Cardinal Student Wins 2022 Congressional Art Competition

posted June 2, 2022

For the second year in a row, a Cardinal student's artwork has been chosen to represent Iowa's second congressional district in the 2022 Congressional Art Competition!

Congratulations to Annika Hicks on her winning piece, Kgerald! This summer Annika and other congressional district winners are invited to Washington, D.C. for a reception to congratulate the students on their achievements.

Kgerald is a watercolor painting of a koi fish and surprisingly one of Annika's first times using watercolors in her art.

"I had seen a lot of videos online of people working in watercolor and I thought it looked like fun," Annika said. "I hadn’t really worked in watercolor seriously before, just little things like in elementary school art classes, so I wanted to give it a try!"

Annika shared that the win was unexpected but a happy surprise.

"This experience has really been able to prove to myself that my art has value and others see beauty in my art too," she said. 

Annika also creates art using clay, paper mache, and acrylic paint. We can't wait to see her future pieces!

Entering the Annual Competition

Tina Hamburg, Cardinal CSD art teacher, encourages students to enter the competition every year.

"The Congressional Art Competition has been a good experience for my students and our Cardinal family," Ms. Hamberg said. "So happy that our students have been recognized and have the opportunity to visit the Capitol."

Ms. Hamberg hopes that all of her students, regardless of if they entered the competition and how they placed, continue to work hard and create more art. 

"Even if you do not win an award, it is a great experience to share your work with others," she said. "You are a winner either way! Always share your talent!"

If you'd like more information about the competition, please contact Ms. Hamberg at tina.hamberg@cardinalcomet.com.