Junior and Advanced Placement (AP) 2D design student Madeline Wheaton was awarded first place and senior and photography student Mackenzie Clyburn received third place in the Congressional Art Competition. The competition took place in Congressional District Seven which is made up of the area between Orlando and Daytona Beach.

The competition boasted entries from a variety of art forms, excluding three-dimensional pieces. Students submit artwork to be judged by a panel of local art professionals, with the winning pieces being hung in Washington, D.C.. Wheaton and Clyburn entered into the competition with the help of their respective teachers, AP art teacher Kathryn Farmer and photography teacher Alex Garver.

“Mr. Garver was my art teacher in freshman year,” Wheaton said. “He told me, the first piece that we did, that I should pursue this as more than a hobby. He opened my eyes.”

Though she was surprised by her success in one of her first competitions, Wheaton received multiple awards, including another art award for the same piece. Wheaton was also awarded a trip to Washington, D.C., where she attended a reception with all of the winners from the 50 states. At this reception, a presentation showcased all of the winning art pieces, followed by speakers lecturing about the competition and art in general.

“Representing Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy, her work was selected to go to the capital where it will be in the hall for a year,” Farmer said. “The first runner-up gets a nice certificate and their work gets selected to be hung in the congresswoman’s office here in Orlando.”

Despite the differences in their forms of art, Wheaton and Clyburn share their inexperience with competitions. Despite their success in the Congressional Art Competition, the two students are relatively new to the world of competitions.

“I’ve never entered any of my other work into any competitions,” Clyburn said. “I suppose I would enter my work into whatever competition my teacher and I felt I had a shot in.”

Though they define their art styles differently, Wheaton’s being spontaneous and observant with Clyburn’s being abstract and emotionally complex, they have gained similar benefits from placing in a prestigious competition such as this one. Through competition and working diligently in art classes, they have increased their confidence and raised the standards of their own work.

“Winning this competition opened my eyes to what I can do for other competitions,” Wheaton said. “People aren’t just looking for art quality, they’re looking for the story it tells and the meaning behind it.”

After they graduate, both students intend to continue their art in hopes of creating established careers as artists.They both plan to attend art colleges after high school. Though neither winner knows which school they want to attend, they plan to focus on developing their craft. In addition to developing  their technique, the students will also learn to emphasize the emotional aspect of their artwork.

“Focus on your art piece telling a story,” Wheaton said. “Focus on the effect it will have on other people rather than the skill you’re putting into it. If your piece conveys an emotion well, it’ll probably be more important than the skill.”