2026 Congressional Art Award Winners ⇒
The Maine Arts Commission is delighted to reveal the winners of the 2026 Congressional Art Competition, showcasing the remarkable talents of high school artists across Maine. Selected through a process by jurors, these talented artists represent the finest in creative expression throughout our state's congressional districts.
1st District
- First Place: Claudette Wesse of Gorham High School
- Second Place: Lila Abbott of Freeport High School
- Third Place: Nina He of Freeport High School
- Honorable Mentions: Tryntje Johnson of Kennebunk High School, Jack Landry of Westbrook High School, Jaidyn Stultz of Freeport High School
Quotes from Jurors:
“I really enjoy the different styles of rendering from the detailed face to the children's drawings on the bottom, it speaks volumes having those different techniques together to get the artists point across.” - Veronica Perez
“The color scheme is well thought out and the relationship between all the colors is really strong. Just how highly detailed the faces are and the hands and then these sort of blocks of colors work really well together.” - Harlen Crichton
2nd District
- First Place: Elden Irish of Rangeley Lakes Regional School
- Second Place: Josephine Connelly of Sacopee Valley High School
- Third Place: Allie McGee of Freeport High School
- Honorable Mentions: Jack Flaherty of Gray-New Gloucester High School, Parker Poulin of Bangor High School, and Luana Vitoria Sena of Freeport High School.
Quotes from Jurors:
“The Scholastic Art Awards had a huge impact on my youth and development as an artist, so I was thrilled to be asked to serve on the panel. The energy and originality that students bring to their work is palpable every year. Irish's photo of "Gramps" stood out prominently for its strong artistic voice and honest depiction of the subject, appearing simple at first but revealing more complexity upon prolonged viewing. I imagine that Gramps, like this image, gets more complex the more time you spend with him.” - Gerald Walsh
“I was grateful for the opportunity to be on this panel. Looking at all student’s inspiring and thoughtful work made me feel proud. Irish’s photo, “Gramps” in particular, stood out to me for feeling immediately relatable and authentic, even though I don’t personally know the artist or “gramps.” The image is straightforward yet multifaceted and truly feels like an ernest portrait of the subject and his life.” - Allison McKeen
The first-place winners from each district will showcase their artwork in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C. for a duration of one year.
The Congressional Art Competition, sponsored by the Maine Scholastic Awards, serves as a platform to recognize and nurture artistic talent nationwide. Since its inception in 1982, over 650,000 high school students have participated, as reported by the U.S. House of Representatives website. https://www.congressionalinstitute.org/congressional-art-competition/
1st District
Blissful Innocence by Claudette Wesse
Painting
Gorham High School
Grade: 12
Teacher: Sara Dolley
Rihanna by Lila Abbott
Drawing
Freeport High School
Grade: 12
Teacher: Kimberly Medsker-Mehalic
Paper Money by Nina He
Illustration
Freeport High School
Grade: 11
Teacher: Kimberly Medsker-Mehalic
Herons by Jaidyn Stultz
Illustration
Freeport High School
Grade: 12
Teacher: Kimberly Medsker-Mehalic
In the Field by Tryntje Johnson
Mixed Media
Kennebunk High School
Grade: 12
Teacher: Katie Mooney
Bleed Blue by Jack Landry
Photography
Westbrook High School
Grade: 11
Teacher: Elizabeth Long
2nd District
Gramps by Elden Irish
Photography
Rangeley Lakes Regional School
Grade: 12
Teacher: Maryam Emami
The Sunflower Child by Josephine Connelly
Drawing
Sacopee Valley High School & Science
Grade: 12
Teacher: Shaelin Shields
Day-Light Forest by Allie McGee
Printmaking
Freeport High School
Grade: 11
Teacher: Kimberly Medsker-Mehalicda
Frankenstein Chocolate Bar by Parker Poulin
Graphic Design
Bangor High School
Grade: 12
Teacher: Susan Bryand
Midnight by Luana Vitoria Sena
Printmaking
Freeport High School
Grade: 11
Teacher: Kimberly Medsker-Mehalic
Inspection by Jack Flaherty
Drawing
Gray-New Gloucester High School
Grade: 12
Teacher: Mary Pennington
About the Congressional Art Awards
The Congressional Art Competition began in 1982 to provide an opportunity for Members of Congress to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of their young constituents. Since then, over 700,000 high school students have competed for the honor of having their work shown in the U.S. Capitol.
The competition is open to all high school students. The overall winner of each participating district will have the opportunity to have their work displayed in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol for the entire year, beginning in June. In addition, winners will be flown to Washington, D.C. for the official opening of the show in June.
The Maine Arts Commission partners with the Maine College of Art (MECA) and the National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards to select the artwork. Artwork that MECA has invited to exhibit for the annual Maine Regional Scholastic Art Awards are automatically submitted to be juried for the Congressional Art Competition.
For information about the Congressional Art Competition please contact Kimberly Jablon of the Maine Arts Commission, at vog.eniam@nolbaj.ylrebmik or 207-287-6571.