| Each year high school students from all around the Fourth District of New Jersey are invited to compete in the annual Fourth District Congressional Art Competition (CAC), part of a nation-wide art venue sponsored by the Congressional Institute. Encouraged by art teachers and families, these ninth through twelfth graders must submit their intent to enter by a March or April deadline with the hopes of being chosen for an honor that includes having their art work displayed in the United States Capitol Complex along side other winning entries from across the nation for approximately one year.
I would like to thank all of the outstanding and creative students who participated in the 2017 competition held in May and in past contests. I encourage all aspiring high school-aged artists in my district, attending public school, private school or being home-schooled, to submit their entries for the 2018 competition.
I would also like to thank Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton in Mercer County (RWJ-Hamilton) for its hospitality in 2016, and in particular RWJ-Hamilton President Richard Freeman and Lakefront Gallery Curator Sheila Geisler. The venue location of the 2018 competition will again be at RWJ-Hamilton.
Judges selected the top winners Wednesday, April 26, 2017. Places are: Best of Show; and runners-up 1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place and Honorable Mentions. The awards event was be held on Wednesday, May 3rd at 5 p.m. at RWJ-Hamilton's art gallery. The art work will be displayed through July 6 during normal hospital viewing hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Lakefront Art Gallery along the mezzanine above the gift shop and cafe area.
2017 Winners
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2017 winners Linda Ting of High Tech High School; Tallia Maglione, Dylan Hemmer,
Courtney Pasterchick, Leanne Donnelly all of Wall High; Laura Brewer of Point Pleasant
Borough High, and; Micayla Augustyn of Wall High. |
Click here to see the announcement of winners and Slide Show photos at the 2017 show.
Best in Show – "The Carousel" (acrylic on board) by Tallia Maglione - Wall High School - Grade 12
1st Place Runner-up – "Memory Lane" (acrylic on canvas) by Linda Ting - High Tech High School - Grade 11
2nd Place – "Music for the Troops" (charcoal) by Courtney Pasterchick - Wall Township High School - Grade 12
3rd Place – "Animal Farm" (scratchboard) by Leanne Donnelly- Wall High School - Grade 12
Honorable Mention – "Happy Bird-Day" (colored pencil) by Micayla Augustyn - Wall Township High School - Grade 11
Honorable Mention - "Donuts" (colored pencil and acrylic on paper) by Dylan Hemmer - Wall High School - Grade 11
Honorable Mention- “Death Valley” (acrylic) by Laura Brewer - Point Pleasant Borough High School, Grade 11
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RWJ-Hamilton President and CEO Richard Freeman, on left, helps present 2017 Best
in Show winner Tallia Maglione, center, a 12th Grader at Wall High School, with the
blue ribbon and a congressional certificate. |
Artwork for 2017
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Best in Show at Cong. Smith's art show was The Carousel by Tallia
Maglione of Wall High School. |
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Memory Lane by Linda Ting of Holmdel was 1st Runner-up at Cong. Smith's
annual art competition. Linda attends High Tech High School. |
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Music for the Troops by Courtney Pasterchick of Wall High School
won 2nd Place runner-up. |
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Animal Farm by Leanne Donnelly at Wall High School took 2nd place
Runner-up at Rep. Smith's annual Congressional Art Competition. |
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Death Valley by Laura Brewer of Point Pleasant
Borough High earned Honorable Mention. |
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An Honorable Mention went to Dylan Hemmer of Wall
High School for his work Doughnuts. |
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Happy Bird Day by Micayla Augustyn of Wall High
School earned an Honorable Mention. |
Information about the 2017 Congressional Art Competition
The process for submitting entries begins in February or March of each year. In 2017, the deadline to submit all artwork and accompanying required forms was April 18. All artwork was to brought to RWJ-Hamilton to be judged by professional artists. The 2017 judges were slated to be Debbie Jencsik of Ocean County, N.J.; Jim Inzero, also of Ocean County, N.J., and; Rich Thompson of Mercer County, N.J. Click here for a summary about the 2017 judges. This year, in coorindation with the RWJ-Hamilon, I invited the judges to exhibit their own talented artwork.
If you are a high school student or art instructor in the Fourth Congressional District who is interested in participating in a future competition or would like additional information, please contact Jennifer Courtney at my Hamilton District Office at (609) 585-7878.
Important rules and documents about the 2017 competition
2017 Fourth District Art Competition Guidelines and Rules
From the Congressional Institute Art Competition:
2017 Rules for Students and Teachers
2017 Student Release Form
2017 Art Submission Checklist
Best in Show – "American Jazz" (colored pencil) by Maeve Crane- Wall High School - Grade 12
1st Place Runner-up – “Chilled" (pencil) by Kaela Rogers- Point Pleasant Borough High School - Grade 12
2nd Place – “4 Piece Happy Meal" (colored pencil ) by Micayla Augustyn- Wall Township High School - Grade 10
3rd Place – "Bottle Still Life" (white charcoal) by Nicolette Keale- Wall High School - Grade 12
Honorable Mention – "Interior Space" (ebony pencil) by Taylor Cuozzo- Freehold Township High School - Grade 11
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2016 NJ04 Congressional Art Winners (L-R): Micayla Augustyn, 10th Grade,
Wall High School; Maeve Crane,
12th Grade, Wall
HS; Taylor Cuozzo, 11th Grade,
Red Bank Regional; Nicolette Keale, 12th Grade,
Wall HS, and;
Kaela Rogers, 12th Grade, Point Pleasant Borough High School. |
Artwork for 2016
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| Maeve Crane of Wall High School took the top honors of Best in Show |
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Best in Show – "American Jazz" by Maeve Crane of Wall, NJ |
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| The First Place Runner-up for 2016 was Kaela Rogers,
a 12th-Grader, at Point Pleasant Borough High School.
Her work was entitled “Chilled” done in pencil.
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| 2016 Second Place Runner-up was Micayla Augustyn 10th Grade,
Wall High School for her work "4 Piece Happy Meal" in colored pencil.
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| Third Place Runner-up for 2016 was Nicolette Keale, a 12th-Grader
at Wall High School, for her artwork "Bottle Still Life," in white charcoal.
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| Honorable Mention was awarded to Taylor Cuozzo, an 11th Grader
at Red Bank Regional High School Interior Space in ebony pencil. |
View All New Jersey Winners
View National Winners
Click below for information on the 2016 competition:
> 2016 Art Competition Procedures
> 2016 Rules and Regulations for Students and Teachers
> Student information and release form (This form must be complete and submitted with submissions)
> Art submission checklist
> General information
For 2015, the winners (artwork pictured below) are:
Best in Show – "Grandpa Tony" (acrylic) by Dominique Trotte - Howell High School - Grade 12
1st Place – “Scrabble Tiles" (color pencil) by Alyssa Bartlett - Wall High School - Grade 11
2nd Place – “Field Journal" (pencil and charcoal) by Andrea Dumalagan - Freehold Township High School - Grade 11
3rd Place – "Convention Hall" (acrylic on canvas) by Angel Ramos - Wall High School - Grade 12
Honorable Mention – "Coast" by Jorge Cortes-Breistan - Freehold Township High School - Grade 11 - watercolor
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TOP WINNER: 2015 Best in Show was "Grandpa Tony" by
Dominique Trotte of Howell High School 12th Grade. |
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"Scrabble Tiles" by Alyssa Bartlett
of Wall High School, Grade 11. |
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"Field Journal" by Andrea Dumalagan
of Freehold Twp High School, Grade 11. |
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"Convention Hall" by Angel Ramos
of Wall High School, Grade 12. |
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"Coast" by Jorge Cortes-Breistan
of Freehold Twp High School, Grade 11. |
For 2014, the winners (pictured below) are:
Best in Show – “The Understanding” (pencil), by Artemis Tapliga, 12th grade, Wall High School;
1st Place – “Bella” (duct tape), by Natalie Russell, 11th grade, Red Bank Regional High School
2nd Place – “Barber Shop” (Oil Paint), by Kyle Wainwright, 11th grade, Red Bank Regional High School
3rd Place – “Mom’s Kitchen” (pastel), Melissa Sandoval, 12th grade, Freehold Boro High School
Honorable Mention – “Confidence Shows” (photograph) Paige Clarke, 10th Grade, Freehold Twp. High School
ABOVE: Best in Show, “The Understanding” by Artemis Tapliga of Wall, N.J.
“Bella” by Natalie Russell
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“Barber Shop” by Kyle Wainwright |
“Mom’s Kitchen” by Melissa Sandoval |
“Confidence Shows” by Paige Clarke |
Previous winners:
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2013 Winner Best in Show,
"It's a Harsh World My Dear" by Lucy Wang |
In 2013, the Best in Show winner was, Lucy Wang for her artwork "It's A Harsh World, My Dear," an acrylic painted piece submitted by the Holmdel High School 11th-grader. Other winners: 1st Place – “My Own Worst Enemy,” by Artemis Tapliga, of the 11th grade at Wall High School; 2nd Place – “Kleptomania” by Scott Chinery, of 12th grade at Red Bank Regional High School; 3rd Place – “Boots” by Chelsea Chinery, of the 11th grade at Rumson Fair Haven High School, and; Honorable Mention – “Jewel” by Nicole Sivetz, of the 10 grade at St. Rose High School.
In 2012, 76 pieces from nine high schools and one home schooled student participated from seven public high school, one Catholic and one private for Special Education students.
The winners of the Fourth Congressional District Art Competition in 2012 were:
- Best in Show (displayed in Washington, DC) – Larissa Naegele “ Blume” pencil self-portrait – Wall High School – 12th grade;
- 1st Place – Artemis Tapliga “Liberation of Letting Go” colored pencil – Wall High School – 10th grade (last years winner);
- 2nd Place – Mitch Douglas “A New Jersey Winter Evening” oil on canvas – Howell High School – 12th grade;
- 3rd Place – Brie Mueller “Baritone Self-Portrait” Chalk Pastel – Wall High School – 12th grade, and;
- Honorable Mention – Michael Read “Reflection” photograph – Manasquan High School – 12th grade.
The 2011 winners were: Best in Show, “Runaway,” Artemis Tapliga, 9th Grade, Wall High School; 1st Place, “Beyond the Eyes of Autism,” Kerrie Hannen, 12th Grade, Colts Neck High School; 2nd Place, “Zeitgeist”, Larissa Naegele, 11th Grade, Wall High School; 3rd Place, “Louie”, Marissa Priolo, 11th Grade, Wall High School; Honorable Mention, “Spring Lake”, Samantha White, 12th Grade, The Rugby School at Woodfield.
The 2010 winners were: Best in Show, Alexis Clark, 12th grade student at Wall High School, for "Tree House" in pencil; 1st Place, Heather Ehlert, 10th grade student at Wall High School, for "My Brother Colin" in pencil; 2nd Place, Victor Cortes, 11th grade student at Freehold High School, for "Still Life with Skulls" oil on canvas; 3rd Place, Alexis Papazoglou, 12th grade student at Freehold High School, for "Bathroom" oil on canvas, and; Honorable Mention, Larissa Naegele, 10th grade student at Wall High School, for "This is Not a Photo" in pencil.
The 2009 winners were: Best in Show, Mona Cao, eleventh grade at Freehold Township High School, for “Clasped Hands,” in colored pencil or paper category; First Place, Amy Borch, twelth grade at Howell High School, for “In the Balance,” in acrylic on canvas category; Second Place, Erin Loelius, twelth grade at Wall Township High School, for “Lips,” acrylic; Third Place, Perry Santulli, twelth grade at Wall Township High School, for “Space Odyssey,” pencil category, and; Honorable Mention, Larissa Naegele, ninth grade at Wall Township High School, for “Flower Child,” pencil category.
The top prize in 2008 – best in show – went to Caitlin McCarthy, of Wall Township for her winning entry, “500 Starbucks Later.” First place went to Danielle Sobol of Wall Township for her entry, “Times Square.” For winning the first place prize, Danielle is also eligible for a scholarship opportunity from Georgian Court University. Other winners in the 2008 competition include Jolie Menzel of Point Pleasant, Sabrina Hayes of Point Pleasant and Mary Fenton of Wall Township.
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