News…

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The 2020 Youth Congressional Arts Awards program will take place at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex in Charleston on Friday, Feb. 28 at 1 p.m. The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH), in partnership with the West Virginia Congressional Delegation, is sponsoring the Congressional Art Awards program and exhibit.

WVDACH Curator Randall Reid-Smith, along with Susie Azevedo, representing Congressman Alex Mooney, and Madison Stone, representing Congresswoman Carol Miller, will make the awards presentations. An exhibit opening in the Balcony Gallery will follow.

Nine young West Virginia artists have been selected as winners in the statewide competition. Each of the three congressional districts has a first, second and third-place winner. The students, in grades 9 through 12, were selected from more than 100 entrants who competed in this year’s competition. The three first-place winners’ art will represent West Virginia in a yearlong Congressional Art Competition exhibition at the United States Capitol Building in Washington D.C. The competition is sponsored by members of the United States Congress. These three students each receive a $100 gift certificate from BLICK Art Materials. Second and third-place winners will receive $50 gift certificates from BLICK Art Materials.

The annual exhibit is held to celebrate National Youth Art Month. For more information, contact Cailin Howe, WVDACH exhibits coordinator, at Cailin.A.Howe@wv.gov or (304) 558-0220.

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