Sewickley Academy Junior wins Congressional Art Award
Junior Priya Melonio received an award from the Congressional Art Competition for her oil-painting “Kindred.” The winning piece will be displayed in Congressmen Mike Kelly’s personal office in Washington, D.C. for the next year.
The Congressional Art Competition is a nationwide high school visual art contest hosted by the Congressional Institute each spring to “recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district,” according to the House of Representatives’ website. Since 1982, more than 650,000 students have participated.
Students submit entries to their representative's office and winning works are chosen by a panel of district artists, then honored within their district and at an annual awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. Works are hung in various locations around the Capital.
Priya’s painting took almost 20 hours to complete, a process she found both enjoyable and challenging. Her work depicts a large palace-home in Zamość, Poland, a Renaissance city founded in 1580. “My inspiration behind this piece was my grandfather and his heritage and origins. He was originally born in Zamość, Poland, and this house belongs to Zamość's founder, Jan Zamoyski,” Priya said.
“I am very happy that I received an award and honored that it will be in my Congressman’s district office for an entire year,” Priya said. In the future, she hopes to enter more competitions and eventually major in fine arts.
Congratulations, Priya!
