part of the ribbon cutting ceremony that will formally open the show in June.

Each year, thousands of students across the country enter the Congressional High School Art Competition. One winner is chosen from each Congressional District, and their artwork is hung in a corridor of the U.S. Capitol building.

Before Members of Congress get to see the complete art show in Washington, Maine’s arts enthusiasts will get a preview show as the two winning pieces, along with the runners up, will be publicly exhibited in the Governor’s Gallery of Maine’s Capitol from May 4 to May 22. The two winning pieces will then be transported to Washington to be part of the national exhibit.

Furthermore, the Maine winners will be accompanied by runners-up, proud parents, teachers and well wishers as they receive recognition for their fine work at a Blaine House reception attended by both Representitives and the Governor; this reception will be on Saturday, May 16.

The full press release is in the press section of www.MaineArts.com

Images:
Left: Maine’s 1st Congressional District First Place Winner
Suki Nesvig from Waynflete School,Untitled,Woodblock relief with chine colet, 15” x 19”, 2009.

2nd Congressional District First Place Winner
Michele Jaffarian, Rangeley Lakes Regional High School, Bindings,, Colored Pencil, 8.5” x 11”, 2009