DeLauro Announces the 2016 Congressional Arts Competition Winner

May 14, 2016
Press Release

NEW HAVEN, CT (Mary 14, 2016) — Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today visited Gateway Community College to announce the winner of the 2016 Congressional Arts Competition and meet the 44 students from Connecticut’s Third Congressional District who participated in this year’s competition. During the event, DeLauro announced Krissy Velardi from Cooperative Arts & Humanities High School in New Haven as the winner of the annual competition.

“The Congressional Arts Competition is an event that I look forward to every year and I would like to thank all of the artists who have shared their works with the community,” said Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro. “The arts make us stop and appreciate the beauty and mystery of the world, they open us up to new ideas, and they teach us new ways of communicating with those around us. The artists we honor today represent some of the most creative minds in our community and I hope that each of them continue to develop and refine their talents.”

Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. Since the Artistic Discovery competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated.

Velardi’s untitled pen on paper drawing will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol until May 2017 and she will receive two round-trip tickets to travel to Washington, DC to see her artwork. The second place runner-up is Sophia Angele-Kuehn from Hamden High School and she will have her acrylic painting, “The Path Taken,” displayed in DeLauro’s Washington, DC office. The third place runner-up is Emily Ha from North Haven High School and she will have her digital photograph, “Growing from Within,” displayed in DeLauro’s New Haven office.

Honorable mentions were also awarded to the following students:

  • Kailyn Bartram from Cooperative Arts & Humanities High School for her digital photograph titled, “Neurotic”
  • Kenneth Johnson from Amity Regional High School for his digital photograph titled, “Manhattan Bridge”
  • Daniel Philip Papa from Cooperative Arts & Humanities High School for his Sharpie marker on bristol board titled, “Street Level”
  • Reilly Slavin from Hamden High School for her pencil drawing titled, “Cry Baby”

###