Rep. Schneider Announces 2017 Congressional Art Competition Winners
Student artists from Lake Forest High School, Glenbrook North High School, and Stevenson High School take top prizes
This week, Congressmen Brad Schneider (IL-10) announced the winners of the 2017 Congressional Art Competition in Illinois's Tenth District.
Taking first prize is Shelby Welte of Lake Forest High School for a photograph titled "George." As this year's winner, Shelby's artwork will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol with winning entries from congressional districts around the country for the next year. She will also receive two round-trip airline tickets courtesy of Southwest Airlines to Washington, DC and have the opportunity to attend the Congressional Art Competition award ceremony.
In second place, Suzanna Creasey of Glenbrook North High School will display her work in black pen titled "Beat Hearts of Hope" in Congressman Schneider's Lincolnshire office.
Third place winner Amy Tian of Stevenson High School will display her oil pastel artwork titled "Little Trombonist" in Congressman Schneider's Washington office.
"I was so impressed by the talent and creativity shown by students from across the Tenth District," said Schneider. "All of these submissions were wonderful, so I did not envy the task of our judging panel selecting winners. I offer my sincere congratulations to Shelby, Suzanna, and Amy, and I look forward to proudly showcasing their artwork for constituents visiting in Washington and the Tenth District."
The winners were announced at a public reception at the Vernon Area Public Library on the evening of Monday, April 24. Artwork submitted from 45 students from 12 high schools across the district was displayed. A photo album of all the student submissions is available on Congressman Schneider's Facebook page.
A panel of three expert judges from across the Tenth District – Amy Amdur, Miguel de Baca, and Lori Nerheim – selected the first, second, and third place winners.
About the Judges:
Amy Amdur is a Highland Park native. Amdur cultivated her love of art from a young age, starting painting classes at the age of 5. That summer she exhibited her early paintings at an art show in her hometown, where she was offered $25 for a painting, a payment she graciously turned away. Upon graduating from Northwestern University, Amdur worked for her father, a developer who revitalized downtown Highland Park. Amy started Amdur Productions, a company specializing in art festival production, 34 years ago, and grew the business. Today, based in Highland Park, Amdur Productions has received national acclaim for having organized and directed many of the country's most prestigious juried art festivals, including the Port Clinton Art Festival, Gold Coast Art Fair in Chicago's Grant Park, Art at the Glen Town Center, the Chicago Botanic Garden Art Festival, Millennium Art Festival, Artfest Michigan Avenue, the West Loop Art Festival and many others throughout the greater Chicago metro area.
Miguel de Baca is an associate professor of modern and contemporary art history at Lake Forest College, where he is also the chair of the Department of Art and Art History and the American Studies Program. Prof. de Baca earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 2009 in the History of American Civilization. His scholarly work has been supported by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Dumbarton Oaks, and the Charles Warren Center for Studies in American History. His book, Memory Work: Anne Truitt and Sculpture, was published by the University of California Press in 2015, and considers issues of reference and abstraction in the career of the pioneering minimalist sculptor, Anne Truitt. De Baca is a reviewer for Yale University Press and Oxford University Press, and contributes to trade journals such as Artforum and Art in Print.
Lori Nerheim is co-founder of the Waukegan Arts Council, which serves as the umbrella arts and cultural organization for the Waukegan community. The council's mission is to be a catalyst to advance the economic, social and cultural life of Waukegan through the arts. Lori served on the executive leadership team for the past 7 years, most recently as the Chair. Raised in Waukegan, Lori has lived in the 10th Congressional District nearly her entire life. She is a graduate of Lake Forest College having studied Art History and Studio Art, and was awarded the Angela Knott Butler Prize for Studio Art. Last year, Lori was honored with the Jack Benny Arts & Humanities Award by the Waukegan Park District. She is currently leading the annual ArtWise community cultural arts series bringing together artists, cultural and civic organizations, and community members to engage with one theme