Press Releases

Rep. Ralph Norman is pleased to announce the following winners of the 2021 Congressional Art Competition:

• 1st Place: Emily Gray (12th grade) - Wilson Hall
• 2nd Place: Syrriah Alcide (12th grade) - Northwestern High School
• 3rd Place: Emma Arledge (11th grade) - Spartanburg Christian Academy

Background Information

Each spring, a nation-wide high school arts competition is sponsored by the members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Congressional Art Competition is open to high school students, and is an opportunity to recognize and encourage the artistic talent throughout the nation.

Twelve (12) area high schools in South Carolina's 5th congressional district participated this year. Each participating school selected its overall winner. From those winners, a panel of judges selected by Rep. Norman then choose 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners from our district.

1st Place: Emily Gray (12th grade) - Wilson Hall

The winning entry, “The Knot,” depicts ordinary forms, a length of red fabric twisted into a knotted shape, with extraordinary precision. The result is a surprising twist of trompe l’oeil that suggests a visual struggle between color, clarity and dimension. The viewer may interpret the struggle as physical or emotional, a question which makes the piece even more interesting.

2nd Place: Syrriah Alcide (12th grade) - Northwestern High School

The 2nd place entry, “Single Father,” captures the artist’s memory as a youngster sitting patiently while her father combs her hair. Working with oil sticks, a difficult medium to control, was a new venture and required several attempts. The student credits her teacher who showed patience in guiding the artistic journey, similar to her father’s patient care envisioned in the painting.

3rd Place: Emma Arledge (11th grade) - Spartanburg Christian Academy

The 3rd place entry, “The Dragon,” takes a bold step into a dark, dramatic digital cave where a dragon swirls in shadows. This was not an overnight project - over 90 separate layers of graded light and color take us on a fantastic journey. Masters, like Rembrandt or Caravaggio, would be especially pleased.

District Judges

Rep. Norman selected the following judges for this years Congressional Art Competition:

• Jim Shore
• Nancy Thomas
• Amanda Foshag
• Michael Simpson