The Los Angeles Post

Rep. Cisneros Announces Winners of 39th District 2020 Congressional Art Competition

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FULLERTON, CA – June 30， 2020 – Today, Representative Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. (CA-39) announced the 39th District winners for the 2020 Congressional Art Competition. Over 20 high school students throughout the district participated in the competition. The 1st place winner is Yesenia Del Rosario Gomez, a 12th grader at Buena Park High School. Her artwork is titled “Solemn Solitude.” Yesenia wrote the following description of her piece: “The photo is a portrait of my father in Mexico. Since he moved to the United States, he has missed his family greatly and often hides in his emotions, but when we are there, he lets his guard down slightly and I see how much his land means to him.” All the submitted artwork can be viewed here.

“I was amazed by the artwork from our students in the 39th District. They truly embody our theme of ‘Dimensions of Culture’ and showcase the rich diversity that I see in our community every single day,” said Rep. Cisneros. “I want to congratulate Yesenia Del Rosario Gomez for winning the 39th District 2020 Congressional Art Competition with her moving piece, ‘Solemn Solitude.’ Thank you to all the students who submitted artwork this year and to our partners at the Arts OC and AT&T. It’s clear that there’s no shortage of talent and creativity in the 39th District.”

“This piece is very important to me and it means the world to me that I get to share it with the rest of the world. I would like to thank everyone in the congressional art committee that made this possible, thank you to my art teacher, Mrs. Brown for pushing me to make it better, and my family for providing support,” said Yesenia Del Rosario Gomez, 1st place winner and 12 grader at Buena Park High School.

“Yesenia Gomez is an amazing artist, I feel honored to collaborate with her for four years where she created original masterpieces. Under my art instruction, Yesenia has taken and passed all three Advanced Placement Art exams. Yesenia has received the highest honors at the Buena Park City Hall Art Show, Fullerton Joint Union High School District Art Show, and now first place at the Congressional Art Show for District 39! Buena Park is beyond proud of this talented and well-rounded academic lady who has taken numerous college courses throughout her high school career and happens to be our 2020 Valedictorian,” said Marjorie Ann Brown, Drawing and AP Arts Teacher at Buena Park High School. “Yesenia has touched and inspired us all; her hard work and dedication have demonstrated resilience to rise up and conquer her dreams. We look forward to seeing her journey continue in the fall at Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design. Yesenia is taking part in a unique dual degree program at both schools and her majors will be mechanical engineering and industrial design.”

“Encouraging the creativity of high school students in the 39th District is what motivates Arts Orange County to assist Congressman Cisneros and his staff in conducting the annual Congressional Art Competition,” said Richard Stein, President & CEO of Arts Orange County. “As Orange County’s nonprofit arts council, we know that such creativity will benefit these young people for the rest of their lives, whether they choose to become artists, business people, teachers—or even Members of Congress!”

“AT&T is proud to support this year’s Congressional Art Competition and we congratulate Yesenia for her wonderful achievement,” said Richard Porras, assistant vice president of External Affairs for AT&T California. “We are thrilled that her artwork will be displayed in our Nation’s Capital for everyone to enjoy.”

This year’s Art Competition theme was “Dimensions of Culture” and prompted each student to capture the personal lives of those around them and create artwork that represents the different stories our communities tell. The first-place entry will be displayed in the United States Capitol for one-year and the rest of the finalists will be displayed in both the D.C. and district offices. The top four students were the recipients of prize money sponsored by AT&T through Arts OC. The top four winners are:

  • 1st place winner: Yesenia Del Rosario Gomez, 12th grade at Buena Park High School, Artwork titled “Solemn Solitude”

  • 2nd place finalist: Ee Seul Yim, 11 grade at John A. Rowland High School, Artwork titled “An Enclosed Dream Finally Breaks Free”

  • 3rd place finalist: Amy Lu, 11th grade at Glen A. Wilson High School, Artwork titled “Piece of Me”

  • 4th place finalist: Jia Hui (Joanne) Chen, 11th grade at Glen A. Wilson High School, Artwork titled “The Brilliance of Tomorrow”

Started in 1982, the Congressional Art Competition is an annual contest run by the U.S. House of Representatives where high school students from across the country are invited to showcase their artistic abilities. The exhibit in Washington will include the winning artwork from all participating districts from around the country. The winning artwork is also featured on House.gov’s Congressional Art Competition page.