Cohen Congratulates Winner of 2015 Congressional Art Competition

[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) welcomed recent White Station High School graduate Aylen Mercado to his Capitol Hill office to congratulate the student on winning this year’s Congressional Art Competition. As the Ninth District’s winner, Ms. Mercado’s piece, a mixed media of chalk pasted on black paper entitled “A Moment in the Life of a Memphis Bus Rider,” will hang in public view on Capitol Hill for the next year. A photo of Ms. Mercado’s winning piece—which is part of a series she did on transit—is available here, and a photo of Ms. Mercado with Congressman Cohen can be found here.

“Aylen’s artwork shows just how talented and accomplished our city’s young artists are,” said Congressman Cohen. “I was proud to select ‘A Moment in the Life of a Memphis Bus Rider’ – a piece that shows the daily experience of many Memphians – as the winner of this year’s Congressional Art Competition.”

“I’m honored that Congressman Cohen has helped give me this opportunity to share my work and highlight the things that are important to me—social justice issues like transit rights—through art on a national stage in our country’s Capitol,” said Ms. Mercado, who was recently also recognized at Carnegie Hall in New York City as one of 16 high school seniors to achieve the highest national honor of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the Portfolio Gold Medal which comes with a $10,000 scholarship. Several pieces from her portfolio can be found here.

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 highlight the artistic talents of their young constituents.

Students can submit entries to their Representative’s office, and the Congressperson selects the winning entry, which is then displayed for one year in the Capitol. Winners are recognized both in their district and at an annual Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C. 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.