Rep. Sam Farr, D-Carmel, announced that San Benito High School senior Jericho Coquilla won third place in the 2014 Congressional Art Competition: An Artistic Discovery, for his piece, “Young Dude," which will be displayed in the congressman’s Salinas office.
“Each year I am amazed out how talented our young local artists are," Farr said. "The great tradition of Central Coast artists is definitely represented by this generation.”
The Congressional Art Competition was open to all local high school students in the 20th Congressional District. A total of 29 entries were submitted from 13 schools from the district. The entries were judged by Lynn Diebold, president of the Arts Council for Monterey County, Kim Solano, a local artist and gallery owner, and William Keland, treasurer of the Arts Council for Monterey County.
Farr's office said the Artistic Discovery competition "encourages and recognizes the rich artistic talents of young Americans." Students are allowed to submit various styles and types of art, ranging from paintings and drawings to photography and mixed media pieces. The winners are determined using criteria based on originality, skill of execution, excellence in use of materials and conceptual strength of the project.
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, more than 650,000 high school students have been involved with the nationwide competition.