Local Students Honored in 2026 Congressional Art Competition
Thirty-three high school students from across California’s 19th Congressional District submitted original artwork this year for the Congressional Art Competition, an annual tradition that has invited student artists nationwide to showcase their talent since 1982. More than 650,000 students have participated since the competition began, with a winning piece from each congressional district selected every spring for display in the United States Capitol.
Adelaide Strom, a student at Pacific Grove High School, took first place for “Adelaide in Aubergine.” Her work will now hang in the Capitol alongside winning entries from districts across the country, and she and a family member will travel to Washington, D.C. for a ceremony honoring her achievement.
Among the district’s honorees, Finn Maxwell of San Lorenzo Valley High School earned the Honorable Mention for Composition for his piece “Sapere Aude.” The recognition highlights the strength of arts programming at San Lorenzo Valley High and adds to a competition field that organizers described as especially deep this year.
Finn Maxwell’s Sampere Aude
Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), whose office hosts the district’s annual competition, praised the entries as a reflection of both local talent and the value of arts education. “The immense talent we saw on display showcases the unparalleled beauty of our district and unique talent of our students in California’s 19th Congressional District,” Panetta said. “This contest also illustrates the importance of arts education and programming for our youth as a means of self-expression and of opening students to new skills, ideas, and interests.”
2026 Congressional Art Competition Winners — CA-19
- First Place: Adelaide Strom, Pacific Grove High School, “Adelaide in Aubergine”
- Second Place: Katherine Zhu, Leland High School, “Passengers of Life”
- Third Place: Emma Wang, Leland High School, “My Wish”
- Honorable Mention for Design: Stella Rae Thelen, Pacific Collegiate School, “Hidden Mind”
- Honorable Mention for Composition: Finn Maxwell, San Lorenzo Valley High School, “Sapere Aude”
- Honorable Mention for Technique: Jessamine Sloan, Leland High School, “Our Beginning”
- Honorable Mention for Story Telling: Clara Latham, Soquel High School, “I’d Be Fine”
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