Whitman Student Wins Top Prize in Art Contest

An arts celebration and exhibit opening for the 28th annual Congressional Art Competition was presented by Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) at the Mansion at Strathmore in North Bethesda.

At the event, Sara Papirmeister of Walt Whitman High School was named the winner for the 8th Congressional District. Papirmeister's artwork will be on display in the U.S. Capitol for a year, starting next month, along with winning entries from the other 434 congressional districts.

Certificates were presented to 270 students from 24 schools who participated in the competition. Jurors selected 93 entries to include in an exhibition that will be on display at the Mansion at Strathmore though the end of the month. Works selected for special recognition were:

-- First place -- Sara Papirmeister of Bethesda, Walt Whitman High School, self-portrait, multimedia, art instructor Jean Diamond.

Six runners-up will have their work displayed in Van Hollen's Capitol Hill and district offices for the next year.

-- Annelise Moore of North Bethesda, Connelly School of the Holy Child, self-portrait in graphite, art instructor Heather Nemcosky.

-- Matt Wilcox, Winston Churchill High School, untitled, digital photography, art instructor Michael Foo.

-- Michael Bouvet of Bethesda, Walter Johnson High School, "Entrances," acrylic paint, art instructor Liz Stafford.