Torres Announces Winner of Congressional Art Competition

ONTARIO, CA – Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-Pomona) hosted her inaugural Congressional Art Competition for the 35^th congressional district at an awards ceremony and exhibition at the dA Center for the Arts in Pomona. The winning piece by Syrena Nadine Payton, a senior at Chaffey High School, was selected out of 81 pieces submitted from 78 participants representing 11 high schools throughout the district.

"Today's exhibition is a reminder of the need to foster and promote the arts in our community and invest in arts education. Whether a student becomes the next Picasso or never picks up a paintbrush again, the arts help students expand their creativity and develop skills that apply to all aspects of their academic and professional lives," Torres continued. "We've set the bar high for our inaugural competition, and I hope in the coming years this event will only continue to grow."

Payton's landscape, Reflections and Serenity, will now be displayed in the U.S. Capitol Complex for one year, and she is invited to a reception in Washington, DC, honoring winners from throughout the United States. She will also receive two roundtrip tickets courtesy of Southwest Airlines and a scholarship to Savannah College of Art and Design.

"It is an honor to be able to recognize the impressive young artistic talent here in the 35^th District," said Torres. "Our judges certainly had their work cut out for them. The quantity and quality of submissions blew me away, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for Syrene and the other young artists exhibiting today."

Winners were selected by a panel of expert judges which included Michael Franceschi, Supervising Animator at Walt Disney Animatoin Studios, Sara Angne of The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire, and Juanita Trujillo from the Museum of Latin American Art.

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