Baldwin High School student wins grand prize trip to Washington, D.C. in Case’s congressional arts contest
Students from Oahu and Hawaii Island capture second and third place, respectively

Honolulu, Hawaii – Congressman Ed Case has announced that Baldwin High School student Natasha Chang is the grand prize winner of his congressional art contest, Kaha Kii: An Artistic Discovery, and will represent the Second Congressional District in Washington, D.C. this summer when her art is unveiled along with contest winners from other states.

Chang’s artwork, entitled “Daddies Little Girl,” was selected out of 20 semifinal entries from high school students on Maui, Oahu, Hawaii Island, and Kauai. Case also announced that Echo Imai of Castle High School on Oahu captured second place for her work, “Echo,” and Cyndi Kohashi of Hawaii Island’s Waiakea High School won third place for her piece, “Rainbow Crustacean.”

The top winners of the contest and other semifinalists from Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii Island were honored at an awards ceremony yesterday at Queen Kaahumanu Center’s Centerstage in Kahului.

“Kaha Kii is part of a nationwide search for the best student art from congressional districts across the country which the U.S. House will present to the public at a ceremony in the U.S. Capitol on June 28, 2006. Natasha Chang’s work will be my district’s representative in that event which culminates similar art contests in congressional districts across the country,” said Case, a member of the Congressional Arts Caucus which created the contest in 1982 to promote the arts in schools across the nation.

Chang will have her artwork displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol, alongside the other winning pieces from each of the nation’s congressional districts. She and her art teacher, Janet Sato, are receiving a free roundtrip to Washington, D.C. to participate in a June 28th ceremony at the U.S. Capitol.

The districtwide runner-up, Echo Imai, will have her artwork displayed for one year in Case’s Washington, D.C. office. Third-place winner Cyndi Kohashi will have her work displayed in Case’s Honolulu office for one year.

Judges of the final phase of Kaha Kii were Angie Abe, Kirk Kurokawa, Linda Rickard, Philip Sabado, and Mike Takemoto.

Travel sponsors of Kaha Kii are Aloha Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines provided air transportation for students and teachers traveling to the Maui ceremony. Aloha Airlines also provided prizes to student finalists and air-shipping for student artwork from different islands to Maui for final judging. Hilton Hotels is providing hotel accommodations for the winning student and her teacher in Washington, D.C.

Sponsors also included The Estate of James Campbell, Queen Kaahumanu Center (Maui), Windward Mall (Oahu), Maui Academy of Performing Arts, and Maui Arts and Cultural Center.

Last year’s grand prize winner was Kaytt Kojima of Maui High School.