By Betsy Price

A Cab Calloway School of the Arts senior’s drawing of spring flowers will hang in the U.S. Capitol for a year.

Maria Ji’s chalk drawing of peach blossoms in her backyard, “Surreality,” was named the Delaware winner of the 2013 Congressional Art Competition last week by Rep. John Carney.

The 17-year-old senior, who plans to study art in college but hasn’t yet chosen the school, said she created the work early last spring, inspired by new plants her mother had installed.

“I just liked the light that was on it,” she said. She knows that a lot of people don’t like still lifes, so she tried to take it a fun direction. “I like the flowers, I do like sitting outside in the spring, and I think it kind of captures the mood of the moment.”

She and the other winners from congressional districts across the nation will be honored at a reception in Washington in June.

“Every day, thousands of people, including members, staff and visitors, pass these works in the hallway, and I know that Maria’s work will impress them,” Carney said in a press release.

The Congressional Art Competition for high school students has been run since 1982 by the U.S. House of Representatives. Delaware’s winner is chosen by a panel of judges at Delaware State University in coordination with the annual Scholastic Arts Competition.

Ji, the daughter of James and Jan Ji, says she’s been interested in art “ever since my mom bought coloring books and I started coloring.” She attended Independence School before going to Cab for high school, and says she’s been taking art lessons outside of school since the seventh grade.

She’s been accepted to two prestigious art schools, but was waiting last week to hear from Ivy League schools, which were to announce their admissions at 5 p.m. Thursday. She was hoping to be admitted to Yale, her dream school.

“I’m definitely not expecting to get in, but I’m just hoping,” she says.  

###