Conestoga Student Wins Congressional Art Contest

BERWYN, PA — A Conestoga High School senior recently earned the top spot in the 7th Congressional District Art Show hosted by Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA).

Nearly 500 works of art were on display at the 2019 Chester County High School Art Festival and 7th Congressional District Art Show. The week-long show kicked off on Thursday, April 11 at the Chester County Art Association, and ran through Saturday, April 27.

James Nasar, a 12th grader at Conestoga High School, won the first place Congressional Award.

“It feels amazing to win first place,” Nasar said. “I played around with the idea that you don’t need to use your eyes to improvise while playing music – it’s more about the feeling and less about reading music. My friend who plays the trombone modeled for me and I used mixed media to create my piece.”

The non-juried show featured artwork by students throughout Chester County. Houlahan’s Congressional Art Competition is for students living in the 6th District of Pennsylvania.

Each spring across the nation, members of the U.S. House of Representatives sponsor a high school art competition, with the grand prize winner having his or her artwork displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year. The second and third place artwork will be displayed in Houlahan’s district offices.

Ariana Shchuka from Exeter Township Senior High School won the second place Congressional Award and Amelia Rehrman from Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School (PALCS) won the third place Congressional Award.

A free reception and awards ceremony took place on Tuesday, April 23, during which the Congressional Art Competition and Chester County Art Association Awards were presented. A full list of winners can be found at www.cciu.org/artshow.

The Chester County High School Art Festival is coordinated by the Chester County Intermediate Unit.