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Congressman Paul Tonko announced today that Niskayuna High School Senior Yahor Pryshchepis the winner of the 2014 Congressional Art Competition for the 20^th Congressional District of New York. His piece, entitled “Manufacturer’s Palace,” was judged to be the best out of 46 unique entries from 18 different schools in the Capital Region. The artwork was displayed during a reception Friday evening at the Arts Center of the Capital Region in Troy where it will be on display through May 8^th. Next week, the piece will be shipped to Washington, D.C. to be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for the next year.

The first runner up was Teagan Szymaszek, an 11^th grader from Bethlehem High School for her work “Peace,” a black and white print. Taylor Tewksbury, a 12^th grader from Guilderland High School and Amanda Crowley, an 11^th grader from Bethlehem High School also took home honorable mentions.

“Congratulations to Yahor for his outstanding 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. I am proud to see so many wonderful submissions and to see this competition continue to grow over the years.”

The artwork was judged by Claire Sherwood and Theresa Van Duyne at the Friday reception in Troy. Sherwood is currently the Artist in Residence for The Arts Center of the Capitol Region and Van Duyne owns a local business where she features the work of local artists.

As a member of the bipartisan Congressional Arts Caucus, Congressman Tonko continues to work with his colleagues to provide robust federal funding for the arts, including the National Endowments for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute for Museums and Library Services, and the Department of Education’s Arts in Education Program.

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. This marks the fourth year Congressman Tonko has hosted a reception for the event. More than 650,000 high school students have participated in the nationwide competition.

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