Cohen Announces Winner of 2011 Congressional Art Competition

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN-9) today announced that Leo Cormier – a senior at Kingsbury High School in Memphis, Tennessee -- was selected as the winner of the 2011 Congressional Art Competition. The artwork, entitled “I Have a Dream,” will be hung in the Cannon Tunnel in the U.S. Capitol for one year. An image of the artwork is attached to this email.

“Leo Cormier’s artwork embodies the culture of Memphis and America with his ‘I Have a Dream’ graphic design,” said Congressman Cohen. “His piece, which is a stamp that includes a portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., an American flag, a fist and a newspaper on a map, shows how amazing and accomplished some of our young artists are throughout Memphis. I was proud to select Leo Cormier as the winner of the 2011 Congressional Art Competition.”

Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. The competition provides an opportunity for members of Congress to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of their young constituents.

Students submit entries to their representative’s office, and panels of local artists in each district or the representative select the winning entries, which are then displayed for one year at the Capitol. Winners are recognized both in their district and at an annual Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C. The winners are also eligible to receive a $1,500 scholarship from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Since the art competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated. Click here to learn more about the art competition.