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Meng Announces Congressional Art Contest Winner

April 25, 2016

U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) announced today that Samiya Fagun, a senior at Newtown High School in Elmhurst, Queens, has been crowned the winner of the Congresswoman’s fourth annual Congressional district art contest.

The competition, which consisted of entries from Queens high school students, is part of “An Artistic Discovery,” the national art contest sponsored each year by the House of Representatives that showcases the artwork of all Congressional district art contest winners from across the nation.

Beginning this June, Fagun’s winning artwork – along with the winning pieces from art contests in Congressional districts throughout the United States – will be displayed for one year in the historic Cannon Tunnel, a heavily traveled corridor of the United States Capitol.

Fagun, along with one of her parents, will also be awarded round-trip airplane tickets to Washington, D.C. – courtesy of Southwest Airlines – to join Meng at the opening ceremonies of the national art competition. The ceremony, scheduled for June, takes place on Capitol Hill and will recognize Fagun’s exceptional artistic talents as well as those of all the other young artists from around the country. Fagun and the winners from each Congressional district art contest will also be eligible for a scholarship from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia.

Fagun, who is 18 years old and resides in Elmhurst, won the competition for her watercolor drawing entitled “Moments of Life.” She plans to attend City College of New York in the fall and may pursue a major in art.

Meng announced Fagun as the winner during a reception she hosted for students and their families, art teachers, principals and school administrators. It was held at the Queens Museum in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, where all of the submitted artwork had been on display. This year’s contest marks the first time that a student of Bangladeshi descent has won the competition.

In addition to the winner, there were three runners-up:

  • First runner-up: Ashley No, a student at Benjamin Cardozo High School in Bayside

Artwork will be displayed for one year in Meng’s Washington, D.C. office

Entry: A watercolor piece entitled “Tears”

  • Second runner-up: Ruo Tao Ma, a student at the Windsor School in Flushing

Artwork will be displayed for one year in Meng’s Flushing district office

Entry: An ink piece entitled “From Below”

  • Third runner-up: Alexis Martinez, a student at St. Francis Preparatory School in Fresh Meadows

Artwork will be displayed for one year in Meng’s Forest Hills district office

Entry: Mixed media artwork entitled “The Subway Scene”

A total of 46 students from 13 high schools participated in the contest (a list of all the students is available upon request). Meng presented all of them with special certificates of Congressional recognition. The high schools that took part in the competition included:

  • Benjamin Cardozo High School in Bayside
  • East-West School of International Studies in Flushing
  • Flushing High School in Flushing
  • John Bowne High School in Flushing
  • Maspeth High School in Maspeth
  • North Queens Community High School in Flushing
  • Newtown High School in Elmhurst
  • Queens High School for the Sciences at York College in Jamaica
  • St. Francis Preparatory School in Fresh Meadows
  • Stella K. Abraham School for Girls on Long Island (attended by constituents who entered the contest)
  • The Lowell School in Flushing/Bayside
  • The Windsor School in Flushing
  • Townsend Harris High School in Flushing

Entries were submitted in several mediums including paintings (oil, watercolors, acrylic, etc.), collages, drawings and prints (lithographs, silk screens, etc.).

The judges consisted of officials and staff members from the Queens Museum.

“I congratulate Samiya Fagun for winning this year’s art contest and look forward to her winning artwork representing our Congressional district in the nation’s capital,” said Meng. “I also salute all who entered the competition. Such outstanding artistic talent from our local high school students!”

This year marks the 35th anniversary of “An Artistic Discovery.” More than 650,000 high school students throughout the United States have participated since the competition began in 1982.