Press Releases

WORTHINGTON, Ohio – Congressman Troy Balderson (R-OH) today recognized Alicia Deng, of Westerville, for winning the 2021 Congressional Art Competition for Ohio's 12th District with her piece titled Lucid. Alicia is currently a sophomore at the Columbus Academy in Gahanna. 

"The Congressional Art Competition never fails to discover outstanding talent in our community," said Congressman Troy Balderson. "It's inspiring to see students strive for success in the arts. I want to extend my congratulations to Alicia and all of the students on their accomplishments."

"Art has been my go-to method of expression ever since I was really young," said Alicia Deng. "I use my artwork to illustrate the light and dark that I see in humanity. Having the privilege of winning gave me a huge sense of acknowledgment that I didn’t really have before and I hope I can continue sharing this passion with everyone."

Other winners from the 12th District include runner-up Clayton Conley, a senior at C-Tec, for the submission Just Who I Am. The third-place winner was KaiDong Wang, a sophomore at Tree of Life Christian School, for the submission Rosemary Party.

BACKGROUND

The Congressional Art Competition is an annual nationwide visual art competition designed to recognize and encourage artistic talent among high school students. Each spring, students submit their original artwork to their representative’s office, where the top-three winners are selected by a panel of local judges.