WASHINGTON – 1st District Congressman Paul Ryan announced that the winner of this year's 1st District Art Competition is Naomi Coffren, a senior at Craig High School who submitted a graphite pencil drawing titled: Forever A Patriot. According to Naomi, Forever A Patriot depicts her grandfather, a World War II veteran, and the tremendous pride he has in his country. Naomi’s winning artwork will be displayed for one year at the U.S. Capitol, along with the winning entries from other congressional districts throughout the country. Naomi’s art teacher at Craig High School is Maria Brown.
Congressman Ryan invited every high school in the 1st Congressional District to submit entries to the annual art contest, and a panel of local artists judged the entries. The award ceremony took place at the Olde Towne Mall in Janesville, Wisconsin on Saturday, May 8, 2010. The competition was part of the 29th annual “Congressional Art Competition — An Artistic Discovery.” This nationwide art competition, which is voluntarily sponsored by Members of Congress, provides high school artists with an opportunity to showcase their work locally, as well as the chance to be recognized at the national level for their talent and creativity. Naomi has been invited to an awards reception in Washington, D.C. honoring the winning artists from across the nation on June 17, 2010.
At the awards ceremony, Congressman Ryan said: "I want to thank all the students who participated in this annual competition. All the submissions were impressive, giving our judges a difficult task.” Ryan added, “I am pleased to award the top prize this year to a talented young artist, Naomi Coffren. I congratulate Naomi for her achievement, and look forward to seeing her artwork displayed at the U.S. Capitol.”
