FRENCH SETTLEMENT — A local high schooler will see her artwork hung up in the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. this week. Gabrielle Sibley, a junior at French Settlement High School, is the winner of her congressional district’s art competition, an annual event sponsored by the Congressional Institute.
A young artist, Sibley decided to compete this year, submitting a copy of her artwork online along with bringing in the physical copy to Representative Julia Letlow’s office for consideration in the competition. All art pieces were privately judged, and Letlow’s secretary contacted Sibley to give her the good news.
“It was very exciting,” Sibley said. “I honestly felt so accomplished. This is probably the most prestigious competition I’ve won. I feel like I’ve finally made it.”
The winning piece was a drawing of a Viking woman with braids, a fur vest and armor, Sibley described.
“It’s just what I was feeling like making at the time,” she said.
The submissions could be any medium, but Sibley chose pencil drawing because it is “by far” her favorite style. She enjoys most art mediums, but added that she tends to stay away from sculpting and digital art.
Her work will be displayed in a hallway of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. for one year.
This is the second time she has entered her art in the contest. She entered the competition last year as a sophomore and won second place in her Congressional district.
She will be able to enter the contest again next year, and so far, Sibley said she is planning to compete one final time as a high school senior. She added that Representative Letlow’s office encouraged her to enter again.
As part of winning the competition, Sibley was given two plane tickets to Washington, D.C. She and her parents traveled to the nation’s capital this week to attend a reception in honor of the art winners from around the country.
She will be able to see her art hanging in the hallway of the Capitol Building while she is there. The winners’ art pieces will be displayed for one year.
This will be her first time to go to Washington, D.C., and her family is already planning on the sites and activities they want to visit while they are there.
Sibley credits her art teacher for helping push her to enter competitions and gain experience with her art skills.
“She goes out of her way to look for competitions for me,” Sibley said. “She’s found all kinds of competitions and shows for me throughout my junior high and high school career.”
According to the Congressional Art Competition information page, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition each spring for each congressional district. Since the competition started in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated.
Students submit entries to their representative’s office, and panels of district artists choose the winning entries, according to the competition.
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