Thornwood High School’s Syrell Hall places first
information provided by the Office of Robin Kelly
CRETE, Ill. (March 31, 2020) – Last week Congresswoman Robin Kelly announced the winners of the 2020 Congressional Art Competition for high school students at the Crete Creative Gallery & School in Crete.
“Art helps us better understand the world and times we live in. This remarkable artwork lets us see the world through the eyes of our young people,” Congresswoman Kelly said. “I want to thank each of our gifted young artists for taking part in the contest, as well as their teachers, who encourage and develop their talent.”
Syrell Hall of Thornwood High School won first place for his work, “Statistic.” Hall’s artwork will be on display for one year in the U.S. Capitol. He was also awarded two round-trip tickets to Washington, D.C., to attend a reception honoring the winning artists from all 50 states later this year.
“Because of the social distancing policy currently in place, we were unable to hold a special reception this year for our participants and winners,” Rep. Kelly said. “However, a virtual tour of the artwork submitted by our talented students is available on my Facebook page.” (direct link)
The second-place winner was Jelani Jones of Thornwood High School for his work titled “Wishful Thinking.”
Third-place winner was Janet Amuh of Homewood-Flossmoor High School for her work, “Adjua.”
The artwork of the 2nd and 3rd place winners will be displayed in Congresswoman Kelly’s district offices in Matteson and Chicago.
Thirty-eight students representing 10 schools submitted artwork. Schools that participated in the competition were: Rich Central High School, Bishop McNamara Catholic School, Thornton Fractional North High School, Thornwood High School, Bloom Trail High School, Kankakee High School, Marian Catholic High School, Homewood-Flossmoor High School, Illinois Lutheran School and Thornridge High School.
The Congressional Art Competition was established by the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982 to acknowledge and support the artistic talent of America’s young adults.
