Schneider Announces 2021 Congressional Art Competition Winners
Waukegan High School Senior Kate Salinas wins first place with submission “Together”
DEERFIELD, IL – Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) today announced the winners of the annual Congressional Art Competition in Illinois's Tenth District. 37 students from 12 schools virtually submitted artwork interpreting the theme "Unity."
"Art has always had the power to excite, inspire and lift up both those who create it and those who experience the creation. That's why for this year's art competition, I asked district artists to deliver on the theme ‘Unity'—an idea that seems to be much needed at this moment. Each student delivered incredibly talented and thoughtful art, and I wish that we had the space to hang them all in the Capitol," said Schneider. "Congratulations to the top three winners: Kate Salinas from Waukegan High School, Kimberly Lagunas from Waukegan High School and Ava McQuain from Mundelein High School. I hope that their work will serve to inspire and guide the nation and the Tenth district as it already has inspired me."
Amy Amdur, Executive Director of national arts festival production company Amdur Productions, and Soojin Lee, Art Gallery Director of the Korean Cultural Center of Chicago judged the entries anonymously, without seeing artists' names or schools.
The first place entry will be hung in the U.S. Capitol for the next year, along with winning works from every district in the county. The second place entry will be displayed in Congressman Schneider's district office in Lincolnshire, and the third place entry will hang in his office in Washington.
An album of all 2021 student submissions is available on Congressman Schneider's Facebook page. Congressman Schneider will host an outdoor ceremony congratulating the winners this month, with more details to come.
More about the annual Congressional Art Competition can be found here.
The winning entries are:
Best In Show: "Together"
Medium: Digital Artwork
Kate Salinas
Waukegan High School
12th grade
Artist Statement: "Last summer where there was a rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, I saw not only black people but people from different backgrounds come together to fight about this human rights issue. It wasn't even only coming together during protest, [it was] coming together online. I've never seen people spread information as quickly and donate so much money to the to a singular cause. This unity I saw in the country was incredibly inspiring and it's what inspired this piece," said Waukegan High School senior Kate Salinas.
Second Place: "Caged In"
Medium: Digital Artwork
Kimberly Lagunas
Waukegan High School
12th grade
Artist Statement: "'Caged-In' represents the injustice and horror of child migrants being separated and detained in U.S. camps, away from their families, in inhumane conditions," said Waukegan High School Senior Kimberly Lagunas.
Third Place: "Allyship"
Medium: Colored Pencils and White Gel Pen
Ava McQuain
Mundelein High School
10th Grade
Artist Statement: In order to portray the word "Unity" within an art piece, I thought back to discussion within my English class which took place a little after the Capitol Hill coup during January of this year. A quote from my teacher stood out to me when discussion the themes of unity, equality, and diversity during this discussion, which goes as follows: ‘To all of my Caucasian students, or those who aren't typically oppressed, you must stand with your Black (or other People-of-Color) peers, neighbors, family, friends, to fight for unity and equality during this time of hardship. Without this allyship, there is no change.' So, in honor of this beautifully worded quote, I created a piece which reflects this notion. In order to create a more personal piece, I made myself the focal point of this image, as I wanted to show that the white man doesn't have to be the oppressor, but rather can be a peacemaker and unify and equalize the playing field for all Americans, whether they are people-of-color, of non-Catholic religions, LGBTQ+, or disabled," said Mundelein High School sophomore Ava McQuain.
Honorable Mention: "The Four Hands of Unity"
Medium: Digital Sketchbook
Meg McGavic
Glenbrook South High School
10th Grade
Artist Statement: "America is made up of all types of people. We work better together hand in hand, and protect our great country. In my drawing, you can see representation of different skin colors, religions, and sexualities uniting the land of the free and the home of the brave. I call it: The Four Hands of Unity," said Glenbrook High School Senior Meg McGavic.
Honorable Mention: "Dreamers"
Medium: Digital Artwork
Megha Nambiar
Grayslake Central High School
10th Grade
Artist Statement: "This drawing is about the Dreamers Act and the Dreamers. I think they represent things that America values, like unity and determination. The monarch butterfly has symbolized immigrants and dreamers for years, and it also represents hope and endurance. Immigrants and dreamers overcome many obstacles to enter the United States, get citizenship and contribute to the society. So, they represent what I think Unity is- many different types of people coming together to form something better," said Grayslake Central High School sophonmore Megha Nambiar.
For Immediate Release
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
Contact: Matt Fried
(202) 941-9386