Student's Artwork Will Represent Southern and Eastern Kentucky in the U.S. Capitol

PIKEVILLE, KY -- Today, U.S. Rep. Harold "Hal" Rogers (KY-05) announced the the winners of the 2021 Congressional Art Competition for Kentucky's Fifth Congressional District.

The first place winner is Andrew Justice, a junior at Pikeville High School. His artwork entitled "Youth" features a puppy created with a collage of magazine and wallpaper scraps. His winning artwork will hang in the U.S. Capitol for one year.

"Southern and Eastern Kentucky is rich with talented artists and this competition provides a way for our students to see how competitive their artwork can be on a national scale," said Congressman Rogers. "Andrew's impressive collage is a two-dimensional work of art with incredible creativity and attention to detail. I will be proud to have his artwork hanging in the U.S. Capitol, representing all of the talented artists in our region." 

Justice will receive two free airline tickets from Southwest Airlines to attend a national reception later this year in Washington, D.C. along with all of the 2021 winning artists from across the country. 

"It's an honor to have my artwork chosen by Congressman Rogers to represent Eastern Kentucky," said Justice. "My family and I are looking forward to traveling to Washington D.C. We are excited to see my work displayed in such a historic building as the Capitol, it's an amazing opportunity."

Justice is the son of Marsha and Shane Justice and his art teacher is Bambi Johnson.

"Andrew has tremendous talent. His creativity and his attention to detail is outstanding. It is wonderful for the visual arts to have a contest like this to spotlight high school students like Andrew," said Ms. Johnson.

The second place winner is Maggie Kitzmiller, a junior at South Laurel High School. Maggie submitted "Washington Street," a watercolor painting featuring a street scene in Washington, DC. The artwork was selected for her masterful, detailed use of watercolor pigments. 

The third place artwork was selected for both the artistry and the story behind it. "Combat, Come Back" is a graphite drawing of the artist's father, featuring his facial changes before and after his 26 years of service in the U.S. Marine Corps. The artist is Lily Vanderkooi, a senior at North Laurel High School. 

All of the artists will receive a Congressional Certificate of Recognition and a letter from Congressman Rogers for their participation.

For more information about the Congressional Art Competition, click here.

The Congressional Art Competition, sponsored by the Congressional Institute, was initiated by Congress in 1982 to provide an opportunity for members of Congress to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of young people living in their districts. More than 650,000 students have participated in the competition.