Washington, DC – Congressman John Barrow (GA-12) announced today that Bethany Gill of Johnson High School in Savannah has won the 2010 Congressional Art Competition for Georgia’s 12th Congressional District and will be representing the 12th District in the U.S. Capitol.  Gill’s painting, Motherly Love, an oil pastel painting of a mother and child, will be displayed along with the winners from every congressional district in the country in the tunnel connecting the U.S. Capitol to the House Office Buildings which also serves as a gallery for the nation-wide competition.  Members of Congress, staff, and thousands of visitors walk through the tunnel every day.  Winners from across the country came up to Washington today to visit with their members of Congress and see their artwork displayed.

“We’ve got an enormous amount of talent here in Georgia,” said Barrow.  “Bethany’s painting will now be seen by tens of thousands of people from all across our country, and we should all be very proud of her.  Our district will be well represented up in Washington.”

The Congressional Art Competition began in 1982 to provide an opportunity for Members of Congress to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of high school students in their districts.  Since then, over 650,000 high school students have been involved with the nationwide competition.  Gill’s painting was chosen among entries from across Georgia’s 12^th District in the annual art competition sponsored by Armstrong Atlantic State University.

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Contact: Jane Brodsky, (202) 225-2823

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