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| Wilson announces An Artistic Discovery |
March 28, 2000 |
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High School Students Encouraged to Submit Works of Art to Congressional Art Competition
For more information about An Artistic Discovery 2000, interested students, parents, and teachers can contact Wilson’s office at 505-346-6781, or check the Student’s Corner
ALBUQUERQUE – Congresswoman Heather Wilson today announced An Artistic Discovery 2000, the annual Congressional art competition open to high school students from New Mexico’s first district, and across the nation. Entries will be accepted Thursday and Friday, May 4 and 5 from 8am to 5pm at Wilson`s office at 625 Silver Ave. SW in downtown Albuquerque. A reception for participants will be held on Friday, May 12, at a location to be determined.
The New Mexico entry judged Best of Show will be displayed in a corridor leading from Wilson’s House office to the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. The winning artist will receive two tickets – donated by Southwest Airlines – to fly to the nation’s capitol for a reception and the unveiling of student artwork from throughout the nation. Additionally, the artists who win Best of Show and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place will each receive a savings bond—donated by Sandia Area Credit Union—for $500, $400, $300, and $200, respectively.
“Last year’s competition was an incredible success and I’m looking forward to again honoring some of the most talented young artists in New Mexico,” Wilson said. “I’m also happy to announce that Weems Art Galleries is sponsoring this year’s competition. I look forward to working with Mary Ann Weems and her staff to once again recognize and encourage the creative spirit and energies of our talented high school students.”
“Giving kids the opportunity to shine is extremely important. This is a great opportunity for students to show their best, and show it nationally. That’s what is unique about this competition. Rarely do kids get to show their work nationally, and I’m delighted to work with Congresswoman Wilson on this project,” said Weems, a former middle school art teacher who has been involved in the New Mexico art community for more than 30 years. “I truly believe in children, art, and education. The three simply belong together.” Weems owns two art galleries in Albuquerque and also runs the highly-regarded annual Weems Artfest.
“Anything that gets students involved in their community and stimulates their creativity is very important to me, whether it’s art, sports, music, or community service. We have more artists per capita than any other state in the nation, so I’m confident that New Mexico students will shine in this competition,” concluded Wilson.
Information about the competition has been sent to art, computer, and photography teachers throughout the First District, and in May a jury of artists and community leaders will select the winning entries. The Best of Show piece will be sent to the U.S. Capitol and will be displayed with other winners from throughout the country. First, second, and third place will be displayed in Wilson’s Albuquerque office.
This year two new categories have been added to the competition: computer-generated art and photography. Last year, Wilson’s office and Congressional offices throughout the country fielded numerous inquires about both art mediums, which were not within the guidelines in the ’99 competition. Guidelines for this year’s competition are outlined in the attached An Artistic Discovery fact sheet.
Last year’s Best of Show entry was “Please Pass the Ketchup,” a pastel rendition by Sara McKinney from Albuquerque’s Eldorado High School. Edmonia Martinez (Moriarty High School), Andrea Zimmer (Albuquerque Academy), and Holly Lucht (La Cueva High School) won 1st, 2nd and 3rd place, respectively.
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