Today, Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14) announced Caitlin Guttu as the winner of the 2019 Congressional Art Competition for Ohio’s 14th Congressional District. Guttu, who is a senior at Mentor High School, won with her submission Pondering Nature’s Reflection, a self-portrait with acrylic paint. Second place was awarded to Nadia Bauman for her artwork titled Growth, third place to Molly Nerici with her submission titled Give Me Some Space, and fourth place to Kayla O’Donnell with her piece titled Summer Blooms. This year, the winners were selected from a pool of 74 applicants from 11 schools.
 

“I look forward to this competition every year, because it gives the students of Ohio’s 14th District the chance to show how talented they truly are,” Dave said. “Each year, I am amazed by the level of artistic talent we have in Northeast Ohio. Every day on my way to vote, I walk through the hallway where all of the artwork hangs from winners across the country – it’s truly inspiring to see how skilled our students are.”

As in past years, the first-place winner is invited to a ribbon cutting ceremony in Washington, D.C. and their artwork will be on display in the U.S. Capitol for an entire year. The second-place winning entry will hang in Congressman Joyce’s Washington D.C. office for the year. The third and fourth place 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, Dave also held a ‘People’s Choice Award’ on Facebook, where constituents were encouraged to vote for their favorite artwork. Mia Norris, a sophomore at Mentor High School, received the most votes with her submission The Art of Bravery, which will also be on display in one of Dave’s district offices for one year.

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. Entrants must reside in the Congressional district in which they enter and works are considered by a panel of area judges.