VALLEY RANCH, TX -- U.S. Representative Kenny Marchant announced on April 26 the winners of the 24th Congressional District Art Competition for local high school student artists.

The District 24 Artistic Discovery award winners of 2008 included: first place, Jessie Sichanh, a junior at Grand Prairie High School; second place, Aimee West, a junior at Coppell High School; and third place, Hannah Lander, a junior at Colleyville Heritage High School.

Over fifty entries from high school students throughout the 24th Congressional District were submitted. The first place winner and two guests will travel to Washington, D.C. in June, courtesy of Southwest Airlines, to compete in the national competition.

The winning artwork by Sichanh, Self-Portrait, will be prominently displayed with other winning entries from each district across the country for an entire year in the Cannon Tunnel in Washington, D.C. The Cannon Tunnel connects the Cannon House Office Building with the U.S. Capitol and is traveled on a daily basis by Members of Congress, staff members and visitors.

The Savannah College of Art and Design will also award the Artistic Honors Scholarship, in the amount of $5,000 per year, to first place winners in the 2008 Congressional Art Competition who apply and are accepted to the college.

The nationwide art competition, which is voluntarily sponsored by Members of Congress, provides young student artists with an opportunity to showcase their work locally, as well as the chance to be recognized at the national level for their talent and creativity.

The Congressional Arts Competition began in 1982 to give creative students the chance to have their talents recognized nationwide. Since then, more than 650,000 students have participated in the competition and the works of thousands of young American artists have been showcased in a passageway to the Capitol.

For more information, including the student artwork release form and other important instructions, please visit www.marchant.house.gov and click on "How May I help you?").

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