Jun. 26, 2023 By Carlotta Mohamed
Angela Lin, an 11th grader from Rego Park, has been selected as the winner of Congresswoman Grace Meng’s annual Congressional District Art contest.
The competition, which consisted of entries from Queens’ high school students, is part of “An Artistic Discovery,” the national art contest held annually by the House of Representatives that showcases the artwork of students in congressional districts across the nation.
Lin placed first for her painting entitled “Unsung Heroes” which portrays two sanitation workers working in the rain. According to Lin, she decided to recognize the contributions of sanitation workers because they provide an invaluable service in keeping communities clean and safe.
She currently attends the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts.
“I am ecstatic about winning the Congresswoman’s competition, and deeply honored that my artwork will be displayed in the United States Capitol,” Lin said. “I’m grateful to the judges and Congresswoman Meng for this tremendous recognition and amazing opportunity.”
Lin’s winning piece – along with the winning artwork from other congressional districts throughout the United States – will now be displayed for one year within the halls of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. She and the other first-place winners also traveled to Capitol Hill this week for a special ceremony to recognize their artistic talents.
Meng announced Lin as the winner during a reception she held for students who submitted artwork and their families. The reception was at the Elmhurst branch of the Queens Public Library, where all of the entered artwork was on display. The Congresswoman also presented the students with certificates of congressional recognition.
“The young artists from our communities continue to show such enormous creativity and talent through the great artwork that they submit for my competition, and I am again impressed and inspired by the entries I received this year,” Meng said. “I am proud of all the students who entered, and I’m thrilled to congratulate Angela Lin for being selected as this year’s winner. I am excited that her winning piece will hang in the Capitol and can’t wait to see it displayed for so many to see.”
In addition to Lin’s first-place award, Meng announced the second and third-place winners whose artwork will be displayed for one year in Meng’s Northeast Queens office.
Congresswoman Meng with (L to R) fourth place winner Ester Pinari, first place winner Angela Lin, third place winner Xiao Yan Wang and fifth place winner Madina Ibadulloyeva, Not pictured: Second place winner Menglin Chen and the other fourth place winner Mazal Khaimova.Photo courtesy of Meng’s office
Menglin Chen, a 10th grader at Veritas Academy in Flushing, won second place for her artwork “Forsaken Alleyway.”
Xiao Yan Wang, a 10th grader at Newtown High School in Elmhurst, took third place for her piece titled “Life in Jungle.”
Meng also announced two students tied for fourth place and one fifth-place winner.
The fourth place winners are Ester Pinari, a 10th grader from the Windsor School in Flushing for her entry named “Liberty Enlightening the World;” and Mazal Khaimova from Hadar Bet Yaakov in Fresh Meadows for her artwork called “A Tribute To 13 million.”
Madina Ibadulloyeva, a 12th grader from Forest Hills High School, took fifth place for her entry “Somewhere Only We Used To Know.”
The judges consisted of an outside panel that included Daniel Bamba, director of Arts Services at Flushing Town Hall; Julia del Palacio, Ph.D., director of Strategic Partnerships and Development at Queens College; and Sarah Cho, assistant curator at the Queens Museum.
The competition’s entries consisted of artwork from a variety of mediums including paintings (oil, watercolors, acrylic, etc.), collages, drawings and prints (lithographs, silk screens, etc.). There were 27 submissions for this year’s competition.
The Artistic Discovery contest was launched in 1982 for members of Congress to highlight the artistic work of high school students from around the nation. Since it began, hundreds of thousands of high school students from throughout the United States have participated in the competition.