Press Releases

WICHITA – Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas) announced the winners of this year's Congressional Art Competition Saturday, April 22, during a reception and awards program at Mark Arts in Wichita. Each year, the U.S. House of Representatives hosts An Artistic Discovery: Congressional Art Competition for High School Students, which takes place in each congressional district with each first-place winner having their artwork on display in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., for about one year. Because of his support for young artists in the 4th congressional district of Kansas, Rep. Estes also hosted an art exhibit in the district to display and celebrate the talent of all of the participants. This year, the 4th Congressional District had 244 entries from 172 students representing 17 high schools in five different counties.

"Every year I'm impressed by the caliber and talent of Kansas' high school student artists," said Rep. Estes. "The judges selected Hannah Wiebe's "Friends in a Car," which will represent Kansas well alongside art from across the country on display in the U.S. Capitol."

The winner, Hannah Wiebe, a Goddard High School student, received a cash prize courtesy of Marc and Erin Mason. Second and third place winners also received cash prizes courtesy of Craig and Dalene Nelson. Sixteen other students received Honorable Mentions, and one student was awarded the People's Choice winner after voting ended at Saturday's reception.

The jury consisted of Jim Clements, oil painter; Chloe Lang, gallery & program director, Mark Arts; and Steve Rasmussen, photographer.

2023 Congressional Art Competition – Final Results
1st Place – Hannah Wiebe, "Friends in a Car," Acrylic, Goddard High School
2nd Place – Davey Schmidt, "Abstract Wichita Cityscape," Acrylic, Wichita High School Southeast
3rd Place – Haley Wyckoff, "(John 13)," Pencil, Arkansas City High School

Honorable Mentions:

Lyric Bohling, "Karafufu," Acrylic, Central Christian Academy
Grace Beavers, "Sunset in Wheat Field," Pastel, Cheney High School
Amy Elizabeth Black, "The Moment of Baring One’s Self," Acrylic, Douglass High School
Addison Cate Cartmell, "Ready to Pounce," Charcoal, Flinthills High School
Laura Scribner, "Chicken in Blue," Acrylic, Flinthills High School
Taylor Sutton, "Bingo the Flamingo," Acrylic, Flinthills High School
Hannah Wiebe, "In Our Eyes," Mixed Media, Goddard High School
Hadley White, "respite," Computer-generated Art, Star-Splitter Academy
Wambui Ngunjiri, "Caught in the Woods," Oil, Wichita Collegiate School
Natalie Reece, "Sundara," Mixed Media, Wichita Collegiate School
Iya Wakil, "Ayoon Al Layl (The Night’s Eyes)," Mixed Media, Wichita Collegiate School
Ciara Abong’o, "A Lot On My Mind," Mixed Media, Wichita High School East
Nichelle Tran, "Feeling Red," Photography, Wichita High School East
Adanya DeVries, "Red Bird in the Grove," Watercolor, Wichita Northeast Magnet
Madison Chichester, "Kisses," Pencil, Wichita High School Northwest
Tristen Chandavong, "The Gold She Wears," Mixed Media, Wichita High School Southeast

People's Choice (as determined by votes during the April 22 awards reception):
Brooklyn Hicks, "My Peace," Mixed Media, Wichita Northeast Magnet

Download photos of winning artwork here.

Download photos from the reception here.

Download photos of students receiving their certificates here.