Kelly Teboe Wins Congressional Art Competition

Brentsville District High School senior Kelly Teboe said last summer she had an idea for a drawing that kept nagging at her. “I pictured a single tree, a Victorian chair and a telephone,” she said. “It was bugging me, so I put it on paper to get it out of my head. Teboe’s mixed media, ink and watercolor drawing, The Wood Between Worlds, won first prize Sunday in the 2011 District 11 Congressional Arts Competition Awards Ceremony at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton.

“I considered it just a doodle at first,” said Teboe, who spent all of August working on the picture. She said it developed on its own as she worked on it. “Some days it was all I did, and I’d forget to eat,” she said. As part of the process, Teboe designed her own wallpaper which she placed behind the main picture so that it would show through the frames she’d cut.  “I needed something else, some color,” she said.  The effect is striking. 

Teboe received $1,000, donated by the Arts Council of Fairfax County.  She plans to put the money toward college. "I've been accepted into Virginia Commonwealth University's art school," she said. She's hoping to garner enough money to be able to start there next fall.

Congressman Gerry Connolly hosted the competition for high school students in his 11th Congressional District.  “I think we’re better off as a culture when we encourage the arts as a way of life in our community,” he said.  The Congressman acknowledged the sensitivity and thoughtfulness that went into each student’s creation. “I hope that you will make artistic expression a life-long commitment,” he told the students.

Exhibition Coordinator Marti Kirkpatrick of the Lorton Arts Foundation, who served as one of the four judges, said she’s been judging high school art contests for 18 years. “I always enjoy seeing what the students are thinking as represented in their art,” she said. She said that this year’s contestants were less focused than usual on themes of teenage angst. “The artists this year have produced intellectual and beautiful works,” she said.

Kirkpatrick explained the process that she and fellow judges Henrik Sundqvist, Adam Lister, and Emily Hawes went through. “The four of us perused all of the works hung on the walls without labels,” she said. “We placed sticky notes next to the ones that spoke to us.” The judges then reviewed their notes and discussed their selections. “Three works stood out to all of us,” she said. “We had to determine which spoke the loudest and then select the prize winners.”

Rich Wolford, director of development for the Lorton Arts Foundation recognized the four judges. “A great art show depends on the quality of our judges’ skill and astute ability to discern great work from a sea of great work,” he said.

Second place was awarded to Isabel Yun of Oakton High School. Her mixed media work is titled Tuesday Afternoon. She was not present at the award ceremony, but will receive $750, donated by the Lorton Arts Foundation.

Third place went to Taylor Fox of Brentsville District High School. Her graphite drawing is titled Blind.  Jo Ormesher, executive director of the City of Fairfax Commission on the Arts, presented Fox with $500, donated by Fairfax Spotlight on the Arts.

Fourth place went to Ryan Brown of Oakton High School. His computer graphics is titled Trapped #4. James Gallagher, president of the Prince William Arts Society, presented Brown with $100, donated by the Prince William Arts Society.

Fifth place went to Lauren Neufeld of Battlefield High School for her scratchboard, pen and ink drawing based on her brother and titled Money on His Mind. Emily Hawes, program chair for the Prince William Arts Society, presented Neufeld $100, donated by the Prince William Arts Society.

Four honorable mentions were awarded to :

Hee Yun Na from Open Art Studio for her poster color Self Portrait.

John Le of Osbourn Park High School for his photograph Lost Dancer.

Angelina Namkung of W.T. Woodson High School for her colored pencil drawing titled Endangered Environment.

Christopher Green of Osbourn Park High School for his prisma marker work entitled WWI General.

All 144 art works, up from 79 last year, will be on display in building W-16 through April 17. The exhibition will then move to the City of Fairfax on April 18. The location is still to be determined.

The Congressional Art Competition is an annual nationwide contest sponsored by the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The work from the top winner in each district is displayed in the U.S. Capitol building for one year.