Pekin student wins Congressional art contest

A Pekin High School student will have an original painting displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. for the next year.

Kamryn Gryp was named the winner in the 17^th Congressional District of the annual Congressional Art Competition called “An Artistic Discovery.”

Gryp’s painting, “Autumn’s Beauty,” was one of 55 entries from throughout the 17^th District. It will be displayed in the Cannon Tunnel of the Capitol along with the winning entries from other Congressional districts, according to the 17^th District office of U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos.

“I’d like to congratulate all the young and talented artists from our region of Illinois who submitted their original artwork for this year’s art competition,” said Bustos, D-East Moline.

The Congressional Art Competition, a nationwide high school arts competition sponsored by the U.S. House of Representatives, was started in 1982. All high school students from Illinois’ 17^th Congressional District was eligible to submit their original artwork for consideration and was encouraged to do so.

To enter, students submitted a digital image of their artwork through Bustos’ website where they were compiled in an internet gallery to allow the public to vote for their favorite.

The runners-up will have their artwork displayed in Bustos’ Illinois and Washington, D.C. offices.

The five runners-up from the 17^th District are Andrei Lareau from Moline High School, who will have his artwork displayed in Bustos’ Rock Island office; Enrique Garcia from Roosevelt Alternative High School, who will have his artwork displayed in Bustos’ Rockford office; Cecilia Ottens from Milledgeville High School, who will have her artwork displayed in Bustos’ Washington, D.C. office; Garret Kesselmayer from Pekin Community High School, who will have his artwork displayed in Bustos’ Galesburg office and Remi Sweeney from East Peoria Community High School who will have his artwork displayed in Bustos’ Peoria office.

“As someone who appreciates the value of arts to education, I’m pleased that we had such wonderful participation in this year’s competition and look forward to displaying Kamryn’s work in the U.S. Capitol and artwork from the runners-up in our offices,” said Bustos.

To view all the artwork submitted to Bustos’ office please visit https://www.flickr.com/photos/repcheri/sets/72157644067241733/.

About the Author

Paul Gordon is the editor of The Peorian after spending 29 years of indentured servitude at the Peoria Journal Star. He’s an award-winning writer, raconteur and song-and-dance man. He also went to a high school whose team name is the Alices (that’s Vincennes Lincoln High School in Indiana; you can look it up).