>> SO THE CONGRESSIONAL ART COMPETITION IS A COMPETITION THAT'S BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME AND IT ALLOWS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO SUBMIT ART.

AND ONE WINNER FROM EVERY CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT HAS THEIR PIECE OF ART HANG IN THE CAPITOL EVERY YEAR FOR A YEAR.

THERE ARE 435^CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS IN THE COUNTRY.

WE HAD 265^PIECES OF ART FROM 27^SCHOOLS IN 7^COUNTIES AT OUR ART COMPETITION THIS YEAR.

>> OH MY GOODNESS.

HOW MANY ART SUBMISSIONS DID WE GET THIS YEAR?

I MEAN, OVER 200^FROM DOZENS OF DIFFERENT SCHOOLS.

SO WE HAVE SOME COLUMBUS SCHOOLS.

WE HAVE SOME SUBURBAN SCHOOLS NORTH OF COLUMBUS.

EAST OF COLUMBUS.

WE GO UP ALL THE WAY TO MANSFIELD.

WE GO OUT TO ZANESVILLE ON THE EASTERN SIDE.

SO WE HAVE A PRETTY DIVERSE COLLECTION OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT ARE PARTICIPATING IN SEVEN COUNTIES IN THE DISTRICT.

>> WE HAVE ARTWORK FROM SOME 19^SCHOOLS IN MY DISTRICT.

SO FROM THE COLUMBUS SCHOOL DISTRICT TO WHITEHALL TO REYNOLDSBURG TO GROVE CITY.

SO WE HAVE 29^MUNICIPALITIES.

I CAN TELL YOU, WE HAD 184^PIECES OF ARTWORK.

IT'S THE LARGEST NUMBER OF ARTWORK THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE TIME THAT I'VE BEEN IN CONGRESS.

>> JOYCE AND PAT AND BARRY AND I DO OUR COMPETITION TOGETHER.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE WORKED REALLY HARD TO DO IT AS A COMMUNITY AND DO IT AT THE COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART.

SO THAT THESE HIGHSCHOOL STUDENTS THAT ARE BUILDING PORTFOLIOS AND MIGHT WANT TO BE ARTISTS CAN SAY I'VE HAD A PIECE OF ART DISPLAYED AT THE COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART.

I MEAN, HOW COOL IS THAT WHEN YOU'RE IN HIGH SCHOOL?

>> AND WE'RE GOING TO ANNOUNCE THE WINNERS TONIGHT.

>> OUR FIRST PLACE WINNER.

PIECE IS TITLED "THE BELL."

AMANDA BA, A SENIOR AT OLENTANGY ORANGE HIGH SCHOOL.

[^APPLAUSE^] >> TY POWASI, REYNOLDSBURG HIGHSCHOOL.

THANK YOU.

[^APPLAUSE^] >> THE FIRST PLACE ARTWORK IS TITLED "REFLECTIONS" AND THE ARTIST IS^----.

[^APPLAUSE^] >> MY WORK WAS CALLED "REFLECTIONS."

AND IT WAS A PENCIL DRAWING, I JUST USE GRAPHITE.

AND IT'S TWO PORTRAITS AND I GUESS THEY'RE OVERLAPPING SO^-- POOR PORTRAITS MAYBE.

TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT I KNOW AND I JUST TRIED TO CAPTURE DIFFERENT EMOTIONS IN EACH OF THE PORTRAIT.

\M\M >> I REALLY LIKE DRAWING AND I'M TRYING TO EXPERIMENT A LITTLE BIT MORE WITH PAINTING.

I DO A LOT WITH WATER COLOR, BUT I JUST THINK DRAWING IS VERY CALMING AND RELAXING, AND SO IT'S EASY TO JUST ZONE OUT WHILE YOU'RE DOING IT AND THINK ABOUT OTHER THINGS, AND THAT'S REALLY NICE.

IT'S ALMOST LIKE A MEDITATION KIND OF THING.

>> MY DAD'S ACTUALLY IN GRAPHIC DESIGN AND THEN MY GRANDFATHER IS AN ARCHITECT, SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE A FAMILY THING.

THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN MY FAMILY WHO DO SOMETHING WITH ART.

SO I'VE ALWAYS KNOWN IT'S KIND OF SOMETHING I WANTED TO DO TOO.

>> THE FIRST PLACE WINNER HAS AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY.

THEIR PORTRAIT WILL BE FLOWN TO WASHINGTON D.C.

IT WILL HANG IN THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL.

THEY WILL ACTUALLY GET TO COME TO WASHINGTON WITH THEIR SPONSOR OR PARENT OR GRANDPARENT AND GO THROUGH A "THANK YOU" PROGRAM FROM THE WHITE HOUSE AND SPEND THE WHOLE DAY IN WASHINGTON.

>> BUT, IT'S A GREAT WAY TO REALLY HIGHLIGHT THE WORK OF THESE YOUNG, INCREDIBLY TALENTED, ARTISTS.

>> I THINK THE ARTS IS SO IMPORTANT IN EDUCATION, BECAUSE IT SPURS CREATIVITY.

IT MAKES THE YOUNG, TALENTED STUDENTS FOCUS ON RELEASING THEIR ARTISTIC CAPACITY THROUGH SEVERAL MEDIUMS OF ART.

SO, WHETHER YOU'RE DOING CHARCOAL OR PAINT OR PHOTOGRAPHY, IT'S ALL A PART OF YOUR VISION AND YOUR IMAGINATION.

I THINK IT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN EVERY PUBLIC EDUCATIONAL CURRICULUM.

>> WE'RE SO EXCITED FOR CASSIDY.

SHE'S A GREAT ARTIST AND I HOPE EVERYBODY WILL COME TO WASHINGTON AND SEE HER PIECE OF ART HANGING IN THE CAPITOL.