Congressman Paul Tonko announced that Shaker High School Senior Jennifer Jiyon Chung is the winner of the 2011 Congressional Art Competition for the 21^st Congressional District. Her white charcoal drawing, which is a self-portrait, was judged to be the best out of more than 30 entries from several local school districts. The artwork was displayed during a reception Monday evening at the Arts Center of the Capital Region in Troy.

Jennifer’s painting will be displayed at the U.S. Capitol and she will receive two free tickets from Southwest Airlines for travel to Washington, D.C. to attend a reception honoring the winners from Congressional Districts nationwide.

Two students were given an honorable mention for their work: Katherine Eberle of Albany High School and Cherice Jones of Niskayuna High.

“Congratulations to Jennifer for her exceptional work, and to all the students who took part in the competition,” said Congressman Tonko.“Creative expression through the arts is an important part of the learning process and allows students to exercise their imagination.”

The artwork was judged by a panel of local arts professionals who donated their time to the project. The judges were Amy Williams, Executive Director of the Arts Center of the Capital Region; Erica Sanger, Director of Education for the Albany Institute of History and Art; Arlene Sampson, Arts and Education Specialist, Questar III, BOCES; and Robyn Diaz, owner of Pigments Arts Supply Story in Troy.

The Congressional Art Competition started in 1982 as an opportunity for members of Congress to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of their young constituents. More than 650,000 high school students have participated in the nationwide competition.

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