Congressional Art Awards

Congrats high school artists

It was so wonderful to see high school artists being recognized at a ceremony at the Blaine House earlier this week. Each year two pieces of high school student artwork are selected to be displayed in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol for a year beginning in June as part of the Congressional Art Awards. One piece is selected from each of Maine’s Congressional districts. CONGRATULATIONS to the students listed below for their recognition.

JoJo Zeitlin, Cape Elizabeth High School

District 1 represented by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree

• Selected Artist: JoJo Zeitlin, Cape Elizabeth High School, grade 11. Art Teacher: Richard Rothlisberger
• 1st Runner up: Anna Callahan, Brunswick High School, grade 10. Art Teacher: Allison Price
• 2nd Runner up: Abigail Stevens-Roberts, Thornton Academy, grade 12. Art Teacher: Dana Altman
• Honorable Mention: Caitlyn Duffy, Gorham High School, grade 12. Art Teacher: Chris Crosby
• Honorable Mention: Gabriel Rosen, Portland High School, grade 12. Art Teacher: Barbara Loring
• Honorable Mention: Katie Sprague, Kents Hill School, grade 11. Art Teacher: Babs Wheelden

Michaela Shorey, Rangeley Lakes Regional School

District 2 represented by Congressman Bruce Poliquin

• Selected Artist: Michaela Shorey, Rangeley Lakes Regional School, grade 12. Art Teacher: Sonja Johnson
• 1st Runner up: Rachel Flannery, Lewiston High School, grade 12. Art Teacher: Nathaniel Meyer
• 2nd Runner up: Chandler Clothier, Lewiston High School, grade 12. Art Teacher: Sarah Stocker
• Honorable Mention: Olivia Berger, Hebron Academy, grade 12. Art Teacher: Jeanine Eschenbach
• Honorable Mention: Alanna Fellows, Lewiston High School, grade 12. Art Teacher: Nathaniel Meyer
• Honorable Mention:Shin Hye Hwang, Hebron Academy, grade 12. Art Teacher: Jeanine Eschenbach

A great big thank you to the teachers, parents and other adults who support these students and their artistic endeavors. Each student received a certificate of award and a scholarship to the Maine College of Art. The two students representing Maine’s Congressional Districts and one guest will be flown to Washington, D.C. for the official opening of the show in June.

The Maine Arts Commission partners with the Maine College of Art and the National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards to select the artwork. Gold and silver winners from the Maine Regional Scholastic Art Awards are automatically submitted to be juried in February for the Congressional Art Competition.

Poetry Out Loud State Finals

March 15, 3:00 PM, Waterville Opera House

THE MAINE ARTS COMMISSION ANNOUNCES POETRY OUT LOUD STATE FINALS
Maine High School Students Compete in National Poetry Recitation Contest

Augusta, ME—The Maine Arts Commission is presenting the 2016 Maine State Finals for Poetry Out Loud, a National Poetry Recitation Contest, on March 15 at 3 p.m. at the Waterville Opera House. The competition, presented in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, is free and open to the public. Jennifer Rooks, MPBN’s Public Affairs Host, will be the emcee. Doors open to the public at 2:30 p.m. and no tickets are required.

Poetry Out Loud encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance, and competition. Since Poetry Out Loud began, millions of students at more than 7,300 schools nationwide have been involved. This school year, almost 10,000 Maine students have participated in the program, providing them with an opportunity to master public-speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.

“Poetry Out Loud is one of many examples of high-quality, partnership-based programs that the NEA offers to schools and communities across the country,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “By helping students foster creative thinking skills and inspire self-expression, we are laying a foundation for lifelong learning in the arts.”

Poetry Out Loud is organized by the NEA and the Poetry Foundation, and is administered at the state level by the Maine Arts Commission. It began this year in Maine’s high schools where each school selected a champion to compete in a regional competition. From the two regional finals, 10 students were selected to compete in the State Finals. One student will move on from the State Finals to represent Maine at the National Finals in Washington D.C., where students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico will compete for a total of $50,000 in awards and school stipends for the purchase of poetry books.

Congratulations to the following students who will participate in the Maine State Finals at the Waterville Opera House:
•  Lydia Caron, Bangor High School
•  Morgan Steward, Carrabec High School
•  Shiloh Munsen, Freeport High School
•  Charlotte Benoit, Greely High School
•  Danielle Barrett, Hampden Academy
•  Sylvia Holland, Maine Coast Waldorf School
•  Rose Horowitz, Mt. Ararat High School
•  Owen Sinclair, Rangeley Lakes Regional School
•  Anna Bucklin, Searsport District High School
•  Ben Millspaugh, Waynflete School

For more information, please visit http://mainearts.maine.gov/Pages/Education/POL-Home or contact Argy Nestor, Maine Arts Commission Director of Arts Education at argy.nestor@maine.gov or 207-287-2713.

The Maine Arts Commission shall encourage and stimulate public interest and participation in the cultural heritage and cultural programs of our state; shall expand the state’s cultural resources; and shall encourage and assist freedom of artistic expression for the well being of the arts, to meet the needs and aspirations of persons in all parts of the state.

Southern Region State Finalists left to right: Charlotte Benoit, Greely High School; Rose Horowitz, Mt. Ararat High School; Ben Millspaugh, Waynflete School; Sylvia Holland, Maine Coast Waldorf School; Shilo Munsen, Freeport High School

Northern Region State Finalists left to right: Lydia Caron, Bangor High School; Morgan Steward, Carrabec High School; Danielle Barrett, Hampden Academy; Owen Sinclair, Rangeley Lakes Regional School; Anna Bucklin, Searsport District High School